Bus Experience

I am now living with a different family, and I get to take the bus. Taking the bus in Ecuador is an experience. I have done this before, but today was the first time I did it by myself.

First off, the maximum capacity of a city bus here is 50 people. There are 39 seats (mas or menos) and the rest of the people (supposedly only 11) get to stand. I believe at times there are probably 30 people standing. You see, there are 2 people working on each bus, one drives, the other collects the fare and yells out the window what the destination is trying to get more people on the bus. These 2 people, more or less, own the bus. Every fare is pure profit so they want to get as many people as possible on their bus. They never believe the bus is full, there is always room for one more.

There are bus stops, but you can wait anywhere on the bus route and when the bus comes just wave and the driver will stop for you, even if you are not at a designated stop. The same is true for when you want to get off. There is a string or at times a button and you pull the string or push the button when you want to get off. The problem is there may be 20+ people standing in the aisle and you have to try to get past them to get off.

My first bus ride today, I got a seat which is a good thing during the ride, but bad when I was ready to get off. I got up in what I thought was plenty of time to wiggle my way past the people in the aisle, pull the string, and get to the door. Well, there were no people on the side of the road wanting to get on so the driver was going about 40 mph (try wiggling through people at 40 mph). I pulled the string, the bus stopped very suddenly, so everyone standing, including me, jerked forward then backward. Then I had about 4 more people to get by before the door. The driver only stops for a couple seconds. Needless to say, I made it off, but I think he may have started driving again before my back foot was off the step (this is also common). If there is a line of people to get on, the last person will usually have to get on a moving bus because he starts going before everyone is on, yet another tactic to getting more people, always in a hurry.

My second bus ride was slightly more eventful. Again, I got a seat, again not a good idea for when you want to get off. When we were getting close to my stop, I pulled the string but nothing happened. In this bus, there was a button and the string was disabled. So I moved toward the button and the bus stopped suddenly, I almost fell. Some teenage boys smirked. I pushed the button, the bus stopped but the door did not open. You see, I was at the back of the bus and apparently either the back door was not working, or the driver chose not to open it. So now I had to make my way to the front of the bus. Luckily I always try to get off a little before my road, so we hadn't passed it yet. I got to the front of the bus and pulled the string but again nothing happened. Then I realized there is no button in the front of the bus. So I said "quiero salir" ("I want to leave"), nothing happened. Then suddenly the bus stopped. Right in front of my street there were some people who wanted to get on. So I was able to get off.

So, this is what I get to look forward to everyday. I am thinking it will get easier as I get used to it, but I don't know. At least I don't have to walk, that would be over an hour each way.