Bright lights on x90

 I took the 3:30 coach to Gatwick.

 I sat at the back because driver had pop music on at the front.

There are two bright lights, in the reading lights positions, shining directly into my eyes. I tried turning them off, using what looked like reading lights buttons. These things are bright. From my vantage point at the back, I notice that of a dozen passengers, four try to turn off their lights over the next minute.

I go to the front. “Excuse me, there are some bright lights, right in my eyes, and I can’t turn them off”.  “We have to have those while we’re in the city. The others are even brighter. I can turn on the others if you want”.

I already travel with tape for covering lights in hotel rooms, from fire detectors etc. Looks like adhesive covering should become a briefcase item.

Back at the back. The three people closest, newly boarded, are all trying to turn off their lights, and are coordinating with each other. “I’ve spoken to the driver. He said he’ll switch them off when we leave the city. We can’t switch them off before then”. “Thank you”.

This does finally happen, 27 minutes after the coach departed Gloucester Green.

And there are two bright screens, flashing ads about “app benefits”. To escape these, an eye mask would be required. Why do we do this to each other?

And why confusingly name transport services after other modes  of transport?