Otobüs shuffle

It is fascinating to watch people on the bus. Or watch people watch other people on the bus. (Turks are people watchers like I am.) There is a delicate balance that must be kept at all costs. It’s called the otobüs shuffle (not officially, of course). The old and/or delicate are allowed to sit. The young and strong are forced to stand. I do admire the fact that Turks are very caring towards their elders. Elderly, moms with small children, and pregnant women usually get seats immediately on the bus.

The rules aren’t always clear, though. For example, on my way to a language lesson the other day, I was standing in a comfortable spot. All seats were filled. I didn’t have too far to ride and it wasn’t too warm on the bus, so I distracted myself by watching the otobüs shuffle. At one stop, an older lady boarded the bus. A husband turns towards his wife (they are seated in rear-facing seats). She gives him the go-ahead to give up his seat, but by this time, the older lady is already seated. At the next stop, an elderly man climbs on, clearly deserving of a seat. The husband hesitates, and once again, a different seat is offered to the man before he has the chance to offer his. At this point, he is a bit embarrassed that he is sitting in the front of the bus, yet not given up his seat yet. As soon as the door opens at the next stop, he stands up and allows a young covered girl to take his seat. She was clearly not as deserving as the others had been, but it was just too much pressure for him.

Other bus oddities:
I’ve given up my seat several times, but women are certainly not expected to give up their seats like men are.

Normally, men sit beside men, and women sit beside women. Covered women hardly ever sit beside men and vice versa, unless it is the last seat and they really want to sit down. If a woman is seated by a man, but another seat opens up next to a woman, she will likely move seats.

When buying a bus ticket to another city, the bus company ensures that men are seated next to men and women are seated next to women (unless of course you are traveling with your spouse).

Turks do not have the personal space requirements that Americans do. I will try to take a picture of a packed bus sometime (inconspicuously, of course), but it will not do justice to actually being on aforementioned packed bus!