If you have been on a minibus before, you have probably seen a sticker with the words "Just Pay, Don't Hide" or the one that says "Don't say the driver will pay for me, just pay".
How many of you remember getting on a black
and yellow UBZ Neoplan Bus?
The bus had two doors, one at the front
and one at the back (In and Out). The back door was the one that you used to
get on the bus and that is where the conductor was with his ticket vending
machine slang over his shoulder together with a money bag. This is the door
where you had to buy your ticket before you got on the bus. You were not
allowed to get on the bus using the front door which was strictly for
disembarking passengers.
Children of a certain age were not supposed
to pay any fare. I am cannot remember what the age limit was but the conductor
would ask every child what their age was. Mothers usually advised their children to
mention a lower age so that they could not be charged to get on the bus. But
the conductors had a way in which they would determine if someone was cheating.
If he doubted your age, the conductor would
ask you to put your arm over your head and cover the ear on the other side with
your palm. If you touch your ear, then you are old enough and eligible to pay
the bus fare. Those who completely failed
to do this test would get on the bus without paying.
I remember my mom telling me each time
we were at the bus stop waiting to get on a bus to try by all means not to
touch the ear. This was the part that I hated most because it was humiliating
in a way. It was also practically impossible to fake it when I reached the age
where my arms had grown long enough to achieve this feat.
I really found this to be the most unpleasant
part of every bus ride that I took on a UBZ bus. It also made me feel like a
criminal trying to get a free ride. I ended up loathing bus conductors and saw
them as some kind of villain.
I also remember mothers and conductors
arguing about the correct age of the children. Some conductors even earned
themselves a reputation of being the most difficult or stone hearted.
Once you got on the bus, the next ‘villain’
was the Ticket Inspector who was responsible for making sure that everyone on
the bus has paid. While the conductor may have been the most feared individual
by the kids because of his questioning and strange way of determining their
age, the Ticket Inspector seemed to be the most important and most feared individual
by cheats on the bus.
The ticket Inspector had the power to
throw you out of the bus at any place if he found that you have not paid your
fare or if you have overshot your disembarking point. The Ticket Inspector
worked in a mysterious way. Sometimes you would find him on the bus and
sometimes he was not there.
Some individuals, especially young men,
would take advantage of the Ticket Inspector’s absence on the bus and sneak in
without paying. The bus would start off quite alright without any incident
until it reached the next or even the third or fourth station. As soon as the
bus stopped, the Ticket Inspector would get on board.
And all doors were closed. He would then
go from seat to seat asking for tickets. If you did not have a ticket, you were
forced to pay or even sent out of the bus. At the next station, he would get
off the bus and wait to board another bus. He was so very unpredictable.
Sometimes the bus would go through all stations without the ticket inspector getting
on board.
Sometimes people would ride all the way
without paying and without encountering the dreaded ticket inspector until the
last stop. Here you would find him waiting for the bus. He would board the bus
and stand at the door to check for tickets. I witnessed incidents where young
men’s shoes would be confiscated for not having money to pay. The shoes were kept
in the bus and they were asked to come and get them when they had the money.
Then somewhere things changed. UBZ was
no more. Mini buses came on the scene. Unlike the big UBZ buses, these buses
were quicker and carried a small number of people ranging from 14 to 32
passengers. The old UBZ buses carried more than 60 or 70 passengers. The
smaller buses only had a driver and conductor. There was no ticket inspector. Up
to now, these buses are the most popular for ferrying people around town.
There are no tickets on the minibus
which raises so many questions on accountability of the day’s takings. However,
the owners of these buses came up with a way of making sure the people working
with these buses brought in enough money. They have given them a target amount
to bring in everyday without considering how tough business would be at times.
Passengers getting on the minibus do not
pay before they get on the bus. You just jump on the bus when it stops and pay
a few minutes later while on the bus. Sometimes arguments occur between a
passenger and the conductor because some passengers take advantage of the fact
that they already on the bus and they will pay less than they are supposed to
pay.
In most cases, such people would say “that’s
the only money I have” and many times weak conductors cannot do anything but
accept. However, there are some tough conductors who would stop the bus, get
the money from you and force you off the bus.
It does not matter in what era you're living, paying the bus fare is one way of showing that you are a gentleman.
