natalie&doris

OK I wasn’t planning on doing a post just yet, but I was sort of catapulted into this one for 2 reasons;

1. My van has broken down and I find myself relying on the bus

2. I happened across an amazing Russian bus stop the other day while I was snooping the net and it sort of rocked my socks off.

So yes, as I feel Northern Ireland is lacking in bus stop design, I thought I would investigate how other countries around the world address the issue of ‘waiting’.

Should we embrace waiting? I think yes we most certainly should. We always look at waiting as a heavy negative, for instance customer service evaluation always treats any sort of waiting time in a severely derogatory way. And even I am guilty of spouting out “I waited 10 mins for the sales assistant to even glance at me, the f”33ck*n b*^ch!!!” (eh um…)

Waiting for me equals pure thinking time. However we all ideally want our ‘thinking’ to be creative in some way, if its not then yes its certainly a negative.

So perhaps as a way of valuing our waiting time we should find places that open up those creative floodgates in our heads. And the most obvious place for me to start is bus stops.

I have been thinking about bus stops all week and am amazed how we humans interact with these spaces. Its a space were we are forged together …especially if the weather is sh”*e. Its a place were we often see total strangers in a highly emotional state; chasing after buses, ties flapping, things falling out of their bag and the like. Then the acrimonious slow walk to the bus stop when the bus driver has refused to stop for them as they were like 20 ft away. We see little old ladies huddled on the 3inch wide seat looking at their watches and probably daydreaming of the love of their lives who have long since passed; young kids furiously pressing buttons on their mobiles trying to convey their pubescent angst to their parents; drunk and lairy lads conversing very loudly to get the attention of the scantly dressed female teen sitting at the other end of the stop.

When I was 21 I had one of the best moments of my life at a bus stop. I can easily say that cos it was like something in a dream, it was such a connection with another bus stop waitee and it only lasted the time we both waited for a bus and until I reached my destination. But maybe I will just hold back on sharing that story and savour it a bit longer just for myself (Sorry!)

In my ideal world I think every country should have an Ideas Council (IC – I see – get it?!) , whose sole purpose is to help us have ideas. And first on their itinerary should be developing bus stops into a place were we CAN think creatively and perhaps even network on some sort of common level with fellow waitees.

Okay, this is NEVER gonna happen. However, I feel in some small part this issue of commissioning bus stops as a creative space is beginning to be addressed… (hurray!)

Here are my findings;

