Travelling by bus in Malaysia

As I didn't book my tickets early going back to my home town for GE13, I went to Larkin bus terminal, Johore, Malaysia to try my luck. Almost all counters told me that tickets were sold out except one. Finally I got a ticket from Johor Bahru to Bukit Mertajam for RM75, ten ringgit more than normal price.

When we arrived at Kulim, the bus drivers told me that the bus would not go to Bukit Mertajam, and asked me to go down the bus. I refused to get down showing them the ticket. However, they drove off heading to Sungei Petani. I went to the front with my camera telling them I would take pictures of them so that I could make report on them. They refused to let me take their pictures, and made call to ask for direction to Bukit Mertajam. Finally, they went to Bukit Mertajam.

This is not the first time I encounter this issue but since I had no choice as all tickets were sold out, I just gave a try hoping that they would have changed.

On my way back to Singapore I took a bus from another company. At Tangkat, the bus stopped for toilet break. I went to the toilet but it was full and I waited for a while before I could get in. By the time I came out, the bus was gone. I approached the other two buses and was told the buses were full and could not help me. It was slightly after 6:00am and the ticketing agent where I bought the ticket was not answering the call. Finally I decided to approach cars stopping by for help. A kind person from Taipeng travelling from KL to Senai agreed to send me to Senai.

Just before Senai, we saw a SuperNice bus with the license plate 8966 similar to that written on the bus ticket, we stopped the bus. I went up the bus but found that it was not the same bus I took, it was another bus from Sungei Petani. However, they agreed to send me to Larkin. It was after 8:15am and the ticketing agent at Bukit Mertajam finally answered the call. The agent helped to find out the mobile number of the bus driver and the license plate of the bus I took, it was PJW8966. The number was critical for verification with the bus driver. I called that number. The bus driver did answer but told me to call another number.

I arrived at Larkin before 9:00am, waited until 10:00am before the bus arrived at Larkin. My luggage was intact except my tower which I used to cover my eyes was left on the seat but I had forgotten about it.

I am glad to have my luggage back as my passport and keys were there. It would be very troublesome if I could not get my luggage back.

Normally travelling on long distance bus I would talk to the person sitting next to me. However, it was a Malay young lady who was sleeping all the time that I didn't talk to her. If I had spoken to her and she was awake when the bus drove off without me back on the bus, she would have stopped the bus.