3. Riding a bus story in YeongCheon 🚌: Culture
In 2024, there was an increase in elderly passengers after the implementation of free bus service for individuals over 74 years of age. Initially, this complimentary service began for those over 75, but it has since been extended to include individuals aged 74 and above for public buses in Yeongcheon. Given that the majority of passengers are elderly, bus drivers typically initiate movement slowly, though they may subsequently increase speed. Drivers consistently ensure that all elderly passengers are seated before departing from each bus stop. It is quite common to observe numerous elderly passengers boarding the bus with shopping carts, particularly on Yeongcheon market days, when even more individuals utilize rolling shopping bags. Consequently, seats that provide ample space to accommodate a shopping cart directly alongside them appear to be highly favored within the bus. When there are many such rolling carts, the bus can quickly feel congested and busy, even if the actual number of passengers is not exceptionally high. During these instances, it is indeed important to exercise a heightened degree of caution regarding safety.
It appears that many elderly individuals prefer to occupy seats that offer convenient access for disembarking from the bus. I recently experienced a situation on a bus with my children and some elderly women. The seats closest to the bus doors were occupied by two of my children. Suddenly, several elderly women boarded the bus, began searching for seats. There were two chairs, but three individuals were attempting to share the space with my two children. This occurrence was quite surprising to me. I had never encountered a situation where each chair was occupied by a single child, yet another person attempted to squeeze into the small space and take a seat, even though there were numerous empty chairs further back from where my children were seated.
It is quite interesting to observe the demographics on public buses here. I’ve noticed a distinct difference in the number of male and female elders. There are significantly more female elders encountered on the bus compared to male elders. Additionally, many of these female elders are often seen with moving carts. It also appears that female elders tend to gather with their companions or readily meet others on the bus, suggesting that the bus serves not only as a mode of transportation but also as a social meeting point for them.
