"My 'Grand Romantic Gesture' Involved a Public Bus and a Very Confused Opera Singer"

"My 'Grand Romantic Gesture' Involved a Public Bus and a Very Confused Opera Singer"

Living in Sydney, you see some pretty eccentric things on public transport. But nothing quite prepared me for the "romantic surprise" my boyfriend, Dave, had planned for our anniversary. Dave is a sweet guy, a real heart-on-his-sleeve type, but his grand gestures sometimes… miss the mark.
He told me to meet him at our usual bus stop after work. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until our regular bus pulled up. As the doors opened, instead of the usual mix of tired commuters, there was Dave, standing next to a rather bewildered-looking woman in a sequined gown. And she was belting out a surprisingly powerful aria.
My jaw dropped. The other passengers looked equally stunned, a mixture of confusion and mild amusement spreading across their faces.
Dave grinned at me, holding a single, slightly wilted rose. "Happy Anniversary, love! I wanted to serenade you!"
The opera singer, bless her professional heart, continued her performance, hitting high notes that probably shattered a few eardrums on George Street. The bus driver looked like he was contemplating an early retirement.
I managed a weak smile. "Dave… what is going on?"
"Well," he explained, his voice slightly strained over the operatic vocals, "I wanted to do something special. Something you'd never forget. I hired a professional opera singer to sing to you on your commute home!"
The "serenade" continued for a full three stops. People pulled out their phones, filming the bizarre spectacle. One elderly woman even started clapping along enthusiastically. I, meanwhile, wanted the ground to swallow me whole. My usual anonymous bus ride home had turned into a public spectacle of epic proportions.
When we finally got off the bus (to a smattering of applause from the remaining passengers), I could finally speak without shouting over the soprano. "Dave," I said, trying to keep my voice level, "this is… a lot."
He looked genuinely confused by my lack of enthusiastic reaction. "But… it's romantic, right? I even got your favorite aria!"
It was… memorable, I'll give him that. But romantic? Having a professional opera singer belt out a dramatic Italian love song on a crowded public bus during peak hour was less "sweeping romance" and more "surreal fever dream."
The video, of course, ended up online. #SydneyOperaBus was trending by the time I got home. My colleagues were already tagging me in it. My fifteen minutes of fame involved a bewildered opera singer, a crowded bus, and my well-meaning but slightly misguided boyfriend.
We did have a nice dinner later, just the two of us, in a quiet restaurant. No public transport serenades were involved. And while I appreciated the thought behind Dave's grand gesture, I think next year I'll be suggesting a quiet picnic in the park. Far away from any public thoroughfares and professional vocalists.
So, Sydney dwellers, what's the most bizarre thing you've ever witnessed on public transport? And has anyone else's partner's romantic gesture gone spectacularly wrong (and possibly viral)? I need to know I'm not alone in this public embarrassment! 😉