STORIES on BUSES * Turkey -The Otübus Experience

Riding on a city bus in Istanbul is like being in the live version of the 1994 adrenaline-packed action flick "SPEED"

Istanbul,Turkey -Be Fit With Biray In Turkiye -June 2, 2008: -- ... The driver maneuvers the bus like Sandra Bullock on speed. Weaving in and out of traffic, hoping not to kill anyone along its path. But unlike the Hollywood version, he actually succeeds in keeping the city in tack, taking you from point A to point B, C, D, E...X without much cross-city destruction... In the course of my thirty-minute bus ride (and after I got over my fear of flying), the people who flew in and out at each bus stop, some while the bus was moving, had very interesting stories to tell. Many thoughts went through my mind...

- A 30-something lady gave up her seat to an older mid-forties woman. Same mid-forties woman, then gave up her seat for an elderly man in his mid-sixties. Perhaps respecting your elders is a universal gesture, with no cultural boundaries. My heart melted. Despite a crazy world, there's always room for compassion.

- A passenger entered the bus from the back, not able to get on from the front because it was too crowded. He handed his bus card to a passenger, and the passenger handed it to the next passenger, and so forth until the card slowly made its way to the front. The bus driver slid his toll through the machine. Then the bus card slowly made it back to its owner. It's amazing that in a city where you're taught to keep a close watch on your belongings and trust no one, that at least 7 people had a hand in helping this stranger pay the correct bus toll.

... The people on the bus represent a cross-section of a unique culture. Rich or poor, young or old, regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic class, or gender... everyone relies on the bus (or some form of public transportation) in their Istanbul existence. Let's face it, the bus is cheaper, more efficient, much faster - and anyone with a car knows that Istanbul traffic can be a nightmare! ...