i’m usually the guy that goes up front and asks the loud mouths to tone it down, but this time i couldn’t stand it and was tired of always being the one to do that, so i just got off the bus at the next stop after only 30 minutes, canceled my trip to taipei, went to Mc Donald’s, and ate stuff i’m not supposed to. shitty Saturday.
in every country i’ve been to, quiet is the RULE on a bus, but not here. it’s either a fucking loud mouth driver talking at 100dB with a farmer talking at 120dB, or loudass taiwanese songs playing all the way from nantou to tai chung,then when the movie comes on, they turn the volume down so you can’t hear the damn thing.
last time i couldn’t take it and screamed “chiao sz, ta ma de!” and they got real quiet. thing is, do i wanna be like this?
i’m going to write a letter to the pres of tong lian bus, because their bus is the most convenient for me, but gou gwang is quieter.
India’s nice. Wooden seats, bars on the windows, no aircon, straphangers with sweaty armpits, chickens, goats, pickpockets, dust, oppressive heat, no movies, more dust, people trying to sell you things, people on the roof, goats on the roof, chickens, oppressive heat, drivers who are still coming to terms with the concept of the gearbox, windy unmade roads with no discernible rules, no streetlights as you barrel through villages at night, exhaust fumes, heat, and more chickens. Did I mention that it gets really hot too?
Kathmandu to Delhi. Four days. Stop fucking complaining.
That looks more fun on the trains…having to be on the lookout for tunnels and stuff. Cool.
Most of the busses I have travelled on here have been smooth, comfortable and cheap. The inflight movies have been decent and there has been no opressive music.
Perhaps your opting for Cheapo busses. Try Ru Hwang for Kaohsiung, or Tong Lian from Taichung to Taipei or just take the train.
Tip: Bring your own headphones. The movies sound louder and you can block out that annoying sound of people talking.
in every country i’ve been to, quiet is the RULE on a bus, but not here. it’s either a fucking loud mouth driver talking at 100dB with a farmer talking at 120dB, or loudass Taiwanese songs playing all the way from nantou to Taichung,then when the movie comes on, they turn the volume down so you can’t hear the damn thing.
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You can’t have traveled on that many buses then. In India,apart from the wooden seated buses they have video buses which blast out loud Indian movies; in Egypt and a lot of the middle east you get more of the same, either that you get to sit in the aisle being squashed for hours.
By comparison to many buses I’ve traveled on throughout the world Taiwanese ones are an absolute pleasure.
Get used to it. It’s all part of the rich tapestry of life and if you can’t stand the heat get out of the country.
nobody talk about INDIA okay? it’s a freaking third world country for cryin’g out loud.
never happens in japan. in the US too, the driver will warn you first time, second time, third, you’re outta here. in hong kong it IS ILLEGAL TO SPEAK TO A DRIVER.
problem: politely ask TWese and they think you’re weak. it’s safer to just go ballistic on them. that’s how you get respect here, unfortunately.
forget culture. ear splitting loud is ear splitting loud. i for one don’t want to get used to 100dB noise.
Without a doubt the other poster was right… you’re being a cheapo and hence u get the muppets in your bus. I highly recommend “Ho Shin”… its definitely one of the best bus services I’ve ever used. Massage chairs that go all the way back. No hooligans.
Had my first taste of betel nut on an Indian bus from Madras to Pondicherry. The bus had bars, no windows. I was sitting about half way down looking out the window when I was hit with a full face full of expelled betel juice from someone sitting up the front. It had gone out and back down the bus copping a line of people starting with me. At first I thought it was blood from some inconsiderate TB sufferer, but it tasted strangely sweet.
First the post about the hello kitty girls that aren’t giving it up, and now this? Dude… Calm the fuck down before you do something stupid.
I have a rant, it’s about realizing that as a minority on this island (I’m talking about white people here and am assuming you are white) the way YOU act can potentially impact how the rest of us are thought of, and consequently how we are treated.
“People being loud” is clearly a cultural trait that doesn’t even begin to warrant bitching about in public, or causing a scene. Your attitude amounts to one small-minded foreigner who is taking on a torrent of cultural difference by “going ballistic” in public. Every time you go ballistic or otherwise do something stupid, it’s driving the laowai opinion meter into the ground for everyone who sees it. Is that fair? Of course not. But it’s what we have to deal with.
Either learn to adjust (thumbs up) or go back to whatever land of infinite comfortability you came from (thumbs down).
And for the record the vast majority of people here DO respond to a polite request, in my experience - though I’ve never been stupid enough to try quieting a bus full of people.
Damn, I was JUST about to add that when I saw your avatar… :bravo: