Coach ride
I thought that it’s interesting to note about the coach ride I had on a number of occasions these couple of weeks,. I have not been doing such ride for a long time, mainly because I usually travel by car. However on recent occasions when my car was not available, my wife using it to go about the City preparing for my son’s wedding, I traveled by coach to go outstation to work. I traveled the Kuala Lumpur route and back.
Its a different feeling altogether to ride on a coach with the opening of the new Kuala Lumpur/Kuantan Highway. The coach no longer has to manouvre sharp bends and narrow roads, and the overtaking more safe, no more the near misses. Less thrill though. And the stopping points for rest breaks no longer at some dirty dingy eating shops in nowhere land.
The coach now stop by proper rest areas,
though there is still room for improvement. Some coach drivers stop at rest areas along the Highway where there are proper restaurants and some only stop at only minor rest areas where there is no proper restaurant facilities, only small tidbit stalls available. The discretion is seemed is left to the coach driver.
The coach itself is very comfortable, with aeroplane type of seats (well almost), with a single seat on the coach left side and double seat on the right side.
And the drivers area is also very comfortable, large front windows and special gear change arrangement,
in the picture it was still long gear changing arms, probably mechanically connected (or pneumatic or hydraulic, I am not sure), but some coaches have the short gear changing arms (not sure whether these are mechanically connected to the gear box or hyraulicaly or pneumatically connected), and the coach drivers seat is more springy. Whatever they are, the coach driver seems comfortable enough.
Riding those coaches is a pleasure, and the 4 hours Kuala Lumpur - Kuantan or Kuantan - Kuala Lumpur ride seems just a couple of hours. Why 4 hours? Well, 1/2 hour break for rest and the traffic jam as the coach enters Kuala Lumpur.
The pleasure ride is broken by disappointment when one reached Kuala Lumpur. There in Kuala Lumpur taxi drivers are like hawk, when you ask them to take you to your final destination, your house say, they charge you exhorbitent fares, and they refuse to use the taxi meter. Cheating really. On one occasion I was asked for RM 10.00 for the taxi ride to my house and I paid (USED 1.00 = RM 3.70). But on another occasion I was asked for RM 20.00. On bargaining the driver agreed for RM 15.00; but when I reached home he still demanded R 20.00. I thought there was no point to argue, these taxi guys are old and uneducated and I did not want to cause a scene in my neighbourhood over the RM 10.00 extra.
The coach ride was pleasant but the taxi ride spoilt my day.
Its a different feeling altogether to ride on a coach with the opening of the new Kuala Lumpur/Kuantan Highway. The coach no longer has to manouvre sharp bends and narrow roads, and the overtaking more safe, no more the near misses. Less thrill though. And the stopping points for rest breaks no longer at some dirty dingy eating shops in nowhere land.
The coach now stop by proper rest areas,
though there is still room for improvement. Some coach drivers stop at rest areas along the Highway where there are proper restaurants and some only stop at only minor rest areas where there is no proper restaurant facilities, only small tidbit stalls available. The discretion is seemed is left to the coach driver.
The coach itself is very comfortable, with aeroplane type of seats (well almost), with a single seat on the coach left side and double seat on the right side.
And the drivers area is also very comfortable, large front windows and special gear change arrangement,
in the picture it was still long gear changing arms, probably mechanically connected (or pneumatic or hydraulic, I am not sure), but some coaches have the short gear changing arms (not sure whether these are mechanically connected to the gear box or hyraulicaly or pneumatically connected), and the coach drivers seat is more springy. Whatever they are, the coach driver seems comfortable enough.
Riding those coaches is a pleasure, and the 4 hours Kuala Lumpur - Kuantan or Kuantan - Kuala Lumpur ride seems just a couple of hours. Why 4 hours? Well, 1/2 hour break for rest and the traffic jam as the coach enters Kuala Lumpur.
The pleasure ride is broken by disappointment when one reached Kuala Lumpur. There in Kuala Lumpur taxi drivers are like hawk, when you ask them to take you to your final destination, your house say, they charge you exhorbitent fares, and they refuse to use the taxi meter. Cheating really. On one occasion I was asked for RM 10.00 for the taxi ride to my house and I paid (USED 1.00 = RM 3.70). But on another occasion I was asked for RM 20.00. On bargaining the driver agreed for RM 15.00; but when I reached home he still demanded R 20.00. I thought there was no point to argue, these taxi guys are old and uneducated and I did not want to cause a scene in my neighbourhood over the RM 10.00 extra.
The coach ride was pleasant but the taxi ride spoilt my day.
Labels: coach
posted by mylias | 3:59 PM
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