Riding bus in Colombia, part II.

Riding a small city bus can be quite fun too. First, you enter by going through a narrow passing wheel, a kind that reminds me of exiting the public swimming pool as a kid. Nobody is allowed in if they don't pay first. Even if you feel like a pig entering to be killed, it's quite handy for the driver!

Second, the ceiling is so low that a normally tall person like me (he he), 1.97 meters, needs to bend down. Better to sit down. But then, the space in front of the seats is so small, it's impossible to sit straight. The knees need to be in the isle. Hmm, patience. But, I was relieved as even my Colombian friend, very much shorter, complained as well.

Third, when you ride a bus in Colombia, you don't only pay for the ride. You also pay for the music. Because once you are in the bus, you'll notice that the driver plays the music he likes in all the speakers in the bus. The level? Just about as loud as in an average bar in Europe at Friday night. Kind of music? Well, here in Colombia in 90% percent of the cases, it's local music. Traditional vallenatos, salsa or merenge. But today the driver played house music. You know, the kind of music in rave parties. I couldn't avoid smiling. Bar level, completely filling the passenger area. Old people, kids, families, everybody riding to loud electronic music. Their faces as if nothing unnormal is going on. Nobody reacts. In Sweden, people would look at each other and wonder what lunetic is driving the bus. He is on drugs. Somebody would finally approach the driver, tell him and then later call the bus company and report the incident. The driver would receive a reprimand and if it happened again he would get fired or replaced.

Well, lucky me, I happen to like both the local music and electronic music. No reason to complain.