Bus Auntie...

After the famous bus uncle made newspaper headlines and became the topic of idle chatter around the globe, I had my own experience today on a bus with the 'bus auntie'.

All of us, that enjoy the luxurious limo ride of Hong Kong buses can appreciate that sometimes, in traffic, a bus sometimes has to stop quickly to avoid other drivers. Well, that happened today and although the bus was just accelerating out a stop and traveling at maybe 10kph, it had to stop abruptly and gave all the riders a jolt.

One unfortunate lady in the middle of the back seat was thrown forward to the ground. The bus driver called out and asked if everyone was alright. The lady that had lost her balance started haranguing the bus driver on his skills and chiding him to drive more carefully, in English, very loudly.

The thing is, this lady just wouldn't stop shouting and then she revved up the ferocious attack and threatened to report the driver. The driver hadn't moved since the lady was screeching and was not proceeding but looking back to ensure that no one was hurt.

I had to comment to the lady that it was unfortunate, the bus driver had to stop short due to a van popping out in front and that he had to stop to avoid the a crash, several times. This just incited her more and she charged up to the front of the bus continuing to shout and scream at the bus driver in accented English and shaking her finger at the sodden faced fellow. Maybe she felt that she had lost face or something, but the situation and the risk to passengers did not warrant such a reaction.

I again commented in shotgun style, several times, over and over that the driver had to stop short due to a van coming out and that she was holding up the bus. And then all the fury that was directed at the driver was redirected to me. She charged over to me and loomed over me haranguing me to stop shouting at her and asking me where I came from. I told her that I was a resident of Hong Kong and she harrumphed that I should return from whatever country that I came from.

I told her that I will stay just where am I am. She continued to ask me where I came from and then she emphatically stated, "I am Chinese." Wowsee-wow-WOW. I of course responded "so what!" and this infuriated her even more and her face started going into contortions. I was attempting to not play her game, not swear or curse and make her look as stupid as she was being. I refrained from saying something like "5,000 years of history and still not even a little bit of manners."

As her reddened face hovered over the seated me, I told her that if she was angry, then she should do something about it, otherwise she should sit down and shut-up. "Do something about it then" I repeated over and over. She continued to tell me to stop shouting at her, despite the fact that she was the one that was shouting at me and the driver.

She finally got out at the next stop and then told me to kiss her Chinese ass in Mandarin and stoemed away. Many of the stone faced spectators on the bus turned to me nodded, gave me a little quiet ovation and thumbs up signs. I guess that they appreciate when someone stands up to the wild PRC overlords, the crazed and power mad Tai-Tais and their fat uneducated spawn.