If you ever feel like having a quick tour of Istanbul from the Asian to the European side (or vice versa), just buy an İstanbul kart (aka akbil) and jump on a metrobüs from one of its terminal stations. On the journey you’ll experience a blend of demographic structure changes, skylines, urban fabrics, landscapes, and human behaviors. If you are a student living on a tight budget, you’ve probably used the metrobüs as frequently as I did since it is one of the most convenient public transport options (along with the M1 metro) leading to the more affordable locations in Istanbul. Before explaining any further, some quick information about the metrobüs is important. The metrobüs is a public transportation mode in the metropolitan city of Istanbul. It is used by almost 750.000 people on a daily basis according to official data. It has 44 stations between Beylikdüzü (European side) and Soğütlüçesme (Asian side) and literally moves people from one continent to another within a matter of minutes. On average a metrobüs carries 165 passengers as mentioned on the signage screwed on the dashboard, but it is believed by many to actually carry a total of 150% of its initial capacity.
The metrobüs is a test. Whether in your 1000 TL suit, your sweatpants, or a uniform, no one has ample time to inspect you at a metrobüs stop. This is largely due to the fact the first element on these impatiently waiting people’s to-do list is simply to manage to get on the metrobüs. The wait at the metrobüs is an ‘eye on the prize’ scenario and often turns into survival of the fittest. You’ll only find a place in that already packed metrobüs at peak hours if you dare to squeeze between bones, flesh and bags. This is one of those times where I really felt it was advantageous to be skinny.
In many ways, the metrobüs is a game of musical chairs, with the famous tune being ‘Gelecek istasyon…’ (Next stop is..) as it journeys along. If you are lucky enough, you’ll manage on a seat and get busy with a book, or you’ll be hanging and dangling till you reach your stop.
That being said, the metrobüs is more than typical public transport. The previously mentioned experience of blending demographic structure changes, skylines, urban fabrics and landscapes are as cliché as they sound. How about something more tangible? How can we omit the blend of smells! The L’Oreal Paris from her hair, the cheap Hacı Şakir soap smell from mine, Coco Chanel, socks, a pleasant Axe perfume, or a even typical memur’s breakfast of poğaça/simit and meyve suyu. Of course, if you’re especially unlucky like me on occasion, even diapers!
With my earphones firmly glued in my ears and my sunglasses still on, I don the perfect ‘blasé attitude’ as termed by Simmels pretending to ignore things around me, but am actually deep in incognito mode to observe and understand human behavior on public transit. (Again, insert ‘I’m totally judging you’ meme here.) Jokes aside, the metrobüs is a pleasant platform to make observations on human interactions.
I recall during a course aptly titled ‘Urban Transportation’ at Istanbul Technical University, a professor made a list of possible observations which can be made on public transit. Her story was how a friend of hers from London was given ters bakışlar (stinky eyes) for making himself comfortable on the ferry by extending and resting his legs on the opposite bench. Ever since, I’ve started rolling my eyes behind my sunglasses when observing people and their behaviors in such situations. Below are some of the main observations I’ve made during different trips.
The weird head nod
The weird ‘head nod’ that one gives you as a sign of understanding your helplessness over the control of a situation, which I like to call the hanger situation. Imagine two people standing just opposite each other and sadly they do not have their sunglasses on (a real felaket). Their eyes are like the physics experiment back in high school where we would release two bobs and letting them swing from right to left till they come in phase. In this case, it is about the eye contact made from time to time.
Where to look
The ‘where to look’ behavior is the funniest of which I know. Sadly not all metrobüs are equipped with the famous Modyo channels showing entertaining videos during the voyage. Therefore, people often have a particular place to fixate on and avoid eye contact with people. Personally, I prefer the standing spot just next to the acrylic panel separating us from the driver. It serves as an enjoyable trip back to my childhood (though I would often get motion sickness) where I would imitate the driver or watch my brother imitate the driver. It’s just intriguing to see the man manoeuvre the levers and different red, green or yellow buttons, with the ‘pppshht’ sounds of the hydraulic operated doors opening and closing in the background.
The fight for a seat
We all love Istanbul but we all also admit that queuing up and public transportation disciplines are not what flows in their veins. They probably have the pushing, the ‘ilerleyebilir misiniz?’, could you move please?, or ‘kardeşim dur len’, give me a break bro, flowing in their veins. What I’m trying to say is that ‘This is not Japan here!’ You’ve probably been for 10 minutes on the metrobüs station and the coming metrobüs just stops in front of you. (Now imagine in slow motion). Metrobüs opens its doors for you and you spot that perfect seat. Just for you. But even before you lift that leg of yours to take a step forward, you’ll be pushed aside by some teyzes who I describe like tiny kuru fasulyes (haricot) managing to squeeze themselves everywhere be it between a couple or someone’s armpits. And surprisingly, you’ll find them whispering words at you as if you disturbed them!
Secret messages and matching finger prints
As silly as it sounds, I frequently find myself catching people red handed while they try to match fingerprints and hand prints with those already present on the wide window panes of the metrobüs. You will even spot love messages traced with oily fingertips of high school kids with the likes Emre <3 Büşra or even a good old seni seviyorum with a date under it. The worst is when the metrobüs makes some rodeo moves and you end up with your face sticking against the window panes. Hygienic.
Effective communication
The amazing sense of communication between people in a packed metrobüs is something worth witnessing. As most of you know, this communication also exists here among smokers. The little flick with the thumb explaining the need of a lighter or the hands positioned as if there is an imaginary match stick and match box indicating the need of fire. Similarly, when one is in a compromising position and is not within the reach of the stop button, he looks for someone and makes eye contact. While avoiding physical contact, because it might be dangerous to do so, he makes a pushing motion with his index finger and the message is understood. Another classic is the elbow and arm gesture to make someone understand that he needs to make way for you to get down.
The smartphone
In this situation, I wish I could see signal waves like Scarlett Johansson does in the movie ‘Lucy’. All the people with their necks bowed to their smartphone and tapping or swiping over the screen is what we see the most. I know peeping into people’s stuff is a not something to do. Bad manners. But this is where I formed my idea of smartphones not necessarily implying smart users. Locking and unlocking the phone, tapping the home-screen and swiping to the left or right to close background applications and while doing so, they also end up closing Spotify thus having the need to open the app again. This probably happens a few too many times during the trip.
Last, with the number of pushes or foot stepping that one experiences on the metrobüs, I’m sure that any metrobüs journey would not be Neymar Jr.’s favorite ride at all (if you know what I mean). I basically cross continents to go to my workplace nowadays and my co-workers would describe this daily venture as felaket. I believe that this trip is way beyond what people describe as a disaster and one can easily turn it into a nice observational experiment. The undoubtedly best moment of my daily metrobüs trips is the ride between the two continents (stations Zincirlikuyu and 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü), when I can enjoy the beautiful views of the Bosphorus for a few minutes.
