No I won’t write about the driving, you wouldn’t believe it if I told you. Being a passenger in any China vehicle is one of those adrenalin pumping adventures that you have to experience to “accept it”. (Please Note: I did not use the words “comprehend it or understand it”). Also I will limit this blog to just the 2 more popular student forms of transportation: the city buses and the Green “Stuff-It-Vans.
City Buses
Even though this campus is literally at the “end of the road” it works to our advantage when it comes to the buses. ZUFE campus is the starting and stopping points for 3 main bus routes (K401, X1 and the new B1 bus). When leaving campus you will always have a seat, which is a luxury in China, because they start out empty. Unfortunately, getting back to ZUFE you will probably have to stand for the hour long ride.
“Stuff It Vans”
Amazing, I am sure the drivers have graduate degrees in “efficient routing” They know how to transport passengers, each requesting different destinations, efficiently and make a profit to boot. They would be perfect for setting up the Glynn County school bus routes. They could fit more kids on the bus, get them to school faster and even save gas. BUT, we may have a slight problem with getting any part of the vehicle to pass any sort of safety inspection. Engine maintenance is usually done while waiting in line for the next group of passengers. I have only seen seat belts for the driver. Seats have no padding and the mothers from St. Simons would complain that their little darlings would have permanent damage to their kidneys due to the fact that all springs have long been destroyed by the speed bumps they fly over. Try not to sit in the back seat. The back seats are very painful plus you need to be proficient in a few yoga moves to get back there. You can fit 3 people in the back, 3 people in the middle (2 on the car seat and 1 on a stool) 1 in the front and they encourage sitting on laps. There are sliding doors on each side. (Drivers gallantly close them for you by speeding up and slamming on breaks so they fly shut) I am amazed how quickly they can adjust their routes when they take on a new passenger. They will reject passengers and wave them on to the next van if their new destination cannot fit into their complicated but flexible route. The cost is 2 quai (25 cents). Don’t be a ‘newbie’ like we were and pay more.
The most necessary piece of equipment for these drivers (and all drivers) is not the engine but the horn. I haven’t figured out the Chinese horn code yet because there are different honks for different things. They honk…….
• when driving down the road to let people know they have a seat available
• to let the other car or bus know you are cutting them off
• to get a bike, walkers or trucks to get out of their way (the trucks, bikes and walkers mostly ignore them). Just never make eye contact. Keep your head down and keep walking. Most of them won’t hit you.
• just to make sure the horn is still working
