El Autobus

Today I went to church and lunch with my friend Beatriz. She found a Baptist church outisde of San Jose and I visited there with her once before, but that time the pastor's wife picked us up. Today, we took the bus. I think today I spent approximately 2.5 hours at church, and at least that long waiting for or riding a bus. I wish I weren't exaggerating.

As I got on the bus for the last leg of my day's journey, it had just started to rain. In San Jose, people like to get on the bus while it's raining. And they like to close the windows. Because apparently they'd rather suffocate than get wet. It was standing room only. I was very close the front of the bus trying to hold my purse and umbrella with one hand while holding on for dear life with the other. While I was daydreaming of my very own car that is sitting parked right now in my very own garage, I noticed the following signs that were posted on the bus wall above the driver's head:

Occupancy: 50 Seated/30 Standing

According to my calculations, there were about 650 total people on the bus. (And did I mention the windows were closed?!)

Do not talk to the driver.

I suppose the guy who is literally sitting on the dashboard in the front window of the bus so he can chat-it-up with his buddy (the driver) is exempt from this rule???


With this in mind, I'd like to pose an important (and relative!) question:

Would you rather...
Stand in the aisle, clinging to the back of a seat for balance, on an overcrowded, hot and humid BUS that smells like an armpit while the driver changes gears, sorts money, talks to his buddy who is sitting on the dashboard, takes a phone call, honks at a pretty girl on the sidewalk and eats Mentos...
OR
Walk?