Andelu’s Rants from Shenzhen

During my first few years living in Shenzhen,  I rarely took public transportation unless I was with some Chinese friends who wanted to take the bus. At the time, the main reason (excuse) for not utilizing the buses was my inability to speak or read Chinese. After living here for a few years I began to note the bus numbers and the routes they took and while still not being able to read Chinese would on occasion take the bus somewhere. Usually paying more in fare then I probably needed, because if I didn’t know the name of place I wanted to go I would say a location of somewhere past it. A few years ago, after I moved from the center of town to further out where many more foreigners live, I started taking the buses more often when I wanted to go downtown and had time to spare.  There was a significant cost savings - the bus cost 8 versus 60 or more for a taxi. An added benefit and also major reason I didn’t mind taking the bus on that route was since it was the beginning of the route one was pretty much guaranteed a seat. Over the last couple of years I have moved an equal number of times, all in the same area. Now, taking the bus to Wal-Mart has became a regular routine as has taking the bus to/from the subway station.

The are only two benefits that I see of taking the bus, cost savings and doing my part to be “green” and contribute to reducing pollution. Must admit the money saved was my primary motivator.

On the other hand, there are many more negatives to taking the bus. It almost always takes longer to get somewhere when taking the bus because they obviously have to take a set route, which usually is on the main and busiest streets.  People talking to one another, half the bus yelling on their mobile phones, the automated attendant announcing the next stop and the guy next to you using his mobile phone as a boombox provide a quaint quiet atmosphere where you can reflect on your day and contemplate how the 3 dollar savings will help you reach your savings goal and that trip to restore your sanity. The actual ride could be viewed as a positive by some, perhaps in their desire for a simulation of a F1 race or off-road Baja. Yes, off road Baja on the city streets is possible. I, however, have experienced an off road race and have no desire to share my F1 experience with 100 other people. You ain’t seen crowded until your standing on an already full bus and 10 more people crowd into every nook and cranny. And that happens, again and again, at the next five stations before some people start to get off. With that many people crammed into a confined space you get odors, lots of odors and not all of them of the flowery or the sprayed on kind.

It couldn’t have been the first time, or maybe it was, but last week I was lucky to board a bus through the middle door and was able to squeeze into a stance in the crowded aisle. Just as the door was closing this very tall Chinese guy squeezed in and took up a position next to me. He was dressed nice and looked like any other typical white collar worker. As the Jeff Gordon wannabe bus driver slammed on the gas, this tall guy grabbed the rail above me, which put his exposed underarm right at my nose level. I am at a loss of words on how to describe the stench other then to say it was eye watering and breathtaking, almost to the point of causing sickness. The next stop couldn’t come fast enough, when it did I pushed my way off and gulped fresh air for several minutes until hailing a taxi home.