Catching a Bus

You would think that catching a bus may be an easy thing. Normally in all other countries I have been too that is the case, but not here in China, well Nanjing City in Jiangsu Province anyway.

If you are able to ready Chinese Characters it may be a little easier, but I doubt it somehow.

 There are many kinds of buses here. There are buses with western style numbers on them, and buses with Chinese Characters. There are what appears to be normal buses then there are mini buses, that look like they have been stolen from a wrecker’s yard. There are very nice new looking buses. 

They all have different prices and go in different directions and when you are living in a city of 6.5 million people, which do not speak much English, you had better know where you are going, because the driver certainly doesn't. I once gave a bus driver directions, he snatched it from my hands with a grunt and amazingly he was able to read it upside down. Damn I thought, I wish I could do that !!!. We as you can probably guess and I found out, he didn't read very well, and could tell the difference of it being upside down, so I didn't get to where I wanted to and decided it was best to get off and try another bus !

 Buses here vary in price from 1RMB (about 0.30NZD) to 3.5RMB (about 1.00NZD). Normally distance has some bearing on price in most other countries, it does here somewhat, but only minutely. If you get a ratty old bus, it'll cost you 1RMB, if you get one with air-conditioning, it'll cost you 2RMB, (even if it doesn't work), new buses with soft seats and a clock, will cost 2RMB, and if you are going very long distances, like I often do its 2.5RMB to go about 20KM on a hard seat, no aircon, no clock bus.

 Be prepared to get very very up close and personal on a Nanjing bus - the drivers must be on some sort of commission system - the more passengers they move in a day, the more they get paid!!! So as well as having too many people crowded onto a bus, that do  not believe in the use of deodorant, and live animals, it can be quite an experience - one you could do without.

 A bus also seems a good place for old friends and families to really fight it out. On a few occasions I have seen people having a good old verbal altercation. In on instance two old ladies got so heated up they ended up pulling the hell out of each others hair.

 Another time whilst travelling on a bus, a man got his head stuck in the door - either he was too slow, or the driver was too quick in closing it. It was the funniest sight (you had to be there). The man, his wife and son made a huge fuss. The man got off the bus, and was shaking his hands, making all sorts of gestures. His wife said something too him, then all of a sudden he fell to the ground hold his neck. His son got straight onto his cell phone to make a call - later to find out it was the police. Well while we were waiting for nearly half an hour for the police to arrive, a great debate started - to start with most people were behind the man with the newfound sore neck, but after about 15 minutes that started wearing thin and people started throwing abuse at him, as well as assorted vegetables and fruit. When the police finally arrived there was great pandemonium - everyone was asked to give their two bob's worth - even me the foreigner!!!!!. Of course the police couldn't understand a word I said, but that didn't stop me telling them what I though of the old man. In the end the police took the man and his family away (probably to be shot for wasting everyone's time) and withheld the drivers permit and ID Card.

Who knows how things ended up.

The buses in this city do not seem to idle very well. Each time they stop at a red light (which is not often as they seem to go through these) or stop at a Bus Stop, the engine dies. Maybe they think it saves on petrol or diesel, I don't know. This stopping is no problem in the summer, but in the winter it can be a problem. Three times I have had to get off with all the other passengers and help crash start it - yep you got it, crash start the bus. I tried asking for some money back - but well, the driver didn't understand - just kept smiling away.

 All I can say is that be prepared for anything when catching a bus in this city, also make sure where you are going, because the driver will not.

 In Paris, they say catching a bus is a great way to see the city, and I agree totally, as I did it enough, but here, you can't see out of the windows because they are so dirty - they never clean them.

 Also most men will use a bus as a spittoon, pretty disgusting really, but that's the reality of it.