Sunday, 24 January 2016

Types of Passengers that a Bus Captain will be amused - Part 1



A type of rice grain, but produces so many different type of people…a Chinese proverb
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Once you become a BC, you have to accept the fact that, the commuting pax will be your customer. 

I have encountered myriad of pax’s conduct or action in the course of my work. The followings are some typical pax actions that are worth mentioning for your sharing in preparing you on what you will be potentially be meeting or facing with when you decided to embark on your career as a Public Bus Captain:

 The Vulgar Type


It was in the morning on 29th June 2015 @0700hr; Monday the 1st  day of school after a mid-term break. At Admiralty bus stop; this Chinese man, bought my bus and immediately, in Hockkien, started to utter this words directly at me. “ Fuck your mother smelly virginal” . Spontaneously,   I clinched my left hand fist that been the closes to him to get ready to give a hard punch on his face. With a hard stare at him, I was waiting for him to retrigger his words; fortunately, he did not repeat it; however, he started to talk to himself that, he forgot to bring his company ID pass and need to travel back to home in Woodlands to collect and restart his journey to office (i.e will be late for work lah). So I guess, he is scolding himself, after all.

 

The Fat Boy


This young boy is indeed very Fat boy. I guess he is about Primary 4 or 5. His mother was with him at the bus stop waiting for my bus service 904 on 7th December 2014 @ Dr 72 bus stop. He boarded the bus alone, and I could hear what his mother was “ordering” him not to take anything sweet!. The moment the front door was closed, he came forward to ask me for sweet.
“Uncle, you have sweet for Me !!”

The Boxer


Whenever, the bus is technically more than a full load of pax; I will not open the front door to board any further pax, literally, there is no more standing room, to stand !. On 22nd July 2015, 1830hr at Yishun MRT, this boxer punched the bus front door some 8 times. I still did not open it. As I drove the bus away from the bus stop, from the rear mirror, I can see, he is using his mobile to take photos of me. In my heart, I wish he should have lodge a complaint against me and I will glad to show the authority the video of his earlier action. After waited for few weeks, I did not have any complain on this subject matter and I guess, this boxer do not have guts after all.

 The Complaint King


The moment, I pulled the bus into the bus stop and opened the front door to board this pax, the 1st thing, I heard was; Why R U so late with an angry voice tone.
Then next statement was, I have waited for more than 30mins. This duration of  waiting time is possible; but it is a bit unfortunate especially it the service route is a trunk type.
The in front bus may have just past the said bus stop by 3-5mins earlier than his usual waiting time, and since my bus is been deployed at an interval of 15mins, and along the trunk road, I was caught up in several red traffic lights and extra pax demand; I  eventually was late for another 5mins before I could reach the said bus stop that he is waiting. So in total (5+15+5 = 25mins ~ 30mins).
I hope the pax can understand that, it is never our BC intention of be late to your bus stop, the road traffice and driving conditions are difficult to predict.
From my heart, I dare say, All BC never like to be late and are due diligent to commit to follow the time card schedule been issued.
There is nothing beneficial to the BC to be late!.

The Xenophobic Lady


I have heard in the press media and several MPs in the recent time also commented on this subject.
One day, I was doing  service 178 in mid2014. With down-town-line (DTL2) project under- going construction and long the bus way; there is this Kranji Lodge, dormitory for the FW; on that day, the bus was full with FW. A middle age lady boarded the bus at the “Railway BS” @ Bukit Timah road. Too soon, at Mindef  bus stop, the bus was already full with FW.
She was so, upset and worry with the surge of FW crowd that, she asked for my permission whether she can come into the driver’s cockpit to stand.
I told her, “sorry, no” and she started to mumble, “I am afraid for them! to touch me lah”.
I too in a difficult position at that moment. Somehow, I think, what she did later was wise and that helps me to release my anxiety also.
She buzzer the ringer and I gladly stopped the bus for her to get off the bus immediately the next bus stop. Thank Goodness.


The Playful Children


Come any weekend or public holidays, this is hell to me. When you are on neighbourhood feeder service you will certainly encountered more problem with playful children.
Some “playful” children will treat the bus as their playground; playing hide and seek and doing those monkey’s bridge crossing and Tarzan swing inside the bus.
What puzzles me most is that, their guardian or parent do not seem to mind and just let them carry on.
Once, I could not tolerate it anymore, I purposely stopped the bus in the middle of the road; using my both clinched fist, I ramp it hard onto the cockpit partition and ordered the children to stop playing, an sit down properly. I think, I need to do what is befitting at that moment
What you know, for the rest of the journey, the children (both brothers); just keep on looking or staring at me, whatever lah. I do not care, what is their mind; but at least some order inside the bus cabin has been restored.
 I guess, they have not tasted the consequences of a nasty fall or knock when the bus is suddenly jammed brake.
When the bus reached the interchange, as both parents and children are alighting, neither dare to look at me. I guess, the parent may be a shy over the episode.

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