I’ll tell you an interesting story, a bit long , but I can’t sleep. While traveling in China , 1987. My Swedish girlfriend and I landed in Beijing. Backpacked our way out of the airport and found a cheap hotel..
Wanted to get to the Forbidden City, struggled to find a bus stop. After arriving at the bus stop we found about 30 other passengers waiting. The bus route caused the bus to pass us going one way, make a U turn and come back to get us. The local riders all knew this and started to jostle for position after the initial pass.
Me wanting to be polite while towering over 90% of the people around me assumed a submissive and docile posture..mistake...
The bus pulled up absolutely Packed, people had their faces pressed up against the glass, my girlfriend and I just looked, frozen, the doors open , the madness begins, pushing, shoving, falling, but oddly enough , no anger, they are smiling during the melee...
We missed or failed to make it on the first 3 busses..finally it became clear, different country, different rules of engagement...
I spot the next bus, I begin to position myself, I tell my girl, “ grab my arm, don’t let go” The bus pulls up, the doors open, I move forward like a linebacker, we are in the thick of it, small Chinese people are flying as I enter the bus..finally. Inside , after all the shoving and pushing, they all look at us and smile, a smile that said, Welcome to China..
PS, the trains, an entire new experience..