The dreaded bus number 138 that connects Colombo Fort to Maharagama is the bane of many a motorist or pedestrian in Colombo. I am surprised that 138s haven't killed more people in their quest to reach their destinations faster and grab as many passengers as possible. I have had many a tense moment on the High Level Road when a 138 missed me by the narrowest of margins.
For me, the bus is like a number 7 subway train from Grand Central to Flushing or an Andheri local from Churchgate. It takes me home to Nugegoda a lot faster than any other mode of transport and at 19 Sri Lankan rupees, it's the cheapest way to pass the Havelock and Kirulapona. Despite the fact that a 138 passes a bus stop every 3 minutes, there are standees at rush hour. I will never figure out how that is humanly possible, considering the fact that there are less people in Sri Lanka than Bombay.
The owners of the 138s are among the most open-minded religious people in Sri Lanka. You will see photos of Kali, Murugan (Kataragaama, Buddha, Ganesha, Laxmi and Saraswathi above the dashboard of each of these buses and one special and large pic of Laxmi (for wealth, of course). It is in the 138 that religious and linguistic lines blur in Sri Lanka. Sinhala, Tamil, Hindu, Buddhist, whatever!
For me, the bus is like a number 7 subway train from Grand Central to Flushing or an Andheri local from Churchgate. It takes me home to Nugegoda a lot faster than any other mode of transport and at 19 Sri Lankan rupees, it's the cheapest way to pass the Havelock and Kirulapona. Despite the fact that a 138 passes a bus stop every 3 minutes, there are standees at rush hour. I will never figure out how that is humanly possible, considering the fact that there are less people in Sri Lanka than Bombay.
The owners of the 138s are among the most open-minded religious people in Sri Lanka. You will see photos of Kali, Murugan (Kataragaama, Buddha, Ganesha, Laxmi and Saraswathi above the dashboard of each of these buses and one special and large pic of Laxmi (for wealth, of course). It is in the 138 that religious and linguistic lines blur in Sri Lanka. Sinhala, Tamil, Hindu, Buddhist, whatever!
