With my legs tightly bent, I sit on a seat in the marshrutka and observe as the rest of the passengers get on and find their seats. I am preparing myself for the fact that it may be a while before we set off. After a while, the bus has almost filled up, two seats on the back seat are still available though. A woman with large shopping bags from the bazaar glances in the door and is considering whether she still wants a ride. The chauffeur encourages her to get in because there is still room. She should put her bags right next to the door. Will she squeeze into the back seat next to the only three male passengers or stay in the aisle in front? As I expected, she decides to stand, because the unwritten rule is that the back row is reserved for men.
Besides this rule, there are other unwritten rules that you should know before boarding public transport in southern Azerbaijan.
- The marshrutka only sets off when pretty much all the seats are filled, because the chauffeur earns his money with every single passenger.
- Timetable? There is none here. Those who wait patiently at the roadside are usually rewarded with a marshrutka passing at some point.
- Women sit in the front of the bus and the men in the back.
- Pregnant women, travelers with small children and elderly people are immediately offered a seat.
- Men offer their seats to women, except for the back row where only men sit.
- Each passenger pays the fee for the ride directly to the chauffeur when getting off.
- There are only a few official bus stops on each bus route. However, the bus can be hailed at any time with a simple hand gesture. To get off, tell the chauffeur where to stop.
So, with these tips I wish you a good journey. Or «Yaxşı yol» as they say here.