Enjoy Yourself on a Long Bus Ride
A long bus ride can get boring quickly. Whether it's the old woman sitting next to you sleeping, the 3 year-old boy throwing a tantrum in the back seat or 15 year-old girl across from you who won't stop talking on her phone, you might be in for a bad time. But that doesn't mean you should lose hope! Here are some suggestions for entertaining yourself on a long bus ride.
Contents
Steps
Finding activities to do
- Keep your mind open to more activities that you could do or make up on the trip. It is said that "getting there is half the fun."
- Bring fun things to do. Make sure you have enough to entertain you for however long you are riding the bus. Good things to bring include:
- Music player, power supply, and earphones
- Reading matter
- Netbook, tablet or laptop computer
- Hand held game.
- Bring your phone, iPad, laptop, tablet, or any electronic device. It is sometimes helpful to bring an electronic device with you, so that you can watch a movie, play games, text, call people, and more.
- If WiFi is available, you could go online.
- Bring paper and a pencil. It is always fun to draw, right? Why not draw during a trip? You could also draw scenery or memorable events. It will be sure to amuse you on the trip. Try not to do it for too long or you will start to feel nauseous from motion sickness.
- Bring reading material. You could read from a book, newspaper, magazine, e-book, or other reading item. Try to avoid doing this if you get motion sickness.
- Think of a hobby or something that would be easy to do on a bus. Choose something that you would enjoy and that you're not likely to get bored with quickly.
Passing the time
- Chill. Sit back and relax. Use the things you brought with you. Look out the window at the scenery or talk to other people.
- Be patient. Just keep a calm mentality about the bus ride. This is harder than it sounds but, when mastered, it is a big help in many areas of life.
- Stare out of the window. You could enjoy the scenery or play "I Spy" games to take up time. Just try to think that the ride is going to end soon, and look at the beautiful scenery whizzing past. Paying attention to the county, city, town and village names as you pass through may come in handy if you have any interest in geography or history.
- Make a parody and write it down. Think of any song, but replace the original lyrics with your own. Your song can have the same tune as the original.
- Take a nap. Then eat a snack, then listen to some music or read a book. These will take your mind off the length of the trip, especially naps.
Interacting with others on the bus
- Talk to a friend or someone else who is close to you. It is sometimes nice to engage in a deep conversation with someone. It will always take up your time. You may also get to know the person a little bit more.
- Be courteous to your fellow bus mates. Be patient and have a positive attitude. You won't be so grouchy if you're not being mean.
- Avoid snapping at, or arguing with fellow bus members. This will only make the trip dramatic and uncomfortable for everyone. Remember that everyone is stuck in a small space. Stay positive.
- When people are staring at you, try to communicate with them telepathically to see if they are reading your mind and whether they react.
- Play travel bingo with someone else. Travel bingo with two or more players is like real bingo but with scenery. All that you have to find is in your 6 squares. Another person has to draw 6 different things that you are somewhat likely to see out of the window, and cross them out when they are found. If you get 3 squares in a row, you shout "Travel Bingo!"
- You can also do more squares than 6 like 8 squares and you have to get 4 squares in a row.
Tips
- Sit on the back of the bus if you want entertainment (it may be loud back there). Or sit in the front for a quiet ride.
- Coach buses are wonderful if you like to entertain everybody. You may want to bring a movie to play that everybody will enjoy -- try a comedy.
- Make sure that you have everything with you before you go on the bus. Pack your travel items in a backpack and take it on the bus with you. Don't bring anything too bulky, so that you don't disturb your seat mate.
- Don't be smelly. Don't wear heavy perfume or have body odor, and don't bring on smelly foods (Frito's or fast food, for example!)
- Bring a lightweight jacket. It may be cold and you're sitting next to someone who has another opinion and opens the window widely.
- If there is a loud child next to you, try some iPod music or try to talk to the child. Now that is entertainment!
- If you start to feel sick, make the driver aware.
- If you snore, buy Breathe Right strips before you leave. You may look a bit silly, but you won't have the other passengers hating you.
- You can bring homework on the bus if you want.
- Take up two seats––once the bus takes off, curl up on those two seats and get some shut eye.
- Try to see things in a new or imaginative way, so that you will be amused.
- Make yourself comfortable by doing things which you enjoy as you will forget that you are in a bus.
Warnings
- Don't do anything that would distract the driver (yelling, screaming, etc.).
- Don't make the music/games too loud. It's annoying when you hear other people's music, and the driver might kick you off for being a disturbance to other riders.
- Sometimes your teacher, supervisor, or neighbors will be annoyed if you make too much noise. Avoid causing an uproar, or disrupting others.
- As fun as it sounds, do not climb on all the seats and metal bars on the bus, as it will result in either getting hurt or getting kicked off.
- Sometimes when going on a field trip, you are not allowed bring a device. Ask your teacher or supervisor first.
- If WiFi is not available, your internet browser may not work.
Things You'll Need
- Pillow
- Blanket
- Playing cards
- Music players (e.g., CD player, iPod, etc)
- Snacks and drinks
- Books
- Small notepad
- Pen
- Pencil
- Sleeping-mask
- Netbook (laptop, etc.)
- Radio (with ear phones)
- Charger
