moenia

Well, first I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinking I could never drive around those roundabouts. But then I spent so many nights thinking how to do it right, and I grew strong and I learned how to get around. :)

Actually it's easier than you'd think. You just take it slow (usually no faster than 15-20 km/h (10-12 mph) and keep your right side clear if your driving on the left side of a two lane roundabout. Although there are some steering wheel nightmares. This is the worst one in Linköping. To get through with an 18 m (60 ft) articulated bus without touching the edges you have to turn the steering wheel like MAD. First time in there I thought it'd be impossible, but it's actually doable!

The hiring process is usually like any other. You send in your CV, have an interview and a test drive. Some employers require you to take a basic test in Swedish (this profession is popular among immigrants). But for me on the other hand, I was hired before I even finished my driving test. My boss called one of my teachers and asked if he had anyone who could start working in a month. They needed new drivers quickly, so I actually started the internal training a week before I even had my license!

To drive a bus you need a special license, yes. Here it's called a D license. First of all you have to have the B license (the reqular driver's license), which enables you to train for the D license. But that isn't quite enough. Once you have that you're allowed to legally drive a bus, but you can't have any passengers.

For that you need the YKB (Yrkeskompetensbevis) - a certificate of professional competence which closely resembles the CPC in the UK. To get it you need 280 hours of additional training between the age of 18-20, and 140 hours if you're 21+.

Hejsan svejsan!

Wow, I always thought that was the general idea of a bus stop! Interesting. It's true that most of the bus stops here has like it's own "parking slot", but it's not everywhere.

Ha det gött!

Not with a bus, no, but I've been close twice with my own car. They're all over the place.

Yeah I saw that post. That is a true hero. You never know how you would react in those kinds of situations; it's hard to predict, but I sincerely wish I would do the same. I try to be a good samaritan wherever I am, whatever I do. I hope I can live up to that in a real situation.