[Donnialda]

Scenario: Traveling home from Shek O on a bus filled to about 90% capacity. At the first stop after pulling away from the bus depot, the bus pulled over and stopped. In the next minute, the driver had come upstairs, walked straight to my seat, pointed at me and yelling in Cantonese, gestured that I must get off the bus. Finally clueing in I didn't understand him, he now spoke in clear English that I did not pay so I must get off the bus... while still pointing and yelling... at me.

Of course I clarified that I had indeed paid and he was only appeased when I was backed up by my friends. The driver, without an apology, then yelled at the bus in general and a local-looking boy in a group of his friends came forward immediately.

Now, I've only been here a few months, but do y'all think the Driver immediately singled me out because of the fabulous tan I'd gotten from my day at the beach, or do y'all think he singled me out because my 'tan' will never fade?

Consider this additionally, my friends, all five of them, who got on the bus & paid at the same time, all have tans that will indeed fade when summer's over.

Dear God, has the western world's stupid racist habits followed me here!?!?!

[Sunfire]

Unfortunate, but..

Consider that maybe, he really just didn't see you pay?

Originally Posted by Donnialda

Dear God, has the western world's stupid racist habits followed me here!?!?!

You mean such as the habit of assuming that every personal confrontation with people has to do with racism?

[House]

Next time if you are in a group and not paying separately, try signalling a bit but putting out your fingers or saying something like "Here's the fare for ___ of us", just to save the trouble.

Local HK had that too, and we are equally puzzled.

[Donnialda]

Actually, we all paid separately, in order of arrival, one at a time.

And dear Sunfire, sweetheart, I made no such assumption about every confrontation being racist.

Now, if you can offer a logical explanation that would support that out of 100 or so people that I was the ONLY person this driver assumed he didn't see pay, then I'll drop this thread questioning as such. Alas, the mere f-a-c-t that I detailed about the actual culprit coming forward admitting non-payment, negates this point that the driver indeed only knew that 'I' had not paid. It also shows that the driver could not have seen everyone's payment procedure. Thereby, cancelling your suggestion my friend.

Now, before we continue this "every confrontation is racist/sexist" conversation, let me outline for you how such 'victims' come to a conclusion as such. I am going to assume you have read and understand the clarifications above.

In another dimension, if the Driver had questioned the bus in it's entirety and then the culprit came forward, without pin-pointing a-n-y-o-n-e, then I wouldn't have thought twice about it. Alas, he made a bee-line for me (remember I was even UPstairs, so he saw me come in) questioning no one else initally.

Still think people exaggerate or make-up prejudices? What I'd give to live in YOUR world honey.

But thanks for the assumptions!

[HKChigger]

Wow, you are taking a bus driver thinking you had not paid and wanted to confront you about it. WAY TOO FAR! If a bus driver thinks someone has not bad it is their job to find out. Racism is a ridiculus idea. It was a bus full of people. To stop a bus and walk around it just to pull a racial card?? I don't think so. Maybe as you get on or off a bus. That man went through a lot of effort to put on a show if he is racist. He oviously thought you had either not paid as you walked in with a bunch of people. Perhaps your Octopus did not really work for some reason? (or if you paid with cash perhaps you were a little bit short and didn't realize it)

[jayinhongkong]

OK, these drivers are really good at spotting people who don't pay. I guess mistakes can happen, although in all my years here (19 to be exact) I've never seen a bus driver make a mistake over payment. I doubt it was a racial thing.

[greenietea]

it's weird how you would think it's racism. i mean, he just didn't see you pay.

i've had my share of not knowing that i had not paid incident too. sometimes the octopus just doesn't work on the spot and some people just don't realize it.

[grandcider]

It was totally inappropriate for the driver to approach you so rudely and not offer an apology when it turned out he was mistaken. As for whether racism was involved, only he can know what was in his head. Bus drivers (minibus drivers especially) are often quite rude to begin with. Unless you've experienced a pattern of such treatment, it's just speculation on your part.

[goodkarma]

Regardless, is it normal procedure for a driver to stop and go upstairs instead of waiting til the person is getting off the bus to have fit?

[KnowItAll]

And then there was this guido type in New York who insisted I pay him a 3 dollar tip.... was rude and intimidating.

Point being ... bus drivers are not exactly sent to finishing school, irrespective of the country they driving the bus in.

Not worth raising your blood pressure over.