Night Riding Through Melbourne

*modeled after Crawling through Bangalore

Sitting in a lecture hall in the middle of the Australian summer with what seemed like hundreds of other students my group of friends and I shook off our day dreams of escaping to the beach when the Monash University staff got to the travel part of the program.  They were talking about how to get around the city and after my last cab ride I was desperate for a change.  I’d imagined being able to get around the city solely using public transportation (which is difficult at night if its possible at all) when they told us the news I’d been waiting for.  There was an alternative to taking a cab after all (well sometimes).

Running only after midnight on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays the Night Rider bus is the ride of choice for both uni students and local Aussies who don’t want to pay seventy dollars to get home from the city.  We thought this bus would be great. Not only would we be saving money but we could meet all sorts of interesting people, not to mention fellow Monash students returning to campus.  It was a cheaper alternative to taking a cab and really how much longer could it take?  We were still driving.  It’s not like we were taking a bus to a train to another bus (which believe me I’ve done).  The Night Rider was supposed to have multiple stops in the Melbourne so late night travelers could easily find it and best of all it would drop us off directly in front of the residence halls.

So, wanting to experience the local nightlife, we headed off to Melbourne’s first ever White Night celebration ready to take the Night Rider just like real Aussies.  Streets were blocked off by police cars and food trucks alike as we pushed our ways through the throngs of people crowding the streets eager to see what the city had to offer.  Patterns of bright light reflected off the buildings changing every five minutes creating an ever-changing rainbow against the night sky.  It was nothing short of amazing.

Flinder's Street Station on White Night

Panoramic view of Melbourne on White Night

At around 2:30 in the morning we decided it was time to find the Night Rider and get back to campus.  We were about to head off to Flinders Street (where the bus was supposed to pick us up) when it dawned on us: wasn’t that one of the streets blocked off for the White Night festival?  Now hopelessly lost we wandered in circles around the city asking local police if they knew where another stop was for what felt like forever before finally getting our answer: Collins Street.  But it gets better.  There’s actually two Collins Streets in Melbourne.  So much for this bus being easy to find!  Rounding the corner onto the correct Collins Street we saw a crowd of people standing on the curb under a bus sign.

“I hope they’re not all taking our bus,” my friend Rebecca said.  There was definitely more people than could fit comfortably.  

We walked over to join the crowd (it was now almost 3:00) and looked up at the sign. Night Rider the sign proclaimed smugly.  I could tell we were all doing the mental calculations and one thing was for sure.  There was no way everyone on the street was getting on the next bus.  Some people would be waiting an extra half hour for the next one or giving up and hailing a cab.  By now, the 3:00 bus could be heard rumbling quietly in the distance. Determined to be part of the group that made it on this bus we linked arms and waited.

When the bus pulled up to the curb, somewhat of a frenzy erupted.  Everyone was pushing each other out of the way trying to get on the bus.  Rebecca in the lead, the five us squeezed through the crowd pulling the friend behind us through the door and into the bus before the doors closed behind us.  After that everyone was silent except for the occasional name called out to make sure groups, like us, had all our members safely aboard.

One of the many people who had to stand, I quickly grabbed onto the handrail as the bus lurched from the curb.  I’d been expecting a seat where I could rest my head against the window after a tiring night out but clearly that was not the case.  People were packed so tightly you could scarcely shift your weight without knocking someone over and we’d left others behind on the curb.  For the first few stops no one got off and when the number increased it was still only two or three people per a stop (clearly we were all going to the residence halls).

Each time the bus stopped I had to fight to keep from falling into the people packed around me (Bonus points if you can do this in heels).  It was difficult with people everywhere and needless to say a couple collisions did occur followed quickly by mumbled apologies.  My feet were aching and all I wanted at that moment in time was somewhere to sit, even for a second.  I was starting to regret passing on a cab, at least then I’d have a seat.  But no, the bus is cheaper I reminded myself and we’re almost halfway there.  It’ll be fine.

View from inside the Night Rider

When the bus finally pulled up to our stop across from the halls, people started spilling out the doors to reunite with lost friends and begin the short walk home.  Having been the closest of my group to the door, I waited patiently for them on the curb before kicking off my shoes and going back to my hall thinking about how crazy the night had been.  

I’m not saying I expected the Night Bus from Harry Potter to come whiz us away into the night but that definitely wasn’t what I expected.  They should have warned us about how busy it would be.  I am never taking that bus again I thought to myself as I climbed into bed that night but hey I’m a uni student and I can’t afford a cab (so the next time I spent the ride sitting in a luggage rack).