Public Transportation

There is a joke that goes something like this:
A pastor dies and goes to heaven, where God rewards him by giving him a small mansion. At the same time, a bus driver dies and gets a huge mansion with all the trimmings. The pastor decides to take up this issue with St. Peter. He asks, "Why does the bus driver get a bigger mansion than me?" St. Peter replies, "It's simple. When you preached, people slept. When the bus driver drove, people prayed!"

Bus drivers in Seoul should get large mansions, I think. Their driving undoubtedly makes people think about eternity. The fact that I remain alive after riding the bus means that there is a small miracle each day. I once asked one of my Korean friends why the bus drivers drove so fast. People have to hang on for dear life, and more than once, I've seen someone trip and fall down (however, that could be as much due to the high heels that all women wear as to the speed of the bus). My Korean friend told me that people would get mad if the buses went any slower. At first, I was incredulous, but oddly enough, her answer almost makes sense. "Fast, fast!" was one of the first phrases I learned in Korean.

Subways are equally interesting experiences. The ride is much smoother, but more crowded. I used to think that "packed like sardines in a can" was just a worn-out cliche. Now I can honestly say that I fully comprehend the predicament of the sardines. I travel to and from work on one of the most-traveled subway lines in Seoul. My transfer to bus for the last part of my commute is--believe it or not!--a relief in comparison.

Someone told me that there used to be a "push man" for the subway. The push man would stand at the door and shove as many people into the subway car as he possibly could. But the people in Seoul don't need a push man anymore. They just push themselves. Shoulder to shoulder, nose to nose, and you just hope your hand doesn't accidentally touch someone in the wrong place!

Public transportation is an adventure. It makes me miss the miles of wide highway in between cornfields. And it makes me miss the country roads even more. And I won't ever complain about getting stuck behind a tractor or buggy again!