The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round.

I have always been a frequent user of public transportation for, basically, my whole adult life. Buses, taxis, LRTs, Monorails, KTM trains, you name it, I've been on it (Okay, let's not be dirty now). Reason being, obviously, I don't have my own car yet. For now, it seems to be the most logical solution since money's pretty tight and I can already reach any destination with/without a car, so why bother? Anyways, the point is, I live in Kedah, spent 5 years in Melaka and now, I'm working in PJ. So as you can already guess, that's a whole shitload of bus rides up and down the North-South highway. I've had nothing (much) to complain about so far, but of course, there are a few things that come with using public transportation, namely; the express bus.

The Bad.

1. You have a design/plan a timetable that fits around the bus schedule. You are never on your own time. Plus, Malaysian express buses have a knack of being delayed and the highways are usually jammed up during peak seasons. So, what do you have to do? NOTHING. Wait for the bus, get on it, pray (hard) you arrive on time and hope for the best.

2. You never, NEVER know what type of driver you're gonna get. Oh, I've experienced them all. There's the guy who puffs away on his cigarette, there's the guy who can't stop chatting on the phone and there's the guy who turns on the radio as loud as he can to some shitty channel and expects everyone in the bus to love his selection of dangdut songs. Last but certainly not least, of course, there's the guy who drives too effing slow and his total opposite; the guy who drives like he's handling a Ferrari. In that situation, all I can say is, pray for a safe arrival and REPORT that mafaka to the bus company. That's what I always do. Honourable mentions are: the drivers who honk incessantly, the curse-ers and the sleepyheads who stop the bus 636782 times because they need to snooze.

3. The people who sit next to you. Most buses now have single seats, which is a gift from God, I swear. But most of the time, you'll have to sit next to someone. I don't mean to be rude here but some people are just plain ridiculous. I mean, if you wanna take your shoes off and dangle your feet next to me or talk on the phone like you're the only person in the bus or forget to shower for the past week, BUY YOUR OWN FUCKING CAR. Seriously! Scratch that, here's a cheaper alternative: DEODORANT.

The Good.

Don't get me wrong, there are also the pros of public transportation.

1. You save a whole lot of money. Paying for a bus ticket to and from your destination will cost less than just a one way journey with your car. Plus, you don't have to drive all the way and spend all those hours awake and alert, paying attention to the traffic. On the bus, you just close your eyes, and presto! You're there.

2. It reduces our carbon footprint. Indeed it does! Imagine if more people used the bus. There'd be less cars on the road, which leads to less pollution because we burn less fuel and of course, less traffic jams! Tadaaaa!

3. It really helps you grow as a human being. (Whhhaat?) No, really! Anyone can climb into a car and drive somewhere but it takes courage, street smarts, confidence and a strong sense of independence to make the effort to buy that ticket, be at the station on time, get on the CORRECT bus, and alight where you're SUPPOSED to alight. Not everyone's cut out for that kind of responsibility. Most people say: "Oh, that all sounds so tiring, I think having your own car is better. More comfortable. Easier. Safer." Blablabla... Well, they might be right, but they're also a bunch of pussies.

Safe journey, loves!--No matter how you travel ;)

S.M.