This post has been bumping around in my brain for a while now. I don't have all the bugs worked out of it yet, but we'll see where it goes and have some fun with it.
"Ode to Bus 8":
Oh Bus 8, you are never late (sarcasm)
When I see your shine, I know you are mine
Though you lurch and careen,
I have never seen a more welcome sight coming round the corner.
Thus ends my attempt at an ode to 'Bus 8'. This amazing specimen of machine and might conveniently runs right in front of my apartment building and I have ridden it many times into Jerusalem. I'll have to admit, the thought of riding the bus here in Israel did not appeal very much to me. I had in my mind the horrific images and stories of years past when buses were targets for heinous crimes. I'm grateful to report that the reputation of the bus company has greatly improved since that time (helped in large part to a very large concrete structure that rises approximately 20 feet into the air...yeah, it's called a wall).
I've actually begun to enjoy riding the bus. It provides an excellent place to people watch, provided you have a good pair of sun-glasses that can hide your eyes. Once while riding I couldn't help but smile as I saw a boy, who couldn't be more than twelve years old, carry his two year old sister onto the bus, plop her into a seat and proceed to pay their fare. It was a cute moment (yep, I'm afraid I used the 'cute' word). I've also really been struck by the respect that is shown to women and older folks on bus 8. When the bus fills up, as it is wont to do, if a woman gets on and there are no seats available, the men will very easily get up as if it's no big deal (I don't mean they compete to give her their seat, but they respectfully yield their place to her). That speaks volumes to the societal system that is in place here and to the care and respect that women deserve. I can't say unequivocally that that would never happen in America because I've rarely ever ridden the public transportation in the U.S., but I doubt that it would be done with as much grace and class as I've seen it done over here. I do think that Americans have allowed their respect of women to be eroded over time and through different movements. I don't know, something about watching others yield their seat to their fairer counterpart, made me proud to be a guy and encourages me to make the same sacrifice when the time presents itself.
On the other extreme, I've seen bus drivers make a stop, pull ahead five feet to a red light and then refuse to admit another passenger as they hurry up to the door. That seems a bit overboard but then I consider what would happen if that took place every bus stop. There wouldn't be any need for an actual 'bus stop' if you could get on any time you wanted. This is just to say that not everyone over here is brimming with chivalrous attitudes and gallant deeds.
Buses and roller coasters......hmm what do they have in common? They both are a boatload of fun! I can't say as I've achieved the pinnacle of 'bus-roasting' as I'll call it, but I've definitely improved my technique while over here. The term 'sea-legs' comes to mind when I think about trying to ride a bus standing up. It pitches and rolls almost like a ship at sea and you can't entirely predict which way it will yaw next (perhaps a slight exaggeration, but not too far from the truth). The 'snakes' as I call them, are the worst. These are the longer buses with an airlock type structure in their middle. The other night while riding a 'snake' home I decided to sit nearer the back than I have in the past. Hmm, that might have been a bad idea as practically every time we hit a speed-bump (which for some reason they have installed every quarter mile or so in residential sections in Jerusalem) I was practically guaranteed to get air! Mind you, I was sitting down near the back and I had this experience. The driver must have been intent on finishing up his route as he went barreling along (it was around midnight...I think). That experience gave a whole new level to 'bus-roasting' here in Israel.
I find it of interest to note the different styles of getting around in different parts of the world (that I have experienced anyway). When I was in Europe, trains seem to be the main mode of transportation. While here in Israel, buses have become that M.O. In the U.S. cars are the way to go. Funny how your eyes are opened up to different things depending on what you travel to get to where you're going. Tata!
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