After months of bottled up frustration and using an excessive amount of English swear words, I have made peace with Korean Public Transportation. I still roll my eyes, a lot, but for the most part it stops there. In fact, I even find myself laughing at some of the eccentricities I encounter each day.
Case and point: yesterday’s morning ride to work. As usual I catch my bus around 7:35, I shuffle in line behind the five elderly ladies in front of me, and I assume my position at the very back of the bus (I sit in the back because the seats in the front and middle of the bus are taken up by the bags of lettuce, cabbage, and other produce which belong to the said five elderly ladies). I am minding my own business, gazing out the window in a groggy state and BAM! Our bus was just hit by another bus. Before I go on, let me tell you that I and everyone else on the bus is fine. In typical Korean fashion, my bus driver parks our bus where we are, in the very right lane, and puts on the hazard lights. The other bus parks itself, in the center lane. So of the three lanes available for morning traffic my bus and the other bus are blocking two of them. Brilliant! Both bus drivers meet on the sidewalk where my bus driver proceeds to point, shout, and wave our broken mirror in the other driver’s face. Well the other driver just won’t stand for it and the next thing I know these two bus drivers are in a full blown fight; a wrestling, flying fists type of fight. Realizing there is absolutely nothing I can do, I just watch. I am sure this will come back to bite me in the butt later, but what could I do? Meanwhile the five old ladies on my bus have opened their windows, and are screaming at both bus drivers. While I don’t know what they are saying, I’d like to think it is along these lines, “Hey you, other bus driver, you hit us, it’s your fault. Stop fighting we have places to be, things to sell. Stop it!!!!! We are very angry!” I feel bad, but I cannot help but laugh to myself. Sure had this happened when I first moved here I would be terrified, annoyed, and pissed off, but now I can see the ridiculousness of the situation and have a hearty laugh. After ten minutes of brawling and elderly man gets himself involved and the two bus drivers return to their buses and get on their way.
Oh Korean Public Transportation, you never cease to amaze, surprise, or entertain me. Who knows what my next bus ride will have in store!
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