Make your trips a safe one
Originally uploaded by: Michael Hansen
When I first landed in Hong Kong, the first thing I noticed in a double decker bus was the very visible yellow sign sticker that sits near the driver that reads “Do Not Talk To The Driver Whilst The Bus Is In Motion”.
What happens when you actually lost your way and you want to ask the driver where the bus is heading and you’d probably wonder if the driver is going to give you the face, or if you are lucky, you’d pay the fee for not following the rules. Bus has its designated “bus stop” and that’s where the only way to deboard even if you didn’t press the “stop button”. Of course, if you are on a mini-buses here, you would be able to scream the “STOP”. The first word I learnt in Chinese territory is the cantonese word for “Stop”.
Public transport system here is very orderly. From the bus stop, you will never see people pushing (in some decent areas) at each other to get inside. Every 15mins, a bus comes right on time so there’s no excuses of calling in late. Inside the bus, you will not see any vandalism on the walls. A No smoking sign is usually the first thing that you will see near the window when you are seated. There’s enough handrails to grab for people who are standing on the isles. Cleanliness is one of the thing that I like here. You won’t be seeing people eating or drinking cans of drinks or you will be given a fine. Ok, fine!
If you happen to wait for the bus on some station during the driver’s scheduled rest breaks, passengers are not permitted to remain on the buses. They would wait for the scheduled departure time before boarding. What I really like is that, even if you’re the only one lining up, they will not open the door for you but departs on schedule. So many times, they would not wait for you when you’re even so close to the door. If you are late, just fuck it off. No wonder people here walks so fast, board the buses as quickly as possible and take a seat. If no seats are available, you needed to stand behind the yellow standee line and use the handrails. For some passengers who happens to be wearing a nice suit and a Prada, they’d prefer standing, so they know people likes to watch them and probably be wondering why they look so expensive and can’t afford to take a taxi. But this is Hong Kong, your clothes will never get dirty.
A friend I hanged out the other day told me a story about a lady in her mid-30’s, she was standing in the bus, so poised until few minutes later, she collapsed in the isles. It was later found out that this poor woman was dying to talk to the driver to stop the bus immediately because she was not feeling well. Thing is, she was not ill. The bus smelled so bad, people couldn’t find out where the bad smell was coming from. It was revealed that she was suffering from loss bowel. Her poop was getting even with her for holding it hostage inside her hole (forgive me for saying it!). But since our poop is always meant to come out, we do not want to linger it around in a smelly, dark passageway like hers, so she made a whole scene and pretended she collapsed. The bus stopped right away and somebody has called an ambulance. I think her poo was a little liquidy and perhaps even if you try a short cough, it will come out. That’s why I avoid drinking milk because it does make my poo like an evil sometimes. Oh c’mon now, our dearest poo has feelings, too. Free your poo–don’t hold it in for laughing out loud.
I just wish those noisy people talking on their mobile phone so loud would be given a huge fine too. I mean, what’s the use of listening to an iPod while the other ear is listening on the phone? Most of the time, they can be heard by others, even though they are using ear phones, it is too loud. And please, those showering salivas - cover your mouth for pity’s sake. My other petpeeve is when these people see seniors or pregnant woman, they’d as if never care to ask or offer their seats. Naturally, before people boarding a bus, you will need to have the correct fare, token or pass ready. There are times I would stop infront of the driver to look for a change, it can be very dangerous as these drivers won’t give you any special treatment. More or less, they will give you a BIG swear infront of these passengers like hell.
Do you follow bus rules? I’m sure we are doing ourself - as well as your family and your fellow riders - a big favor, let’s keep an eye for our personal belongings. Push the culprit out of the bus and let me out first.
Everything I do- OST
by: Beyonce feat Bilal
Everyone is usually fine with buses. For me, it’s usually the stupid teenagers that are around 14-15 years old and screw everything up. Sometimes they come on the bus playing their ringtones like they’re all hard and everything… I just roll my eyes and go on with my business. Sometimes they’ll yell out the windows and scream obscenities. Oh so annoying.
