The saying “things happen for a reason” gets used frequently.

I gave it a run last Monday.

I was going out Monday night, so I decided to partake in the public transport system by catching the bus to work.

I have done it a couple of times and found it pretty good.

It was particularly so on my maiden voyage, when I hopped on to a fairly full bus but found three seats all together, like I was on the lounge at home – except on this occasion I didn’t just have my jocks on.

I remember sitting there, wondering why no one else was as smart as me, and they even looked quite jealous, until I noticed something painted on the floor – a disabled sign.

Apparently those looks weren’t envy but contempt, so I slinked off to spoil someone’s day by sitting beside them.

So that was my first trip and apart from embarrassing myself, I was pretty impressed.

Since then I have had a few more and we even walk the dogs down to the bus stop, which sort of kills two birds with one stone.

So the other day we arrived at the corner and there was the bus.

It didn’t have the picture of Karen Neundorf or Mark Plank on the side.

It was my favourite, the one painted like a giant subway.

It was already at the stop, so with old mate encouraging me, I waddled across Nicklin Way, waving my arms like some madman chasing a giant roll.

It moved off but got caught at the lights, so I ran up and banged on the door, right in front of the jalapenos.

But the driver basically said “no food for you” and drove off.

Devastated, I walked back to the stop, out of breath but strangely hungry.

About five minutes later a car pulled up, driven by an old mate I used to play footy against.

He had seen the whole fiasco and turned around to pick me up.

What a guy!

He was on his way to Point Cartwright, so we talked about old times, how he used to run around me at footy etc and then he dropped me off at Kawana Shopping World.

Lo and behold, there was the giant sub idling at the stop.

Was it teasing me or had the worm turned?

“Remember me?” I said, as I hopped on.

The surprised driver explained the safety rules and why he couldn’t let me on at the lights 10km back, which I accepted with the added bonus of saving a dollar from the price of the original ticket.

I got on and headed for a seat as a startled lady sitting near the lettuce and cheese wondered how I had managed to catch up.

I suppose she had figured there couldn’t be two people that looked like me.

An ex-workmate got on, so we started talking about who was doing what, etc, and I inquired about one young lady I used to work with.

She probably wasn’t my biggest fan, but I had admired her work ethic.

Bugger me, his phone rang and it was her.

He handed me the phone and I answered, thinking she would have no idea who it was, but she picked my voice in one go.

She then told me that she was reading my column as we spoke and things were starting to get a bit freaky.

So we all had a great laugh and I realised that things do happen for a reason, because the three people that I encountered were all genuine, caring folk.

I must say it made my day – the best $2.50 I had ever spent, in fact.