A Local Bus Story

I had to take a city bus in Rio de Janeiro to get to the main terminal to catch my overnight bus West to the Pantanal. With my giant backpacking bag attached to my back, I started to pass through the local bus's turnstile after paying the driver. Evidently, the turnstile was not large enough to fit both my baggage and me in the same revolution. When I started to take a step back, the pegs locked. I awkwardly stood at the front of the bus, stuck in the turnstile, facing all the Brazilian passengers whose amusing glares all said, "Silly Gringo." After the longest two minutes between stops, the driver assisted me, the blushing gringo, who publicly thanked the driver with an embarrassed laugh in front of the passenger audience of the public bus.

A Local Bus Story