• The bus stops here is a lovely blog piece laid out by a Jordanian fine arts graduate Roba Al-Assi. It gives us an overview of the design legacy called ‘the bus stops here’ from design gurus Fiori. I won’t reiterate what is written here but you can see how the designers have really varied their bus stop design in responding to people’s different needs and environments. And quite rightfully I feel, the Portland based design company won a gold award for this project.
• OK Ikea always seems to crop up in my blogs, not cos I purposely want them to, its just their creative marketing team always seem to come up trumps in thinking of new ways to sell us their wears. Here is the Ikea bus stop that I have fallen in love with. (Sorry!) I just thinks its a really clever take on making bus stops look comfortable places to stop and wait. You know, if I ever had £150 quid to spare I may even do this somewhere in Belfast and secretly film people’s reactions…(and then of course ask permission to use the material once they catch on!)
• Japan oh Japan, how we love your Takeshi’s castle! Well I also love this bus stop you have located in Ishaya. A bus stop that really makes your mouth water don’t you agree? This blogger has also posted a cosy bus stop situated in Cornwall, and the foresaid Ikea one. And here the people of Japan also highlight that all bus stops don’t have to be elaborate to be cool, check out this one . The first seat with the manky cushion on in it is so brilliant. It just looks as if some middle aged office workers have decided to take matters into their own hands, and they all have their own seat that they swivel and lean back on every morning.
• Now what has Russia got to offer, well the one I discovered that got me on to this whole soul searching was this almost Red Square type bustop which looks like its situated in Southern Siberia or somewhere. Now I found this invariably cute, but you may be shocked by what I like even more, its this . I cannot explain why I am drawn to this bus stop, it sort of reminds me of those huge massive concrete bridges you go under on motorways and the like. However, what I feel I like most about this is if you dribble a few fairy lights around this at dusk, you have the makings of an ace art school party. You could get a ladder up to the top and have a chill out area, with your backs leaning against the peak looking at the stars. Man I LOVE this bus stop so much I can’t convey it in bloggy words…
• This simple shack of a bus stop is in Oregon US, it sorta looks like it should be in New Zealand or something. (I don’t know why!) Very home made, which is what I admire in it. Some local dude has just said “Hey man, I wanna make a bus stop , sit back in it and slurp on a white russian” Take a look at the little bench and the two blocks of wood holding it up painted orange with little white stars. Absolutely lovely.
• No matter what ‘they’ say about Saudi Arabian people, these shade wearing peeps sure know comfort! And its something I totally admire! Air conditioned bus stops, flippin class! (but only if its solar powered of course!)
• Oops more Sojvet bus stops!! I’m a big fan of the third one down and last one on that blog list! You could stage a little play in it, or play house or something. And here is another one! though the seats look to be ripped out. However it does leave the under bars as useful places to lock your bike. And this upside down iron shaped one, yes looks typical Russian but what a shape and what height! And what about this one!!… oh my goodness it makes you wanna simultaneously salute and swig a barrel of vodka.
• Belarus, isn’t officially part of Russia anymore but you can see these have been around since the old era. They are now painted lovingly pink with florals and butterflies.
• The Shetland Islands seem to have the habit of putting little gates on their bus shelters!
• This bus stop was created to stop sea spray annoying waitees too much but I love how it evokes the soon to be bus passenger to take a view of the bus stop. I also love the photograph by Lisa Kereszi whose technique makes you think its a 50’s american postcard illustration.
• This bus stop in Canberra, AU just reminds me of them new portaloos. Still in all, waiting in it would evoke a lot of toilet memories! But I heavily suspect just like a public toilet it stinks of pish.
• Martin Neca artistically delivers this prototype, a much more noughties version of the Soviet bus stop I mentioned earlier (the one thats just ripe for fairylights and a krautrock electro dj!) I like the mixture of wood, steel and concrete Martin uses.
• This made me chuckle, the Chav modified bus stop in Northampton.
• Bus stops as a place to play…And this is simply brilliant!! All bus stops should have a swing! And when I thought it couldn’t get any better I stumble across this.
• Oh my goodness what a great blog this is…and look at all the wonderful bus stops he has found (thankfully none of the ones I have found, a whole pile of new goodies!!). I especially like the bus stop engineered to look like its made up of parts of a typical American yellow school bus that you see in the movies and Southpark, ho ho.
• This French bus stop is very state of the art, but doesn’t look that comfortable to rest and… maybe I dunno, it is very football stadiumesque and perhaps would look perfect outside Old Trafford in Manchester I think…
• All I can say about this bus stop (and ok bus station!!!) in Spain is NO WAY!!!!!!
• The Lowercase reading room is a wonderful blog site where I discovered the book A Complete Guide to Estonian Bus Stops by Eve Kask and Signe Kivi. Well actually the lower case reading room isn’t just a blog site, but a very charming shop/stop (!) of unusual zines and artist made books in Vancouver, British Columbia

Right I think I am bullet pointed out.. . however if I come across any more I will add.

Time I think for a conclusion of sorts…

1. Communism seems to have give its people the choice to have creative thinking power while sitting waiting for the bus…well of sorts…the bus stops with height and grandness do sway the ‘waitee’ into thinking about the ol’ hammer and sickle!
2. Home made bus stops are the best kind of bus stop and making myself one or even decorating one is now on my list of things to do before I die.
3. Ulsterbus needs an Ideas Council.

Doris