Size Up the Facts First

One fine day, a bus driver went to the garage, started his vehicle, and drove off along his usual route. No problems at the first few stops - a few people got on, a few got off, and the ride was smooth.

At the next stop, however, a hulk of a guy got on. Six-foot-eight, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground and said, "Big John doesn't pay!" and sat down at the back of the bus.

Did I mention that the driver was five-three, and quite meek? Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about his getting a free ride.

The next day, the same thing happened: Big John got on the bus, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. He did the same the next day, and the one after, and so forth. This grated on the driver, who started losing sleep over the way his passenger was taking advantage of him.

Finally, he could not take it any longer. He signed up for body-building courses, karate, judo, the whole works. By the end of the summer, the driver had become quite strong. On top of that, he felt really good about himself.

The following Monday, when Big John got on the bus and said, "Big John doens't pay!", the driver stood up, glared back at his passenger, and screamed, "And why not?"

With a surprised look on his face, the burly man replied, "Big John has a bus pass."

Make sure there really is a problem first, before you start working hard to solve it.

Sent to Starmag by Thanavalli Rajaretnam