Bus 11

I love the bus. I know this isn't a common sentiment, but I truly enjoy public transportation. My bus is bus number 11. It's route starts and stops at the university, so it's easy to catch. And although it takes the longest way possible to the market, I still like it. I know the route. And I know Anshun completely relative to the bus 11 route. I know I could branch out and learn about the other buses, but I'm happy with bus 11. I also enjoy the culture of the bus. People know what to do and they do it. You can pretty much hail a bus anywhere on its route. If it's in a turning lane, it might not stop for you. You can also get off the bus pretty much anywhere on its route. You have to say "yo sha!" to get off. It took me about four months to get up the courage to actually yell that. Before that I would just walk to door and look at the kid and say in English "can I get off?" while pointing at the door. The charades worked. But it's also nice to say the right thing.

On the buses in Anshun there is a driver and a teenager (usually) who opens the door and collects money. It costs 1 kuai to ride the bus. When you ride the bus in Guiyang (the capital) you have to put the money in a box when you get on the bus. I find it to be very stressful. I prefer being able to sit down and give my money to the door person. They will also give you change if you need it.

People of all ages ride the bus. When an old person gets on the people sitting near the front will give up their seat for the old person. It's really sweet. Babies ride for free, and little kids only pay 5 mao (half a kuai). Kids ride the town bus to and from school. There are no school buses. And they ride home for lunch. If you go to town around noon the bus is overrun with little kids. Some people avoid it, but I like it. :)

The most fun thing about the bus is that people use it to transport goods. They have to pay a little extra (I think). They put whatever it is they are bringing in the front of the bus and sit in the back like everyone else. It's funny when the lady riding next to you yells "yo sha!" and then gets up and grabs two baskets of live chickens from the front of the bus before getting off. Once I saw some people transport large amounts of PVC pipe on the bus. They put the pipes down the middle of the bus between the seats. Everyone had to walk on and around it to get on the bus. It took four or five minutes to load.

The stops, and the PVC pipes, and the little kids and the smoking drive some people crazy. But I just relax when I get on the bus, and enjoy the view.