The Parable of the Politician and the Bus Driver

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, has politicking gotten in the way of politics?”

Josh spoke thus:

A politician stepped onto the politician’s tour bus.

“To the next town,” the politician said to the driver, closing the door to the bus.

“Don’t we want to wait for the others?” the bus driver asked.

“We very much do not want to wait for the others,” the politician said, “Let’s go.”

“But I don’t know where I’m going,” the bus driver said.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re going,” the politician said, “Just go.”

The bus driver drove the bus out of the small town they had just left.

“What town was that?” the politician asked the bus driver.  The bus driver told the politician the name of the town they had just left.  

“And what’s the next town on this road?” the politician asked.  The bus driver looked at the satellite navigation system and told the politician the name of the next town.

“How many people live there?” the politician asked.  The bus driver didn’t know.  “Stop when we get there,” the politician said.

A few minutes later, the bus arrived at the next town.  The next town consisted of about five buildings, one of which was a church.  The politician had the bus driver park in the church parking lot.  The politician left the bus and approached the front door of the church.  The door was locked.

“Well, that about sums up my day,” the politician said, and the politician climbed back onto the bus.

“Pick a number from one to twenty,” the politician said to the bus driver.  The bus driver picked a number.  “Drive through that many towns, then stop at the next town,” the politician said.

The bus driver did as the politician said.  When the designated town had been reached, the politician stepped out of the bus, approached a home, and knocked on the door.  The politician spoke for a minute with the person who answered the door, then returned to the bus.

“Pick a number from one to twenty,” the politician said. The bus driver picked a number.  “Drive,” the politician said.

“How long are we going to do this?” the bus driver asked.

“Just keep moving,” the politician said, “We need to keep moving.  If we stop, we’ll die.”

“You have to stop,” the bus driver said, “Or else you won’t get anything done.”

“I can’t get anything done,” the politician said, “To get anything done I have to stop.  I can’t stop.”

“They say sharks will drown if they stop swimming,” the bus driver said.

“Drive,” the politician said.