Whines and More Whines



I thought I could enjoy a peaceful bus ride home but I was so wrong. It started with the cry of a little girl. Even though I was listening to my discman at full blast, I could still hear her cries.



It went on and on for more than ten minutes. At that moment, I wished I could strangle the little girl to death as she was really annoying not only me but the other passengers on the bus too.



The teenage boy who was seated next to me began fidgeting. I turned to look at him and saw that he had potrayed a very irritating expression on his face. Seconds later, I saw him turned around and spoke to the mother of the annoying little girl.



Apparently from her expression, she was not too happy at what the teenage boy had said to her. And yet again, the little girl started crying again.



Oh God, please save me!



Minutes later, I realized that the bus ez-link tapping machine at the rear and the front of the bus exit and entrance were not working.



Each time the bus stopped to ferry passengers, the bus driver would informed those boarding that the bus ez-link tapping machines are out of service and they have to pay using coins instead. Those without coins were not able to board the bus and had to wait for another bus instead.



I pitied them as it was already six in the evening. They had just knocked off from work or finished school and wanted to get home to their families as soon as possible for dinner but it did not happened.



As the bus began to move, I looked at the passengers at the bus-stop who were dismissed by the bus driver. Some were old men and women. Some were school children and working adult. How I really pity them.



The bus driver will do the same thing to every bus-stop.



Abruptly, one of the passengers on board the bus shouted to the bus driver. I was startled. I paused my discman and listened to the conversation.



It went something like...



The Passenger: Oi! Ka ni na! Let the passengers board the bus lah! It's already getting late and I believed they want to be with their families at home. If they don't have coins then just let them board the bus for free.



The Driver: *Silent*



The Passenger: Don't be a heartless jerk and let them board the bus. What kind of bus driver you are! It's only a few stops away to the ending terminal of the bus. Don't be so petty and stingy!



The bus driver ignored him. He continued with what he was doing earlier on.



"No coins, don't board the bus. Wait for the next bus instead."



The passenger advanced to the bus driver and shouted at him the same exact sentences he said previously. Unhappy, he urged the incoming passengers to just board the bus without paying.



It was so chaotic. Then I saw a primary school girl wanting to get on board of the bus but since she did not have any coins and the only means of paying is through ez-link, she was forced to alight from the bus.



The passenger kept on shouting and said that the bus driver was not being compassionate enough.



Seconds later, he gestured to the primary school girl who was standing at the bus stop patiently to come on board of the bus.



The primary school girl was clueless of what was going on. But another lady who was seated next to the entrance gestured her to move in.



I felt that everyone was helping one another and the bus driver felt powerless. There was nothing he could do.



I smiled.



Signing Off,

Shah Rizal Isaac