Haaaaave you met the gang?
Public modes of transportation in Lebanon are as respected as New Jersey is in New York (or so I’m told by American pop culture – special shout-out to Ted Mosby and “How I Met Your Mother”!)
Although I would love to be a regular public transportation commuter, reduce my personal carbon emission footprint and de-clutter the streets of Beirut, I find myself walking or driving to get myself somewhere (refer to ‘Pedestrian Advertising‘ post)
A typical Lebanese taxi
Pity the old Mercedes-Benz taxis that are more reminiscent of the civil war than of efficient, headache-free public commuting… Seriously: do I have to negotiate my ride with every single driver out there, and pray for him to beneficently “accept” taking me to my destination? What is supposed to be a “service” turns out to be a nightmare more often than usual (check out the personal horror story of @meinlebanon with a Lebanese taxi driver or @MayaZankoul’s satirical take on the Lebanese taxi situation)
And what about those large empty tin cans with wheels roaming in our narrow streets and racing each other that we call “buses”? I’ve lived in the UK and often used buses for short- and long-distance commuting… These can be called buses! I’ve actually taken the bus several times in Lebanon and I feel sorry for people who count on them for their transportation: they’re unreliable, noisy, polluting our not-so-clean air and putting at risk public and road safety thanks to reckless drivers.
But they can be really cool to look at
(the buses – not the drivers…)
Lebanon has experimented with forms of bus advertising but real creative examples can be found elsewhere around the world – hope you enjoy the below sample!
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Dar El Akhdar
I love bus advertising. I too used the bus daily when in London and was furious when they discontinued the old ones, but still… One day, we’ll get that in Lebanon. In the meantime both the buses and service are part of the folklore :-)
Posted by Mich | March 6, 2011, 1:28 PMFolkloric it is Mich! Just hoping it will become useful too one day :)
Posted by Dar El Akhdar | March 7, 2011, 4:55 PMMy story was something else right? Man I can’t even begin to tell you how scared I was that day. What a mess! I hope that we can get it together soon here in Lebanon. I’ve taken the bus a few times – only to be really disappointed… You’re right: they’re almost falling apart! Why aren’t such important issues like these seeing the light of day?
Posted by This is Beirut | March 7, 2011, 2:19 PMI can imagine how you must have felt, although I might have done the same thing as the driver in typical smart-Lebanese-thinking-to-get-out-of-a-situation fashion :P
Posted by Dar El Akhdar | March 7, 2011, 4:58 PM