Friday, March 7, 2014

that one time i thought i had the bus figured out

The other day I thought that I would out smart the bus.  It was cold and wet outside.  I would have rather been inside the bus than standing out on the street waiting.  Obviously.  We live at the very last stop on bus route 69.  Which is convenient and inconvenient all at the same time.  Convenient, as in when we get on the bus we can usually get one of those coveted seats.  Inconvenient, as in we live all the way at the end so it sometimes takes forever to get home.  On this particular day we were already halfway to the second bus stop so we just decided to get on there instead of walking back down to our usual stop.  As we were standing and waiting for the bus, we had this brilliant idea that if we would just get on across the street we would be able to get out of the cold and we would be able to sit down.  After all, it would be the same bus we would be getting on anyways.  So we ran across the street, even after Shelby thought that the other people at the bus stop would think we were weird.  (Side note:  Everyone already thinks we are weird and we get stared at no matter what we are doing.)  So we did it regardless of what the others would think.  We pay our 1 RMB and get on the bus.  It was a perfect plan.  Or so I thought...  We would just stay on the bus while it turns around to do the route again.  Apparently that isn't how buses work.  How was I suppose to know that?  We went down one stop and the bus diver made us get off.  She starts saying something in Chinese and points to outside.  I tried pleading ignorant and just say "ting bu dong" (for all of you English readers out there, ting bu dong means I hear you but I don't understand) but she just insisted that we get off the bus anyways.  So when I thought that I had the bus all figured out, it turns out I didn't.  We had to get off and stand in a ridiculously long line and pay another 1 RMB.  Yeah, I won't ever try that one again.  I have to admit that I was a little bit angry at the bus driver though.  She knew that we had only gotten on the bus one stop ago and we really didn't know what we were doing so I still think that she should have just been nice and let us stay on the bus anyways.  See if I ever get on her bus again...

And to top of the day, I fail at calling a taxi.  Who knew that it could be so hard??


1 comment:

  1. Sorry you had such trouble with the taxis! They know where you want to go they just don't want to take you because it is out of the way and there is no guarantee of a return fare. Just stick to your guns and don't quit to easy. Also you can try giving them cigarettes sometimes that works.

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