Culture and Leisure
Bus mania
Some people say they are crazy, doing what they are doing.
But bus fans tell Daphney Tai they really love to watch the buses.
Product engineer Bose Hung Yu-pan can
name the model of a bus simply by
listening to the sound of the engine.
"It is just like you can tell who he or
she is by distinguishing the voice over the
phone," the 24-year-old bus lover said.
Some bus engines produce a higher pitch of sound while those air-conditioned buses have the sound of cooling fans, he explained.
To Hung, each bus is unique.
When he was four, he said, he could
already point out the minute difference,
such as the sizes of the windows and
doors, between the bus models.
He is so fascinated by buses that he
often simply takes bus trips on
weekends going to no particular
destinations. He said he would relax and
refresh himself after taking a ride. "Just
like those who like fishing, they may spend
three hours on fishing and make no
catch at all, but they still feel happy
because they enjoy the process,"
he said.
Hung is a member of the
growing population of bus fans
in Hong Kong. The three major
clubs – the Universal Transport
Fans Association, the Bus Fan
World and the Hong Kong
Transport Society – have more
than 1,000 members in total,
though some memberships
overlap.
The city also attracts bus fans
from foreign countries to look
at its new or limited models of
buses at an annual event
organised by the Hong Kong
Transport Society.
"If Mecca is the holy city of Muslims, Hong Kong will be the holy city of bus fans in the world," said Dennis Law Chung-yan, a senior executive officer of the Universal Transport Fans Association, which has more than 200 members.
"It is really unusual that we can find five bus companies in such a small area…Hong Kong has even got a larger variety of buses compared to Britain," said Law, who is a photographer by profession.
The city has five franchised bus companies operating a total of about 5,800 buses, mostly double-deckers. Those fan groups are active in organising sightseeing tours on special buses such as the latest, the oldest or limited edition models; visits to bus garages; and talks about the history of bus, the changes of bus routes and models. They also publish magazines with the latest bus news, such as Bus Focus and TransX.
OTHER STORIES IN CULTURE AND LEISURE
Running free in concrete jungle
