Adding to the list of things I don't understand in Rio - the concept of bus etiquette.
To make the following comparisons make more sense, please note that in Rio, in all buses, you pay at the front of the bus (either cash with the driver, or by swiping a card against a machine). There is another door at the back (sometimes middle) of the bus where passengers exit at their stop. On the particular bus I take to and from work, the door is always at the very back.
And now, without further ado, my observations on bus etiquette (or, more accurately, lack of bus etiquette):
Normal world: When you are in a seat with very little leg room and sitting on the outside of the seat, when the person next to you, near the window, wants to get up to leave, you stand up to let them out comfortably.
Rio: Swing your legs slightly to the outside and make the person practically crawl over you, no matter how many bags they are carrying.
Normal world: Pull the cord to signal/request your stop. When the bus slows down or stops, get up, and get off the bus.
Rio: Get up at least a full stop, maybe two, before your stop. Push people in the aisle to get to the back of the bus, so you can stand in someone else's personal space until your stop finally comes. You know, because that's easier than waiting until the bus isn't moving to get up and walk around a crowded bus.
Normal world: You get on a very crowded bus, but within a couple stops, most people get off. You wait patiently at the front of the bus for those people to leave, and once the bus empties, those standees remaining move toward the back so that you can stop sitting in the driver's lap.
Rio: You get on the very crowded bus and 2-3 stops later, most of the people have gone. The seats are still full but there is plenty of space in the aisle toward the back of the bus to stand comfortably. However the people at the front of the bus do not move back - they stay right where they are and make you squeeze past them, often almost falling or elbowing someone in the face.
Normal world: Driver waits until people are seated to start driving. In the case that he needs to start driving while someone is still standing or moving toward the back, he drives gently so that they don't fall.
Rio: While people are still halfway out the door and waiting for others to pay their fare, start driving, going really hard on the clutch, slamming on brakes, and speeding up around sharp curves. See how many times you can make people fall down or fall into other passengers, because that's always funny.
To make the following comparisons make more sense, please note that in Rio, in all buses, you pay at the front of the bus (either cash with the driver, or by swiping a card against a machine). There is another door at the back (sometimes middle) of the bus where passengers exit at their stop. On the particular bus I take to and from work, the door is always at the very back.
And now, without further ado, my observations on bus etiquette (or, more accurately, lack of bus etiquette):
Normal world: When you are in a seat with very little leg room and sitting on the outside of the seat, when the person next to you, near the window, wants to get up to leave, you stand up to let them out comfortably.
Rio: Swing your legs slightly to the outside and make the person practically crawl over you, no matter how many bags they are carrying.
Normal world: Pull the cord to signal/request your stop. When the bus slows down or stops, get up, and get off the bus.
Rio: Get up at least a full stop, maybe two, before your stop. Push people in the aisle to get to the back of the bus, so you can stand in someone else's personal space until your stop finally comes. You know, because that's easier than waiting until the bus isn't moving to get up and walk around a crowded bus.
Normal world: You get on a very crowded bus, but within a couple stops, most people get off. You wait patiently at the front of the bus for those people to leave, and once the bus empties, those standees remaining move toward the back so that you can stop sitting in the driver's lap.
Rio: You get on the very crowded bus and 2-3 stops later, most of the people have gone. The seats are still full but there is plenty of space in the aisle toward the back of the bus to stand comfortably. However the people at the front of the bus do not move back - they stay right where they are and make you squeeze past them, often almost falling or elbowing someone in the face.
Normal world: Driver waits until people are seated to start driving. In the case that he needs to start driving while someone is still standing or moving toward the back, he drives gently so that they don't fall.
Rio: While people are still halfway out the door and waiting for others to pay their fare, start driving, going really hard on the clutch, slamming on brakes, and speeding up around sharp curves. See how many times you can make people fall down or fall into other passengers, because that's always funny.
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