Horrible Bus Ride

I had been pretty preoccupied the past two weeks with the reunion road trip and Chinese New Year celebration and a little shopping here and there. Hence the lack of blogging for the past few weeks. Back to the story. This time around, a consensus was reached for our trip ; that is to take the bus instead of driving (which we normally do). Our bus ride at the beginning of our trip was fine albeit the noisy squeaking the the bus produced throughout the journey. Two days ago, we took a bus home after our Chinese New Year holiday away.

We bought the tickets to the destination as well as the return tickets together. We chose our seats and that was clearly printed on the tickets for both ways. On the day of departure for the journey back, when we boarded the bus and were then told that it is free seating. What do you mean by free seating when we have pre-booked our seats when we purchased our tickets two weeks ago? We have selected our seats and paid for the chosen seats when we purchased our tickets. That is the "contract" that is agreed upon between us and the bus company (Plusliner) when we paid for the tickets. That is tolerable as we still managed to find seats in the lousy disorganised bus.


A few minutes prior to departure, the conductor ascended the bus and started doing a head count. There was a discrepancy in the number of passengers on-board and the number on the list of expected passengers. So the conductor asked "Who has the 1 o'clock ticket". No one replied. Left with no choice he has to check the tickets again. The culprit turns out to be an elderly Malay lady. Immediately her daughter got into the bus to her defense. Her daughter claimed that she had purchased the 10 o'clock ticket but the ticketing person issued the wrong ticket. The conductor politely asked the Malay lady to descend the bus but both mother and daughter refused to budge claiming that it is the bus company's fault. The bus driver then ascended the bus and asked what the commotion is about. Upon seeing that they are of the same race, the bus driver told the elderly Malay lady to take a seat, and if there is no one coming up the next few minutes, she can take this bus instead of the 1 p.m. bus. Clearly she was one lucky lady. Although the bus was full, she still managed to retained the seat although she should have descended and take her designated 1 o'clock bus.


Two hours into the journey, the bus suddenly took a turn into a small town. we though the bus was stopping at a rest stop for a toilet break. Instead the bus kept going without stopping. After a while "touring" the small town, the bus turned into a bus terminal and parked at the parking bay. We thought it was the usual stop for toilet break so we hurriedly rush to the washroom. We had to climb up a flight of stairs just like the Batu Caves to get to the washroom. Upon reaching the entrance of the washroom we were caught with surprised that we need to pay 30 cents per person to use the washroom. We were surprised not because of the amount but because the usual PLUS rest stops does not require a fee for the use of the washroom. Not only did the Plusliner bus not stop at the PLUS rest stop as they normally do, we had to pay to use the stinky, lousy washroom.


We hurried back to the bus within 5 minutes. Upon entering the bus we were surprised to find no one in the bus. We were then told that we are supposed to board the bus that is parked next to the initial bus. Shocked and surprised, we quickly took our hand carry and descended the first bus. We asked to retrieve our luggage from the luggage compartment but was told that all luggage has been transferred to the next bus. Not wanting to take things for granted, we asked to checked whether our luggage has been transferred. Initially reluctant to let us do so, the Plusliner man finally agreed. We then asked to check whether our luggage is in the trunk of the second bus. The Plusliner man refused again. I gave him an irritated look and he reluctantly agreed again. He opened two compartments for me to check. I saw two of our luggage but couldn't seem to find the third. I asked to check the third luggage compartment. The Plusliner man refused to open the final trunk compartment claiming that "Itu Melayu punya" (meaning that is the Malay's luggage compartment). So much for the 1 Malaysia spirit. Here our government goes about instilling the 1Malaysia spirit, there the people go about discriminating Chinese, Indian and Malay luggage. I was really irritated by then and clearly that showed on my face. He then reluctantly opened the final luggage compartment for my inspection. Upon seeing my luggage that has been perching precariously on the other luggage, I told the Plusliner man that that is my bag and he closed the trunk.


Upon entering the second bus, I was even more angry as there were no seats left. We booked 3 seat when I purchased the bus tickets and chose the seats. The seat numbers were printed on the tickets but now it is simply random seating and our seats were clearly taken. I was moving back and forth in the bus in search for a seat but there was none. Then a passenger pointed to a vacant seat next to a fat guy. He sat there like a mountain and did not bother to signal that there is an empty seat next to him. Such a selfish person. If it is not because of his humongous physique, I would have found the seat. I am not being mean or discriminating but this selfish behaviour of these people really gets on my nerves. There I was baking in the sun for the next two hours as the curtain failed to cover my seat. I ended up with a headache when I reached home.


If the tickets for the other bus companies were not sold out, we wouldn't have bought the Plusliner tickets. Never in the history of a bus ride were we required to change bus without notice. Plusliner should have told us that we are required to switch buses when we purchased our tickets. They should get our consent prior to the sale of the tickets and not after the sale. Customers should be notified beforehand, that it is free seating in the bus and they are required to switch buses and if they do not wish to go through that, then the sale of tickets should not have been closed. It is wrong for Plusliner to issue tickets with designated seat numbers to customers and not inform the customers that the seat numbers means nothing for it is free seating anyway and that they are required to switch buses halfway through the journey. What's the point of issuing tickets with seat number when it is free seating? Redundant. What's worse is that there is no toilet break which means everyone are suppose to be camels when they travel. This is by far the most horrible bus ride that I have ever taken. Even a "dancing" bus ride is much more pleasant than this one. At least I know for sure that I do not have to worry about boarding the wrong bus or having my seat taken.