Can Field Can Con Fuse! (1)

Red Buses on a Green Bus Route?

A blog or score ago, fbb was investigating the mysterious appearance of red Deutsche Bahn buses on a BVB (Basel) bus route. See the blog itself (here)

No 3 son works in an office block on bus route 48 to Bachgraben where the bus transforms itself seamlessly into a service 38 and trundles off, eventually to cross the border into Germany.

The 48/38 are both jointly operated routes which "connect" (i.e. run "through") at Bachgraben.

This was of academic interest to fbb and provided material for the blog as clicklinked above; BUT No 3 son espied a possible use for the knowledge that his old man had unearthed from hours of patient research.

By Bus Instead of Taxi?

Every couple of weeks the lad "commutes" back to Blighty for a long weekend. He spotted that the 48, transformed into a 38 at Bachgraben, called at Kannenfeldplatz ...

... where he could change to a service 50. Route 50 runs from the SBB (Swiss Railway) station ...

... to the airport ...

... whence No 3 can flap his wings and fly to Gatport Airwick. The BVB journey planner (JP) translates itself into English and offered the following trajectory from the stop named Im Bruhl, outside the office ...

... all the way to the airport with just one change.

Some JPs might insist on a second change at Bachgraben but the clockwork-efficient Swiss tell you to stay put while the 48 transmogrifies into a 38.

Note also that the JP offers a 2 minute connection at Kannenfeldplatz to include a 106 metre walk. Is Basel public transport efficient enough to guarantee the tight connection?

No 3 son reports on his journey.

The 48 destination blind showed Shifflände but on the on bus screens it was Bachgraben ...

Shifflände is the city centre terminus. The efficient Swiss driver had not changed his blind for the trip to Bachgraben.

followed by the white void of ambiguity.

In other words no advance on-screen warning that the 48 would become a 38!

I expected a layover at Bachgraben as it has a mini bus station there, instead it just used the stop on the main road. Then the TV screen changed magically and that was it, no announcement, just a fluid continuation.

The bus became a 38 and a new set of information appeared.

Got off at Kannenfeldplatz which was a nightmare of stops, crossings, trams and one way traffic; it is, basically, a roundabout, but is it the new hot wheels playset?

Seven roads meet at the square, four of which have bus services whilst the tram blasts through the middle with an obvious set of stops ...

... and an historic tram shelter building, now a cafe.

There were plenty of departure screens ...

But what there wasn't was a plan of which bus stops where! Were this London ...

... there would be a lettered stop plan, plus a printed index, plus IMPORTANTLY, a letter on each stop pole.

All the lad could find at Kannenfeld Platz were departure lists and a network map.

He had not he foggiest idea where his service 50 to the airport might leave from and with only a 2 minute connection, panic began to set in.

Tomorrow we will explore the Square near the Can Field in more detail.

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Peter (Saint Peter, Simon Peter) is a fascinating character in the Biblical narrative. He was one of the fishermen called by Jesus to "leave his nets and follow me"; he was present at many of the big events in the three year ministry of Christ and he went on, post Resurrection, to become the leader of the growing Christian Church in Rome.

It is highly likely that he was mentor to Mark and provided much of the material for the gospel that bears his name.

Yet he was one of the biggest failures of the gospel story. This was at the"Last Supper".

Jesus said to them, “All of you will run away and leave me, for the scripture says, ‘God will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will all be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.”

Peter answered, “I will never leave you, even though all the rest do!”

Jesus said to Peter, “I tell you that before the rooster crows two times tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.”

They did and he did!

But the failure was one of the first of the disciples to enter the empty tomb!

He found the burial cloth but no body. Those that like to postulate the removal of the body by human hand should remember that even touching a naked body was simply inconceivable in the culture of the day.

The failed Peter was to gain a remarkable new lease of life from the risen Jesus!

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