Riding the Bus in Nassau

Public transportation is perhaps on of the most educational experiences one can have in Nassau. Rather than having a taxi take you directly to a destination, buses make a circuitous route that allows one to understand how Bahamians actually live. When you enter the bus and face the front, there are two seats on the left and one on the right. As the bus fills up, seats along the aisle unfold and allows for more passengers to ride. The bus requires a cooperative spirit to allow people off when the bus arrives at their stop. People are generally convivial and it appears customary for a cursory “good morning” to the other passengers upon entering the bus.

Riding can be a joyful experience. One afternoon we were riding a bus near the College of the Bahamas as a nearby primary school was dismissing for the day. More and more children piled into the bus for the ride home. Typically each bus either has the radio or CD playing over the speakers. The children spontaneously broke into a singalong with the radio, enjoying a community experience. On another trip, after 5pm, I was riding with several people who had just finished a day’s work. The radio was playing classic soul and Anita Baker’s “Giving You the Best,” came on.  Although not as boisterous as the children, virtually the entire bus join Anita in song.  

On another trip through the Fox Hill settlement, perhaps one of the poorest neighborhoods of Nassau, two brothers aged approximately eight and five, got on the bus. As with all the children, these two little boys were neatly dressed in their school uniform with dark blue pants, a clean pressed white shirt and a red tie. The younger boy was clearly wide-eyed and nervous; the older boy tightly clutched the dollar bill that would pay both their fares. The younger brother took the seat directly behind his older brother and in front of Caitlin. At the sight of these siblings, bravely making their way to school brought an audible sigh from Caitlin. When they exited the bus, and the younger boy reached for the hand of his older brother, the entire back of the bus engaged in a collective feeling of warmth and nostalgia.