All about a Dog

The writer and the night. 'All about a Dog' is by A.G. Gardiner, written during the First World War (that is why angry passengers say the conductor should be 'in the army'). On a bitterly cold night a lady gets on a bus with a small Pekinese dog. The conductor, a sour man who seems to resent passengers, says the rule is: dogs go on top (the open upper deck).

The stand-off. She refuses: it is too cold, and she offers her name and address. He stops the bus and waits on the pavement. The passengers are furious ('Shameful!'). Some ask for their fares back. The conductor says no fares back, and two or three simply get off and walk. (The book's summary box says they 'got the money back'. The story says they did not.)

The policeman and the second round. A policeman says the conductor has his rules, and does nothing. At last the lady takes the dog upstairs, and the conductor struts like a ship's captain on the quarterdeck (the raised deck where the captain stands) in his hour of victory. Then the engine fails. The lady slips back down with the dog, and the whole quarrel starts again.

The narrator's advice. The last passenger off says something kind to the conductor. Some rules are hard and fast, like the rules of the road: break them and lives are at risk. Others are guides, meant for the passengers' comfort. Those should be kept in spirit, not only in letter, with goodwill and good temper. The conductor answers with a friendly 'Good night'.

An everyday picture. A queue at an office: people follow it when asked kindly, and push when shouted at. A rule works best with goodwill.