Nicaragua as a model for public transportation?
I think there’s a lot the United States (and other car-dependent cultures) could learn from Nicaragua’s public bus culture. It’s no secret that most North Americans are reluctant to step outside of the comfort of their private vehicles. To coax them into considering public transportation, how about following the Nicaraguan example and giving them the option to practice a little retail therapy during their journey? How about letting them eat and drink while they’re at it, too!
Riding the public bus in Nicaragua is like sitting coach on just about any airline except that the food is better. Once you get your seat, men and women run up and down the aisle taking orders and selling goods. The women are usually wearing frilly lace aprons while the young men are dressed in jeans and the older men in dark-colored slacks. From a bottle of soda, to a chicken dinner to a new pair of socks, you can purchase just about anything without moving from your seat.
“Tráeme una tajada con carne! … La carne! … No, solamente la carne!” shouted a young woman to a tin-roof covered kitchen at the edge of the bus stop. A few minutes later, a woman entered the bus carrying a plastic plate with a lump of shredded cabbage piled so high on top of a tortilla that it looked like she was balancing a pineapple.
It’s hard not to feel a bit spoiled on a public bus in Nicaragua. In a way it’s a small consolation to what is often a long ride in a cramped space. In a country where public transportation isn’t a choice for many, at least a lot is done to make it more comfortable.
Why haven’t entrepreneurs in the United States targeted this niche? Would this work in the United States?
The water bag serves a purpose. Read my earlier post about this inventive solution here.
