With the arrival of Tauranga City's new big yellow Bay Hopper bus service comes new regard for the paying passenger.

On Monday afternoon, a Bayhopper travelling down Chadwick Road stopped to allow an elderly lady to make her way slowly, very slowly, over a pedestrian crossing.

En route, she waved her walking stick at the driver indicating she needed a ride to wherever.

No way would she make it to the nearest bus stop, so an obliging bus driver threw open the front door at the pedestrian crossing and waited for her to be seated before resuming the journey.

Not so much as an impatient horn blast from the eight or so cars held up momentarily behind the bus.

I am sure the Occupational Safety and Health department would have had a field day – no boarding or alighting except at designated stops etc etc et-bloody-cetera. Rules are good, but sometimes they demand to be broken. That day, in a flash, common sense and decency prevailed and a major public relations coup was scored for Bay Hopper.

Next time one of those big yellow beasts wants to break back into the peak-time traffic flow from a bus stop, I will be first to let him in.

Bless yuh Bay Hopper. Carry on as you have started.

I Goldsmith, Bureta.