I did a brief stint at a photography studio in Speightstown last year. I took a mini bus to the north of Barbados via the Bridgetown – Sp’town route to work each morning. This meant spending 45 mins on a cramped bus blasting dub music while whipping around the narrow coast road. I was literally hanging out the safety doors on my first trip.

Mini busses and Zed Rs (dollar vans to those in BK) get a lot of flak here. Maybe they have a general disregard for traffic laws and a pack ‘em in attitude, but they charge the same amount as the public transport busses, and drive just as crazy. Kids can take the transport busses for free on school days, but often opt to drop $1.50 for the mini bus that they can pick up from anywhere and listen to dub music in.

I felt like I was part of a big family when riding my route. Not in the sense that we were all buddy buddy, but if an old man needed a seat one of us would get up. Little school kid has a heavy backpack on? You might have to hold it for her. Lady with a newborn steps on the bus? She will probably hand you the baby to hold for a bit.