Lets Start with catching the Bus ! You first need to know what a bus stop looks like . It could be one Sign board to a Red Shelter or a AC Cabin .
Once that is done , the next step is Figuring out the bus you need . On the Bus stop you'll find a paper with all the bus schedules and route plan of buses that come to that stop .It covers up all the major stops .Select the one you need and board it , You might also need to use the bus stop on the opposite side of the road depending upon the route map
But it does get kind of tricky when you are new in the town ( Tourist , Expat etc )and you are not very familiar with the Area names . There is a Solution , Solutions to be more precise .
Most of the AC bus stops come equipped with a Dubai map showing which bus goes where ( Route map ). If you still cant figure you self out Ask other people who are waiting on the stop ( Works 60 % of the times ).Don't rely on one persons answers , Cross verify it with others ( Experience my friend is the greatest of teachers... ) . If you land out unsuccessful yet again , Try asking the Bus Driver of some Bus That comes there ( Desperate Attempt.. ) , if it goes where you want it to , If he says no ! Ask him which other bus would go there ( A little embarrassing but works Always ) .
You must be really unlucky if none of this work but don't be disheartened there is still one more way out .Use the RTA toll free number 800 90 90 , ask for an operator and you know what to do next ( Never tried it though , but should surely save the embarrassment )
Boarding the Bus is not the end of the story . There are some things you need to watch out for or it could get you in trouble .
If you are a male , Never Never Never Sit next to a single lady with out her prior consent . You would soon make your self the center of attention in the bus and have people staring at you as if your some strange freak show ( Been there , Done that ) . If the lady ends up complaining ( if your unlucky ), you would be asked to leave the bus .( Very Embarrassing... )and try to keep out of the Ladies Section as much as possible . If there are complete free seats in the Ladies Section ( no lady besides ) then you can sit on it , but you need to stand up when some other female shows up ( Not reliable you know , But can be used as temporary relief .... ), So catching a Seat Behind in the Common Section is Always Advised .
RTA Bus
The Bus is never Full until the driver says its full . No matter how crowded it looks , if the driver opens the door , issues you a ticket ! Go for it
! If you are a female , you can make any male stand up in the ladies section just by using the phrase " EXCUSE ME " ! ( They call it gender empowerment ye ? )
Do watch out for your wallets while boarding the bus , Cases of pick pocketing in heavy rush hours have been reported .
If you don't Know where the F*ck the bus is going , Ask your fellow commuters . They'll help you out .( Especially tourist and newbies Ask them what stop is next when will your stop come .... stuffs you know.. ) .Keep Asking , I remember bugging the Crap out of people sitting next to me , During my early days of Using RTA Buses ( Was FUN
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Ring the bell before your Destination , That'll signal the driver to stop the bus and tell him you wanna get down . You Surely Don't wanna miss on your stop .
If You got cash and You are looking for a faster Comfortable & Convenient way to your destination . RTA Buses are NOT for you .
If you are adventurous , Jobless , broke or have just given up on catching a CAB . RTA buses are what you need to look out for .Some times using a bus over a CAB could make a fare difference of up to 300-400 % .Who wouldn't like to save a few bucks ?
Using buses Provides a wonderful way of exploring REAL Dubai your self and seeing places you would never see or notice in your guided tours ( Tourist , and new Expats , I am talking to you people... ). Do try it out , Pay for the last stop Catch a Window Seat and there you go. I am sure you'll never regret that you did this
I personally believe that every tourist should board a RTA bus at least once during their stay in Dubai . It will surely give a insight on the essence of Dubai and give a better understanding of life of the common people in this concrete jungle and surely construct a whole new perspective of seeing things in this skyscraper city .
So let me conclude , All you need is Basic Reading skills and Conversation skills to make it in and out of a RTA bus from your location to your destination .
