I Will Never Ever Stay on the Right Side of the Bus

*This is an isolated case - but it can happen to you*

And the urban legend is true. I thought it's just one of those tales that has been exaggerated over the years until I experienced it first-hand. I am cutting my current series just to let everyone know about this incident. read it I love bus rides and could spend a whole day traveling by it. Last April 13, 2013 at around 11:55 p.m. we were on the road with a broken window. How did that happen?

Me and two of my co-teachers, fresh from a very wonderful camping trip, loaded a bus in Daet that is bound to Cubao. It was 4:30 p.m. We all specifically chose to stay on the window side of the bus. Lito was on the 3rd row, left side of the bus. Ice was on the 2nd row, right side of the bus. And I was on the 3rd row, right side of the bus. The ride was steady and slow and the view was great. We had two appointed bus stops for some needed refreshments. And then lights off. It was 10:00 p.m.

It was late at night and everyone seems to be having a peaceful rest. The bus wasn't full so Lito and Ice practically owned their respective rows to get a decent sleep. Except for me, there was a guy beside me who was also trying to get to sleep. And then I doze off with my head resting on the window. And then it happened...

A loud glass breaking sound (just like in the movies) woke me up and then the bus stopped. My head bumped into the glass window and I shouted, "Oh, Sh*t!" in a very alarming manner. I was stunned for a minute. Held on to my head. Eyes were shut. Feeling all the broken glass on my body, I started to panic. Until the guy beside me held me and asked me if I was ok. I suddenly opened my eyes and brought my hands down near my face. I was expecting to see blood everywhere but thank God there was no trace of any. The guy was still dusting my body with shattered glass as I try to check my head of any injuries. There was a huge lump on my head and the guy checked out if there's a wound or whatever. He felt the lump too and told me that it seemed that there was no wound. He told me that the impact of my head banging on the window might have caused the lump. I sighed and quickly thanked God for shielding us from the broken glass.

I immediately checked out my friends and they were both ok. I checked out what had happened and found out that the window of Ice was shattered. That was the window of the seat in front of me. A millisecond away from my window. That could've been my window. 

My friend's seat on the left. Mine on the right

Apparently, we were on a highway at Sariaya, Quezon. At around 11:55 p.m. someone (crazy one) threw a stone on our bus and hit the window of my friend. Good thing was that Ice was sleeping with half of her body on the other seat. If there's somebody seating beside her, she would probably be resting her head on the window and all the worst possible things might have happened. We hugged each other and transferred on the left side of the bus with Lito. 

The driver, conductor and some of the passengers were still looking out for the culprits. After 10 minutes, they came back (no culprit on hand) and asked us if we were ok and then we proceeded to the Sariaya police station to file a police report. This would alert them about what happened and would lessen the financial obligations of the bus driver and conductor to their company. 

It took us almost 40 minutes to get the bus checked by the policemen. They also asked us if we were ok. The three of us were still in shock. I called out Jay and my mom and told them what happened. I assured them that everything's alright.

After filing the police report, we were told that the aircon will be turned off and that we could open our windows for the duration of the trip. We were not transferred to another bus. We endured the rest of the trip with paranoia that something would happen again. The three of us squeezed ourselves together on a row on the left side of the bus. We were still talking about what happened while pieces of shattered glass were still on the floor of the bus. The supposedly 9-hour bus ride turned into a 12-hour one. Nonetheless, we all went home in one piece. 

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I dunno who in their right minds would have the guts to do such thing. I don't wanna think about his/her/their intention but this enlightened me that this is really happening. I was so used in traveling to and fro Zambales and never did I hear of the same incident ever. But then I remembered a trip to Bicol 3 years ago. While seated on our assigned seats, he told me to bring down the window shade while explaining me of the same incident that he heard long time ago. Apparently, the urban legends were true. It is really happening. Like in-your-face really happening. 

I am so thankful that Ice was sleeping on the other seat (or else I dunno what might have happened to her). I am so thankful that it wasn't my window (although it was 6 inches away from me and my face). I am so thankful that the guy beside me was kind enough to assist me throughout the whole ordeal and even remove some broken glass on my head and body. I am so thankful that the glass technology of bus windows are great, they break into pieces like broken ice (even the smallest piece didn't scar me, I even had some on my tongue).

Traumatized? No. Such things will only make you cautious next time. Again, this is an isolated case and it just so happen that we were right there when it happened. It could've been the bus before or after us. 

Will I ride a bus again? Yes, but I would definitely try to secure a window seat on the left side of the bus. It might not be an assurance that crazy people wouldn't throw stuff on that side though.

It's summer and let's enjoy our trips and be cautious at the same time. Be safe y'all.