"Please wait for a few minutes for the change of the driver."

"Please wait for a few minutes for the change of the driver."

Subtitile:  Learning to ride the bus in Kyoto.

We do understand the basics -- get on the bus in the back, and pay 220 yen when you off in the front.  Each bus stop has a name, and the name is posted electronically in the bus as well as announced.  There is an excellent bus map well worth carrying with you.  If you pay very careful attention, this can get you where you are going.  At the bus stop there is a route map for each of the buses that stops there, as well as separate time schedules for weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays/holidays.

But there are puzzling things.  We are a couple of stops from a bus yard, and sometimes they will announce in English, "Please wait for a few minutes for the change of the driver."  The driver undoes his seatbelt as we approach the stop, and collects his name plates from two display slots, bows to the passengers, and gets off.  The next driver is ready to go with his microphone already attached to his hat, slips in his name plates, and heads off.

Occasionally, at the same spot, the bus will give its end-of-the-line announcement and everyone unloads.  We walk to the next stop, and another bus comes along with the same number, but seems to cost two fares.

And one time, after this announcement, the driver got off, and a uniformed fellow stood in the doorway.  After the bit, the driver came running back, probably from a bathroom break, and the other fellow left.  All I could think of was the wonderful children's book, "Please don't let the pigeon drive the bus."  Clearly the fellow in the doorway was making sure that the pigeon would not get on an try to drive the bus.  

We recently learned that you can get a 500 yen pass for the day -- thus getting on and off as often as you wish.  And today I learned that I can get a monthly pass and be done with always rummaging up  cash.  (Actually, you have to put the exact change in the slot, but the machine gives change from another slot.)  It turns out that, with my pass, Will (as a family member) can come along for only 100 yen (instead of 220) on weekends and holidays.

Today we hopped on a bus to Kyoto Station, and as we were getting off, learned that it was not a copy bus -- and thus not covered by our 500 yen day pass......

And you have to think a lot about which side to wait on (since they drive on the opposite side of the road, and since the stops are not necessarily opposite one another.)

Overall, they come on time, run often, and work well.