One of the first things with that they are confronted by arriving at Buenos Aires, they are transport in common. Of course, at your arrival, your luggage and tiredness will encourage you to take a taxi, but you will understand very quickly that the bus is much less expensive, while the underground is practically useless if you want to travel of the north in the south in Buenos Aires.

Lesson n 1: here a bus is called a colectivo. And they do not tell  they take the bus  , but  to drink the bus  : tomar el colectivo.

Lesson n 2: the lines of bus are private here. Every company has one or several lines, which allow you to go more or less where you want according to where you are, in some cuadras near. Nevertheless it has as disadvantage to multiply the lines of bus to the point where it is impossible to represent them all on a card of the city. We therefore have recourse, to find the bus which it will be necessary us to take, in our inseparable Guia " T " of bolsillo.

Explanation. Look on the card at the place where from you leave, and that where you want to go. Consult the lines of bus which pass by each of the places, and search a number together. If no is there, enlarge your research of some cuadras, by hoping that you will find your happiness without having too much to walk. Once it is made, prove however that it is well about the same itinerary, and not about one to go to a case and of a return for other one. For it, consult the list of the stopping of the corresponding bus (at the end of Guia " T "), and redraw by helping you of plans in the previous pages its route. This passage is particularly delicate, since he asks you to keep with a finger the page concerning the itinerary of the bus, with other one the page glossary where every street is listed and located in the rest of the booklet, and finally with last the page of plan where you are as for the itinerary of the bus there. In short gymnastics at the same time intellectual and physical which will allow you to improve your memo very fast: you will assimilate indeed very fast that leads 123 15 you to such place, 26 here, and there, at the risk of having to begin again searching in Guia " T " .

Lesson n 3: to find the bus stop, or strutted about to her; in side streets, contrary to the big places, bus stops are often a simple post with a placard including the number of your bus. Easy to spot in these cases there, it can prove to be more sports if ever the post was cut up on its base, or else if placard is nailed quickly made on a standard lamp. Or on a wall. In short, small smartness: spot if people are put together somewhere on the pavement for no apparent reason, seeming to wait for something. There is extremely to bet that the bus stop is here.

Lesson n 4: know dear readers that it is necessary to queue up in the bus stop; and yes, let us be civilised, let us throw our papers and other waste on the pavement, but let us queue up to go up to the bus. In short, a nice lesson of civisme which is addressed to us to us other wild poor people of the big European cities, where we all try to rush at the same time into the already full bus. And do not get worried if the queue is more than 15 metres long, it is normal notably in rush hour. Because in reality, several buses pass by the same stopping. So when a bus arrives (do not forget to raise the hand to augment your chances to see him stopping), bring you forward on the side of the queue, so as to avoid waiting behind persons who wait in fact for another bus.

But attention, lesson does not stop there: in spite of the queue, and in situation of inflow in the door of the bus, he is in good taste to let through women and children who wait behind you. Not only it is gallant, but in more it allows you, you, vigorous and agile young person, to save a granny by going up to her place at the time of the impromptu departure of the impatient driver. You will learn in this context some words of vocabulary, notably if you are not Spanish-speaking: Listo? which case you will very fast have to answer fort high and to the driver No! at the risk of seeing the soil evading under your feet and doors to close again on you, the starting bus without shouting railway station.

Lesson n 5: the payment. Not complicated, told ochenta she [por favour] to the driver, it is the price of all itineraries on all lines. If you pay for two, specify back of ochenta, and so on. Nevertheless, know that if your itinerary is short (less than 15-20 cuadras) you can specify to the driver your destination, which will decide if you must pay 75 or 80 centavos, very much practical for example if you lack just 5 centavos in your pocket. Because here, a rule is gold: ALWAYS TO HAVE FROM THE ROUCAILLE ON SELF, it is the only way to pay itinerary.

Lesson n 6: itinerary. Be well held, because this moves. The porte os drivers are reputed for their sports behaviour. If you run in rush hour, get ready to try the joy of a crowd stacked up throughout the corridor while lucky sitting deeply sleep the head behind, block opened. Circulate preferably towards the back of the bus, it will allow you to avoid getting to work you on feet. And also learn to spot people who risk going down before you, to recover their seat.

Lesson n 7: finally, the descent of the bus. Buttons to mean the stopping are present only near exit, therefore are preshowy, go up of front door to arrive on a hard bop of brake at the stopping. And there, be lively: doors open, the engine already roars to leave again, prove that no motorbike arrives behind the bus and jump, jump, GO! GO! GO!

And here you can drink from now on to take a bus in Buenos Aires does not hesitate to practise!

This newsletter was published on Saturday, July 28th, 2007 14:51 and is classified in not classifying You can follow answers to this newsletter with the thread RSS 2.0. You can answer, or make a rear-view mirror-link since your site.