On the bus

Almost very morning, you can find me waiting for an orange bus 21. I look as far down the street as possible in search of the orange bus. It's agonizing to see that the bus has just passed and I'll have to wait another ten, fifteen or more minutes for the next one. If I can see the bus coming very soon, I'll turn left and go the bus stop in front of the middle school. Otherwise, I'll walk down the street to the bus stop before. The little longer walk slightly increases my chances of getting a seat on the bus because I board the bus one stop sooner. Often, you can see me in a full sprint, long legs and all, to catch a bus that could mean the difference between arriving at my destination on time or late.

Our decision to use public transport

When we first arrived in Beijing, we had no choice. We had to take taxis to almost everywhere we went. Sure, there were buses. But to take a bus, we had to figure out what bus to take. Then we had to be able to tell a ticket lady where we were going, which meant knowing the name of the bus stop (often different from the name of the place you were going to) and how to say that name in Chinese in such a way that the ticket lady would understand. Finally, taking a bus meant recognizing which stop to get off at which meant being fimiliar with the area we were going to. This made taking buses unfeasible. Honestly, taking a bus was an inimidating thought and a little terrifying. As a result we took taxis.

However, two years ago, we made a transition. Since then have been using mass transit almost exclusively. There were two reasons why we switched over..

Becky and I had been living in Beijing for over a year. We were trying to steward over our money better, so we started tracking exactly where each yuan (dollar) was going. We were shocked by the huge amount we were spending on taxis. At the same time, I was becoming more familiar with Beijing and speaking a little Chinese. We decided to take more buses. Soon we realized we could take buses to almost anywhere at a fraction of the cost of taxis without giving up too much convenience. Taxis are two (or more) times faster than buses, and ten (or more) times more expensive.

There was a second reason. When we came to China, my vision was to be able to identify with the Chinese people on their level. I wanted to understand as much of their lives as I could. With the economic reality in China, that meant limiting our lifestyle in many areas. While Beijing is rapidly modernizing at an amazing pace, the majority of the people still do not own a car and cannot afford to use taxis often. With the thousands of private cars and taxis, the 'common guy' still usually rides the bus. We have even met a woman riding on a bus with her elderly mother who had just had surgery at the hospital. They were going home.

By riding on buses, we have a chance to mingle with the Chinese people on a normal day by day basis. We experience the everyday battles with our impatience waiting for buses to come and the longings for seats to become available so we can sit and rest our weary legs. Sometimes we get very, very close to people in a very literal way when twenty or more people are packed into an aisle that could comfortably hold eight. It may seem strange, but I want to experience these and other things that may help me to become more like them. Perhaps, it may give me credibility to try to help them, and surely it gives me a better understanding of their daily lives.

Strategies

Over the past two years, I have become somewhat of an expert on taking buses. I spend a minimum of an hour and a half a day on buses, and sometimes much more. Four days a week, I ride the 21 bus to and from my school. Also, we take two buses each way to and from church twice a week. Whenever we go downtown, we take the bus at least as far as the subway line. Overtime, I have developed a few strategies for having a good bus-taking experience.

Strategizing begins before even getting on the bus. In Beijing, forming an organized line at a bus stop is a skill that hasn't been quite learned yet. When a bus arrives, it is "every man for himself". If there is a crowd waiting for a bus, people vie for the best position by guessing where the door will be when the bus stops, planting himself in that spot, and then running along beside the bus after it passes him. American football looks pretty tame after seeing some of the blocks put on people to clear them out of the way of someone trying to get to the door before all the seats are gone.

Once on the bus, there is a melee for whatever seats are not already occupied. Once every seat has been filled the game switches. Those who failed to get a seat instantly begin looking like they did not really care in the first place while those who managed to get a seat try to show indifference at having been able to win the race for seats.

There are buses that I take often. So, I know which door (front or back) usually offers the best chance of providing a seat. If I fail to get a seat, I usually position myself in front of the likeliest candidate to get off soon. For example, if I know we will be soon be passing a college, I try to stand close to the seat occupied by a college-aged person. It is amazing how disappointing it is to stop at that college and watch many other people get off while the person I am standing next to is still dosing in his seat.

My mobile office

Once I get a seat, the bus becomes my moblie office. Before using a Palm PDA, I would often take a book to read, but this was impractical at night. The Palm has revolutionized my life. I have several books to read on the Palm including the Bible in English and Chinese. With the Chinese dictionary on the Palm, I'm able to review flashcards and look up new words. I can even write e-mails or plan my schedule. Darkness is never a problem because of the brightly lit screen. With my MP3 player, I listen to Chinese lessons, sermons, and music. With my cell, of course, I can get in touch with anyone I need to. The hours spent alone on the bus is actually some of my most productive time. It is a big blessing that I don't get motion sickness.

While standing, I usually manage to hold on with one hand while holding my Palm with the other. The palm is nice for reading books with one hand because I don't need to flip the pages. I can just push a button with the same hand I'm using to hold it. Even though I'm not as comfortable, standing on the bus can also be very productive time.

Bus Etiquette

There are times when an elderly person or someone with a small child gets on the bus. In China, people will usually relinquish their seat for that person. Being a Christian, I try to be the first one up even though I must admit that my heart sinks when I see an elderly person boarding. Some folks who are already sitting will even feign sleep to avoid having to get up. By the Lord's grace, I haven't tried that yet.

The kindness of giving up a seat for those in need has already been a great blessing to our family. With two children under the age of three, riding for very long without seats is almost impossible. Fortunately, someone always kindly gives up a seat for us. Knowing how that person feels about giving up the seat he or she may long have waited for, we can't help but feel bad as we accept it thankfully.

Whether alone or with the family, buses are a fact of life. Perhaps someday we will own a car in China, but for now we are quite content to walk out of our apartment down to the bus stop and get on bus 21.