Masuk lagi, Belakang Mali!

Been ages since i even heard any bus conductor shout for the passengers to move behind. Mini Bas, our very own version of BMW (Bas Mini Wilayah - also known as Pink Lady because the buses in the mid 90's are all pink in colour)) was around way before Proton claims that they produced the BMW of Asia.


Images from Pick Yin's Blog

Sri Jaya (the one plying Jalan Ampang to KL), Len Seng(which was bankrupt in the late 90's...), Tong Fong (which brought me out from RMC over the weekends) were the few buses which i remember their schedule by heart. Here is a link of someone i supposed to be around my age on these buses...(Thanks Pick Yin)

Leng Seng was my primary transport, Bus number 191 and 170, bringing me and friends from our home to school and to town. I don't recall paying more than 30 sens for the journey from school in Melawati back to Permata. To town was a simple 50 sen to Chow Kit. Later, when they introduced air conditioned bus, the fare shot up from 30 sen to 50 sen, sometimes, i could get away with paying 40 sen by exiting at a stop earlier and walk the distance (what to do, short of 10 sen because i bought the ais krim malaysia...)


Anyone has these tixs still?

I'm not sure if these days, the buses' tickets are as exciting as the days before where different denomination and colour were the order of the day. It rival the faux money used in Monopoly even! My only regret was not keeping the earlier tickets such as those 15 sen Len Seng tixs. Those would be almost 20 years if i have them. My mum used to take me and my sis on these buses on Saturday to my granma's house in Gombak. We would hop onto either 191 or 170(which would turn into TAR College) and then we would get off at Setapak (infront of the old KFC, which is now a run down Motorbike Shop), cross the 2 lane street (traffic wasn't as heavy) and take either 168 or 165(thanks Beb21 for reminding me that 165 goes to Air Panas) to my granma's place in Gombak.

I recalled, back then, still fresh in my memory, that i used to pronounce ONCE as ON-CE(as in ON and CE) on the bell to signal to the driver that you are getting off the next stop. Those PRESS ONCE button, in circular shape with a red button in the middle, you know what i meant?


Monopoly anyone?

One more thing i really like about Len Seng's ticket is that they have different images on the bottom of the ticket. You could almost tell which one is of the same batch by looking at the bottom of the ticket. For example, see these 30 sen tickets...


Horse, Ant, Octopus, Elephant...how cool is that?

I also remember how, back then, without handphone, me and friends, ie Surin, Kok Yun, Norman, Mano, Deva and the whole gang could actually coordinate ourselves to be in the same bus to town! With exception of Surin, which sometimes misses the bus, he would run across Kampung Klang Gate from his home in Jalan C and wait for us at the stop infront of the Klang Gate Mosque. We never did need to use any handphone! We have the bus schedule inplanted into our head. But ask us to take any bus now, i bet we might just end up like some tourist trying to get to our destination! Hahaha!

And here is a few pics of the bus tickets i have with me still.


Rare 20 sen ticket, at today's rate, this bus ride could be paid with 4 sweets!


Bas Mini, Tong Fong, Len Seng, Sri Jaya


Sri Jaya with Visit Malaysia Year 1994


Striking Pink Len Seng RM1.00 Ticket for Air Cond Bus to Town


Does Metro Bus still has 50 sen tickets?


Some of the Len Seng Tickets which i still keep


and a full stack of Sri Jaya Bus tickets next to another stack of Mini Bas Tickets inside the container!


Most recent bus ticket given to me by my Dad

The above ticket is special to me. My dad took a bus down to Petaling Street to buy dried octopus for wifey, as traditional recipe says that it would increase milk flow for lacticating mother. My dad went down to town without even me asking and i was rewarded with this ticket with the number 8574, which coincidentally was my last 4 digit in my RMC Military number (mine was 388574). This 4 digit is reflected prominently in my life, if you do know me phone number and my car number, you will definately see this! Comparing the new ticket with the old, don't you think the new ticket are so boring?

So, if i were to sell these tickets on Ebay, lets say, do you think i would make enough to buy myself that elusive Road Bike i ever wanted? Also, do any of you have any of these tickets to share with the rest of us here?