“OPEN-STEP”

When I came to Vancouver I had to learn some new manners. I remember when my home stay - mother explained me how to travel by bus. She showed me a bus station, streets around and emphasized that I need to pull the line in a bus to let a bus driver know I am leaving. But she forgot to tell me that Vancouver buses have “open-step”.
“Open-step” is the first step down by a door. It means that the bus door won’t open if you don’t step down on the “open-step”. I really didn’t know that! I travel a lot and I have lived in many cities and traveled by public transportations, but this was something new for me.
So when I traveled back from school my first day in Vancouver I paid attention to every bus station. I didn’t want to miss my station, so I pulled the line in right moment, stood up and walked to the exit door. The bus stopped, but the door stayed closed. I am not a panic-monger, so I was waiting. Then I realized that everybody is waiting. Bus driver, all passengers, me… Seeing that I was the only person who stays by the door and nobody else wants to get out of the bus, everybody was looking at me. It was pretty embarrassing. What could I do? I had no idea that I have to step down, so I smiled at them too. After several seconds, but in that moment it seemed to be two ours, one nice elderly lady told me “Step down!”. So I did and the door finally opened… …and I was free!