Taking a Bus in Beijing

Notes from my limited experience and some advice from friends…

-Get on the right side of the street. You’ll be able to get on a bus with the desired number, but it will take you in the wrong direction if you’re not on the correct side of the road.
-Stand near the sign with the desired bus number. Get your bus fare in hand, so you’re ready to pay when you board. Wait until the bus arrives…
-Ready, set, go! Everyone runs to get on the bus and masses in front of the door squeezing through the crowd to board the bus. Unless you’re trying to get a seat, it usually isn’t necessary to push your way to the front.
-Hold on tight! Some bus drivers are heavy on the gas and the brakes… You may need to switch hands somewhere during the ride, so both arms get a workout.
-Bend your knees! If you keep your legs stiff and lock your knees, your body jerks a lot more with the stop and go of the bus.
-Pay the lady collecting the bus fare. She walks back and forth on the bus asking (sometimes shouting above the noise of traffic) where people are going and giving them the rate. You pay her in cash and she gives you a receipt/ticket.
-Keep an eye on your belongings, and preferably a hand in one pocket, if you have anything in it. Keep any bags you have in front of you.
-It’s really cozy…You really get to know the other people on the bus, because you are smashed together. Sometimes you get a small token of their presence – like their sweat soaked into your clothes. When the driver slams on the brakes, that’s when the fun begins…
-Get ready to sweat…no AC, at least not on some buses…
-Be willing to give up your seat for the elderly, disabled, pregnant, or other people in need. This is an element I really respect about Chinese culture and one that the West can learn to bring back into daily life.
-If you’re going across town, make sure you leave about 1-1.5 hours for total travel time. With the stop and go of city traffic, this is a must. Go to the bathroom before you get on the bus. Also, drink some water before the ride, because if you are standing up and holding on, you might not have a chance to let go of the rail/handle and get a drink.
-During warmer seasons, have some tissues or a handkerchief handy – you’ll need to blow all of the black snot out of your nose that has collected due to the pollution, which comes in through the open windows of non-AC buses. (Everyday in Beijing you may think, “Wow, it’s cloudy or foggy today!” Nope…It’s pollution.)
-Be thankful for taxis or other less public means of transportation!
-Prepare mentally for the next bus ride… just kidding :)

Life in Beijing is really fun and exciting! I am learning new things everyday! I really have a lot of respect for people who grew up in Beijing and experience the stress and the hustle and bustle of the buses everyday of their lives.