ADVENTURAS en el COLLECIVO

Every day, sometimes various veces I ride the collectivo (public bus) to and from work, to all parts here and there and far....The bus system in Buenos Aires is very efficient (well actually nothing in Argentina is VERY efficient), but it is the best public transport i have encountered. No matter what part of the city you are in, you can find a bus from point A to B. The city even provides a pocket like guide with a grid that tries to show where you can catch the bus. The GuiaT shows every neighborhood of Capital Federal with an accompanying grid that tells what buses pases in that quadrant. This should be simple end of stories, HOWEVER...one must still figure out what 5 square blocks in the A1 or D5 the buses actually passes and where exactly. Normally, the only way I really find out where the bus stops is by asking or seeing it pass by on a second street.

So, as I have been riding the bus almost everyday I have come across some interesting observations. One, when a elderly pregnant, or child-filled person enters the bus, IMMEDIATELY someone offers to give up there seat. At let me tell you seats are valuable on the collectivo. 90 percent of the time the bus is completely filled with people barely having room to hold on to a handle bar during an extremly turbulent ride. I would like to think that people are as curdious in the United States, but I think that it is more part of the culture here to respect the elderly etc. Its also interesting to note how times I have tried to give my seat up to elderly men, and they always always insist on me staying. That is just an interesting thought to contemplate....The second interesting thing I have noticed the other day was this 20some year old Argentinian laying his mark on the seat in front of him. You can imagine how uncomfortable i felt trying not to stare at him. He was even CHANGING MARKERS....seriously seriously! CHANGING MARKERS TO LAY HIS BAND NAME OR SOMETHING! TODO BOLUDO!!!! or maybe just good free press....sit on that....

As I roll a pon many more interesting occurences en el collecivo...it will definately be noted!

Hasta La Próxima (intersante) vez!