Great Western Coffee Shop

Night rider: 21 years sleeping on a London bus

[snip]

But no later than 9pm he would invariably be stepping aboard a bus for the first of three, maybe four, nightly trips across the capital.

He soon discovered the best buses for a good rest. There was the trusty N29, from Trafalgar Square to the northern suburb of Wood Green. But the 25 - which ran 24 hours - offered the longest uninterrupted sleep. In traffic, it would take two hours to get from central London to Ilford, in Essex, where - if he was really lucky - a driver might take pity and leave him sleeping on board at the terminus.

More often, the homeless passengers - maybe four or five of them - would be woken and turfed off until the next driver arrived.

Most were destitute women, British or African, who used the bus as a sanctuary from the threat of sexual assault. Laden with bags, they would be grateful for Sunny's help lugging them on and off the bus.

[snip]