This strange tale comes from the southwest of England and was told to me by my friend Helen. Who was the ghostly passenger? Was he perhaps travelling to that final destination we're all making our way towards? Helen describes what happened in her own words below:
"It was 2020, before the pandemic hit, and I was driving a morning run on the 376 bus from Wells to Street, then back from Street on to Bristol. It was around 10am as I was driving through the small residential roads of Street, and it was a bright morning. Passenger numbers dwindled as I neared my final stop. I was running a little late, so hoping for a very swift stop in Street, just enough to reset my journey on the ticket machine and change the destination blind. Checking the in cab cameras, I saw that just one passenger remained on the top deck. He was an old man, wearing a flat cap and sitting in the window seat nearest the stairs. Pulling into the bus stop gently, I opened the doors and waited for him to get off. Time passed, and there was no sign of him leaving. This wasn't that unusual, as some people will get on earlier in Street and stay on for Bristol, but as I checked the cameras again, there was no sign of the gentleman. He couldn't have passed me without me seeing, as there is just one set of doors on this type of bus, and they're next to me in the cab. I presumed he had changed seats, which is pretty standard, as everyone wants to sit in the very front seats, which in some vehicles are beyond the range of the cameras."
"I turned off the engine and got out of the cab, planning to double check the passenger did indeed want to continue on to Bristol. Climbing the stairs, I expected to see the old man in the front seats of the top deck. But as I reached the final step, there was no sign of him. I strode back to the seat he had been occupying by the window. I checked all of the top deck, even under the seats in case he had been unwell and collapsed. But there was no sign of him. We were at the final stop, and the bus was utterly empty."
If you have a ghostly tale that you'd like me to share, I'm always happy to hear them. You can reach me via my social media accounts listed on the contact page.
Image: Myriams Fotos - Pixabay