There are pros and cons to public transport, and the public straddle both parts of this. On the positive side, bus stops and buses are excellent places to eavesdrop and gather details for realistic characters with believable speech patterns.
Next time you need to go somewhere beyond walking distance, why not catch the bus instead of hopping in your car? It may be less convenient and comfortable, but think of it as a low-cost writing exercise. You might just find the inspiration for a amazing story sitting right beside you, and all for the price of a ticket across town!
If you write or create something prompted by this, please send an email to judydarley(at)iCloud.com to let me know. With your permission, I’ll publish it on SkyLightRain.com.