Buses are great, so long as you are ready for a battle when rush hour strikes they are one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to travel. Traveling form one side of the city to the other will only cost you 2 Yuan and although it may take some time you will usually get a seat. And if not, I prefer to stand anyway. Keeps me on my toes ready for when I need to get off!
Here are 5 quick tips when bussing in China.
Tip 1 – Giving up your seat. As a citizen of a western country, it’s common decency to give up your seat to a woman or elderly person, however, it’s not so common over here. The only people who have real priority are the elderly. So don’t be fooled. Time and time again you may think you’re being a gentleman by giving up your seat but in reality people might just think you are too nice. Strange I know but hey that’s the way it is. So if you want to be a good guy go ahead I encourage you but don’t be surprised if no one else does it.
Tip 2 – Fighting for seats. Like I said before rush hour can be crazy at times and people don’t like to form an orderly queue. Generally people like to push and shove and it can wear on you at times. When it comes to getting a bus home trust me, the best technique is to get in place and hold your ground. I’m not saying push and shove like the rest but make sure you are in a position where you can at least get on the bus. And always remember, there’s always another one right around the corner. So if you don’t fancy it just try again next time.
Tip 3 – 下车 getting off buses. If you’re taking the bus for the first time, have your bus stop written down on a piece of paper and kindly ask someone to let you know when you've arrived. Chances are they won’t be able to understand a word you say, but communicate with your body language and they’ll catch your drift soon enough. Once you've taken the bus a couple of times look for a land mark, a shop or something easy to spot, then you’ll never miss it.
Tip 4 - The window seat. On buses people who sit down first usually scooch over to the window seat. It's quite the opposite out here. Most people want to isle seat as it makes it easier to get off at the right time. As well as this seats tend to have less leg room, so if you are a bit taller than the average Chinese person, you might find that you just don't fit and wind up with your knees around your ears! My advice, take the isle seat and hold your ground.
Tip 5 - Leaving in plenty of time. Traffic is unpredictable at the best of times so it's always a good idea to leave at least 20 minutes earlier than necessary as you never know when you'll be stuck in a jam! Not only traffic but like mentioned before buses have a tendency to fill up fast so you have a bit of extra time to be choosy about your bus!
With any luck if you follow these quick tips fighting for bus seats shouldn't be a problem. Always remember that when you take up a position with Network ESL we are never further than a phone call away. So any issues you do have can be sorted ASAP!
For more details on jobs in China head to www.networkesl.com