(29 May 2016, 8:14 pm)Jamie M wrote Hello, this post may become gibberish and hard to follow at times, but here goes.
I started the generalised hobby of bus-taking back in November because it was fun and it gave me an excuse to explore the world, no questions asked. I never got out before, and have learned a lot about the local area recently. I'm a fairly introverted person, and this has caused a few key issues when it comes to photography and the general hobby. I bring up the fact that I went somewhere on a bus to an acquaintance, and I get a dirty look normally as I'm knowledgeable about the network. This isn't a naive high school environment, it's average people. This is the formation of the sense of stigma I have seen around this "hobby". This is created by even people at home and close friends, who don't seem to accept that what I'm doing is by any means 'normal'. It only seems to be accepted by this small community of people I don't really know. This has restricted me to sticking to the shadows at bus events or photography, as it's the last thing I'd want to be seen doing since it wouldn't stand a chance of qualifying as 'normal' to any of these people around me. 

You may be thinking that I have the 'wrong friends', but this is highly untrue. Most are great people, which makes me even more nervous when I'm out and about. Another solution that may come to mind is that I should just ignore what anyone else feels can qualify as normal or not, and mind my own business - but unfortunately, this isn't how I work or how I ever will work.

My overall message is that I want to be comfortable taking pictures of random buses, or even taking the slightest interest - but feel completely restricted by this sense of stigma around being 'different' by doing such activities.

Are any of you folk able to share you personal ideologies/mentalities about how you view this whole 'hobby' and in doing so, participating it? This isn't just linked to photography, but actually being a part of this community on some level. I feel the responses could be pretty trivial to this, but hopefully, it will help to somewhat comfort my own views.

No one knows that I like buses (other than family) because I think everyone no matter who they are would think it's a strange hobby. It's not very often that I take photos or even go on a outing because I normally go out on weekends so it's mainly through the holidays I go to be fair but I honestly have never had a problem but I never take photos where I know people aren't going to be (i.e avoiding town/metrocentre). 

Chances are if you avoid local areas you will not well theres a low chance that you will bump into people