Mastering the Art of Public Transporation - Lydia McCollum

When first arriving in Merida and seeing all the buses with writing on the front with words in Spanish that I could hardly even pronounce…I came to the conclusion that the transportation system was something that I would never understand. However, as our three months in Merida comes to an end, I realize that I have for sure mastered the art of Merida’s public transportation system. It is actually quite simple; you find the bus that says where you need to go whether it be Gran Plaza, Itzimna, or Campestre, you wave your hand in the air to signal the bus driver to stop, you hop on pay the driver 6 pesos, take the usually very thin ticket he gives you, and then find a seat. When you are ready to get off you walk to the front of the bus or if you are in the back press the little red button and the bus will stop especially for you. You never know what exactly you will see when riding a bus in Merida. One Thursday afternoon after studying at The Italian Coffee Company I had one of the craziest and most unforgettable bus experiences ever. It all began when I hopped on a bus from Technologico to my house in the Centro. When I first got on the bus it was pretty crowded so I had to stand. After about 3 minutes of standing, I get a tap on the shoulder and turn around to see a guy offering me an open seat. Seeing that there are no elderly people standing I take a seat. The bus driver continues to pick up more and more people, packing us in like sardines. This day was particularly hot and by this point I was sweating buckets due to all the body heat and I could feel the guy standing up above me breathing and sweating on me. I was thinking to myself my stop cannot come soon enough…just when the first midget that I have seen in Mexico gets on this jam packed bus! Two people close to me were talking so loud over the person in between them it sounded as if there were yelling directly into my ear. Then the bus comes to a spot where three streets merge into one so the bus had to yield. Since the bus driver could not see anything due to the massive amount of people, he asked the guy sitting next to the front right window to tell him when it was clear of traffic and he could go. To add to everything the man directing the bus driver yells go just when a few cars have to slam on breaks because the bus had pulled out in front of them. Everyone at once starts honking their horns, which is a frequent occurrence in the streets of Mexico. Just as I am about to stand up and work my way off the bus through the crowd, a man’s cell phone starts ringing and his ring tone is “Abusadora”. I think to myself oh Mexico, how I will miss these kinds of experiences.