Anyway, most of us have experienced changes in bus routes from time to time. Sometimes, we find out that the bus route has been diverted and it no longer goes to the place we wanted. Sometimes, the bus will take a detour into a new estate before continuing with the rest of the journey. And you wonder why the bus is going the wrong way. Or buses are re-routed due to road closure or events.
Well, there's always the bus guide we can check at the bus stop. And there's an online version too. And you can't really get lost in Singapore right!
My classmate is on his way to work and he did the right thing to help the driver. Cos he doesn't want to be late for work.
I remember a similar case of a driver taking a wrong route and refusing to let the passengers help him. Preferring to take instruction from the central control station.
What if he is not in a hurry to work?
When i was in Bangkok in July, I took the bus for the first time. For all my previous trips, I've used only the skytrain and the MRT. It was an unforgettable experience.
Firstly, I got the information on how to get from my hotel to Chinatown from my uncle. I'm pretty sure that the bus will still be there servicing the same route even though my uncle took it one year ago. Thing rarely change in Bangkok, don't they? But you can never be sure.
Anyway, I just took it. If the bus has ceased operation, there's always alternative transports. And if it changed route, we can always alight and take a cab. The worst case scenario would be to end up at some strange place.
Luckily, nothing changed. And I became addicted to taking bus. You see more things than taking the skytrain and it's more convenient.
Off we went to Pak Khlong Talad, the flower market by river express boat. While there, we decided to explore the Rattanakosin district for some eateries near the Giant Swing recommended on a blog. We have the option of going back to the pier and take the boat to Saphan Taksin, take the skytrain to Victory Monument and take bus 12 from there based on my research. The easiest way is to take a cab but I dread having to flag down a cab and ask if they use meter each and every time. And sometimes, the drivers don't know the way and take you on a long ride.
So we walked into a 7-11 and pointed the Giant Swing on the map to the staff. Like a duck speaking with a chicken, we could hardly understand her. But we could see that she was trying her best with her limited command of English. We walked out and try to navigate ourselves. Saw a bus stop and looked for the bus number 12 the staff told us. But it was white out. So does this mean the bus no longer serves this route? We asked a student who's playing with his ipad and he told us to take bus 42. So was it 12 or 42?
Anyway, we deduced that since bus 12 goes to Giant Swing from Victory Monument and Pak Khlong Talad is on the opposite end, we could be half right. Just that we are traveling from the opposite direction.
While waiting, the student got up and walked away. Guessed he must have given up waiting for the bus. Me and my cousin were wondering if we should just take a tuk tuk or cab. Decided to wait a little longer and finally we saw bus 12.
Boarded the bus without knowing what route the bus will goes, how far the journey will be and where to alight. The only thing we know is to look out for the Giant Swing. We didn't even know if it will even pass by the Giant Swing as it could possibly be hidden away on the opposite of the bus route.
We managed to reach the Giant Swing successfully and explored the place a little bit. It's totally different from the shopping belt. After lunch, we asked the shop owner how to get to Victory Monument. Same thing - Take bus 12 from another bus stop. Along the way, we saw the Democracy Monument, discovered a beautiful palace, found some interesting government buildings and small bridges with canals.
I'm planning to take a bus without knowing where I'll end up.
Do it. Go on a journey where you have never been to and discover.