Our buses are clean… but I wouldn’t bet a million bucks sitting on their floors. They are cleaned daily, but I still don’t trust them. You never know what’s on peoples’ shoes.
Some bus drivers will open the door if you’re late and not at the bus stop, though some completely ignore you. Sometimes it’s cool when they do that because sometimes some of those people are those annoying teenage brats.
K di ka pwede sa athens dear i need to teach you how to use yr elbows to let yrself in the bus
and drives smoke sometimes
and… people just shove against each other
i live in a diff planet love!!
Weng, hahaha annoying brats. There are many of the same kind here, esp those who were raised in the States, studied in Canada. HK is very much an international city because of the many different nationalities that lives here. I do encounter few of them just trying to get some attention. I called them the “banana peels”, yellow outside, whites inside.
Sha, kesa naman sa Manila. Everytime I take local transport, hirap ka na makasakay, takot ka pang ma-holdap. I have no problem commuting but living here for quite a while now, I can now compare the locals here who follow simple rules, not-smart ones against those people whom I think are the intelligent and smart ones pero lack of using common sense kapag sakayan na. Ginawa ko din yan nung nag aaral pa ako sa Manila, nakikiunahan at nakikipagaway kapag nasingitan, hehehe.
I took the bus this afternoon, her in Madrid they drive more like Otto.
The bus driver and the bus is always okay here.. it’s the passengers in the bus who sometimes get on my nerves.
Anyways, about the poop thingy.. haha… now that was funny. Hehe, made my day
Happy weekend K. Have fun.
inthesity, an Otto? Sometimes I find it strange here that they drive on the left side of the road, drivers sits on the right unlike in the Philippines, it’s the other way around. I don’t know if other European countries drives on their left. So if you are crossing the zebra lines, you actually tend to look at your right than your left. And here too, wreckless drivers is popular on mini-buses.
Asha, passengers acting like a total assholes I do encounter them a lot. Sometimes during the weekends when there are many Filipinos on the bus, I just keep quiet, listen to their funny conversation but sometimes it makes me feel like I’m in the Philippines, so I’m ok with that. I would too, LAUGH out loud if ever I found someone up close and personal pooed in the bus.
i rode the MTR a lot when I was there. it took me anywhere I wanted to go…fast and reliable!
i felt so sorry for the lady having to fake her collapse on the floor so the poop thingy wouldn’t be too embarassing of a scene. what if one of us were in that situation? Oh di ba?
hi! i miss hk bus. my favorite spot is the front seat on the upper deck, gives you a nice view of everything! especially the ride going to stanley, awesome!
Belle, in this city everything’s convenient, nice, easy transport system but the only problem here is that nobody cares if you are a senior citizen, pregnant or needed a seat. There’s no “neighbour” kind of relationship. If someone smiles back at you, you’re lucky because it happens only if the person is a Pinoy, if you know what I’m saying.
Masel, hahaha I remembered that. I still travel in South Horizon if I have time to visit the “family” there, kaya lang malayo sa akin yun lam mo naman di ako masyadong nag ba-bus ng long-distance. I even make a joke, if you sit at the upper level of the double deck bus, you’ll say, it’s a remote control because there’s no driver sitting infront except yourself.
ewww about the poo! anubayan hehehe.
but i do hope, the buses in pinas would find the discipline to imitate that of HK’s system. hay naku, the edsa buses are the worst!! oh well, dream on na lang ako, i guess.
Well it is somewhat the same here dear. I like the orderly part as always.
Meeya, the last time I took this bus from EDSA crossing nakapagmura ako. I thought I was lost, dumami ang overpass at madilim na kapag nasa ilalim ka. Kundi lang earthquake prone sa atin hopefully they can build a much reliable and efficient like an MTR sa ilalim tas connected sya in some areas like from the Airport to SM, from SM to Taal, ang galing siguro.
Chase, sometimes I wished, it was the Brits who colonized the Philippines, mmmmm.
it happens to me every time I go to london, always about to die under the weels of a taxi or a bus.
Here there is a lot of old people surfing on the bus, otto always goes before they can take a sit or handle on a bar.