Further notes on buses

Buses in Singapore are unremarkable. Nothing ever happens, no one talks, no even makes eye contact. It’s a Singapore thing apparently not to look at people. Very often there will be people standing even when there are seats free because they face the rest of the bus (we used to call them the ‘four seats’ when I got the bus to school).

Today on the bus was entirely eventful. A fight broke out, like full on fisticuffs up and down the aisle. Women were protecting their children and men ran to break it up. In the end the bus driver had to stop the bus and separate the two men. He brought one man down to stand by him as we carried on the journey. Although it was clear it was not over. Death stares were flung up to the man at the back and shouts of ‘we’ll take this outside, I have a weapon’. He further demonstrated his aggression issues as his next move was to smash the back of his head off the pole that you’re supposed to hold onto. His day got even worse when he dropped his half kilo bag of rice spilling little grains all over the place. (It’ll maybe indicate just how tense it was on the bus that I didn’t even laugh at this.)

When I got off the bus the man ahead of me turned to me and said ‘there’s war all over the world, and two men can’t even ride a bus together’. Too true.