Bus Biddies

I spent the better part of my Saturday in Asia. The Bosphorus separates the Asian side of Istanbul from the European side so it is only a thirty minute commute to the other continent. Some friends and I checked out a nice variety of restaurants and bars until about midnight, then I flew solo to the bus station to go back to campus. Because of terrible traffic and the fact that the buses only run once an hour, I didn't make it on until about 2:30AM. Delirious from a long day of walking and a birthday party  the night before which left me sleeping on a poolside chair, I slouched against the bus wall and stared out the window, my eyelids heavy. Two French girls stood next to me, their mood far more jovial than everyone else's, repetitively engaged in quick spurts of annoying giggle chatting. After about 15 minutes of this, the girl's ceaseless sounds echoing in every skull and unrelenting traffic adding to the frustration, a Turkish woman whipped around and from the very front of the bus, admonished the girls in a desperately pleading tone:

"My head it hurts! Could you please be quiet! be quiet be quiet be quiet! I am not well!"

The bus became dead silent. Only the light squeaks of the suspension system could be heard. Nobody said a word for about 20 seconds, then the hushed whispering started up as it always does after a collective surprise. Within about two minutes, the conversation resumed its normal volume. The girls did their best to be quiet, but small squeals of laughter continued to emit from their excited exchange. My eyes glued to the woman, I watched as she threw her head down, shot severe glances in the girls' direction and complained to her boyfriend adjacent to her. She writhed in dismay as the girls continued. I just knew she was about to pop. The human body can only bottle intense emotion for so long. This time she shot up, grabbing her man's arm, her intoxication apparent:

"I am not well! You must be quiet or I will call the police! Shut your little foreign mouths!"

Now obvious that she was causing far more of a ruckus than the girls, the looks of consternation shifted from the latter to her. She took her seat and began yelling at her boyfriend at the top of her lungs in Turkish. She was a loose cannon. At this point, stifled laugher came from the exhausted bus patrons, everyone fully aware of the ridiculousness of the occasion. She unabashedly continued her rant.  I thought about piping up, but realized it was not my time or place. A Turkish man finally rose up to the occasion. With wild gesticulations, he cussed the woman out and the two engaged in a bitter tussle. The rest of the bus rooted for him as he said something to the effect of, "You are causing the problem now. It is not these girls, IT IS YOU!"

The boyfriend tried to fend off the crowd of determined animals but it was futile. Within minutes, half the bus arose in a cacophony of violent Turkish and the other end, howling laughter. The first man who raised his voice moved forward intimidatingly with two of his cronies and commanded they leave the bus. The driver obeyed and the two were literally booted off as the bus resounded with wild applause and "Bravos!"

I chuckled to myself and joined in on camaraderie, casting my share of cheers. The bus, now indisputably bonded, moved on down the dimly lit streets toward its distant destination.

Contrary to my former post, here is evidence that some Turks will raise their voices and lose their tempers when provoked. It just goes to show that stereotyping never works. An entire culture cannot have parameters placed on its every action or tendency. We are all humans and have similar desires. And the desires of the group will always overshadow the desires of the individual. That's power in numbers. And that is the one constant I have observed.