What do bus enthuasists do?
Common activities by bus enthusiasts

Here is a list of mainstream activities carried out by bus enthusiasts in Singapore. Every bus enthusiast has his/her own specialization to varying degrees and may focus only on selected activities; it is not necessary to be involved in all of the activities listed below. This list is not exhaustive and these activities are also practiced by bus enthusiasts around the world.

1. Joyriding

This is the most common activity bus enthusiasts perform. Simply just take a bus and enjoy the sights and sounds onboard. While this activity usually leads to many other associated activities, it can be performed as a standalone activity and requires no additional commitment.

1a. Journal

Some enthusiasts actively record a list of journeys they have made and post them online.

2. Photography

Bus photography is very popular with bus enthusiasts because it widely accepted evidence to claims, factual information and events. The availability of digital cameras (as opposed to film cameras in the past) has made this activity widespread in the community. In forums, there are usually consolidated on monthly threads.

3. Bus advertisements

As bus operators are moving towards reducing the variety of bus models, a photography subset of bus advertisements have recently gained popularity among enthusiasts.

Full body advertising (alternative terms are used outside of Singapore) are the most prominent form, and are a reflection of a particular time period as these advertisements have short lifespans from a month to half a year. A few high profile advertisers (e.g. AKB48) have even gained attraction from the general public.

Some enthusiasts do actively maintain a list of bus advertisement changes.

4. Video recording

Some bus enthusiasts use a videocamera to record bus journeys and upload them to YouTube. There are two main focuses: the bus or/and the route. Those focusing on the bus would usually record from the rear (or the middle for B10Ms) to capture the sounds of the engine and gearbox, while those focusing on the route would usually record from the front of the bus. Videos that contain virtual tours of selected bus models also exist.

5. Sound recording

This is an older form of recording (In contrast to video recording) that focuses on bus performance, but is still practiced today.

6. Bus tickets

Some bus enthusiasts would choose to pay cash to receive a bus ticket. Because bus tickets are highly unlikely to be forged and are more reliable than bus photography, they are highly preferred by the community as hard evidence of an undertaken journey. Because the journey details are recorded on the ticket, it can also be accumulated to form a journal.

Enthusiasts usually do not collect bus tickets from newer wheelchair accessible buses. These buses have thermal ticket machines installed, printing tickets which can fade over time rendering them useless.

7. Service guides

Individual service guides were originally used to determine the correct cash fare of a journey. With the introduction of distance fares, this role has been diminished and it is now used as directional guides. Enthusiasts interested in bus guides would collect one onboard a bus.

SMRT Buses no longer print individual service guides, but still issues pamphlets and brochures from time to time. Occasionally, Land Transport Authority would print hangar guides to promote new BSEP services.

8. Bus spotting

A common activity is for enthusiasts to determine which buses appear on a certain route for a certain given day. Unforeseen circumstances which result in the deployment of a substitute bus in place of a usually assigned bus is known as a cameo (there are a variety of names used elsewhere, e.g. ‘unusual observation’ in Australia and ‘odd-working’ in the UK).

Different bus models are usually obvious to enthusiasts, while others may be harder to spot. Spotting is usually combined with other associated activities (such as photography and joyriding). Enthusiasts may also observe minor faults, breakdowns and accidents of buses and record them accordingly in their journals. These observations would then be in turn posted online.

9. Bus deployments

To determine which buses are not the usual deployments (cameos), there is a need to determine which buses are usually assigned to a certain route (deployments). Some enthusiasts maintain an active list of such deployments and changes. However, it should be noted that deployment changes are determined by humans and can change very frequently.

10. Bus lists

A bus list records the basic profile information of any given public bus, such as the chassis VIN, bodywork, and other technical information. Few local enthusiasts maintain such lists, but this practice is more popular overseas.

11. Technical and mechanical

Few enthusiasts may research into the inner workings of buses. How does the turbocharger work? How does the tuning of an automatic transmission affect the performance of the bus? What components make up a complete bus and what roles do each component play? What is the difference between an Ecomat and EcoLife? How are buses engines maintained and overhauled? Technical know-how is complex and takes a lot of time to learn and understand.

12. History research

Some enthusiasts would look at the history of bus transport in Singapore. The scope is diverse, ranging from retired models, defunct companies, historical photographs, historical route arrangements, archived newspaper articles and more. The process can be time consuming depending on the availability of such information.

13. Fantasy companies

Some enthusiasts may create fictional companies with a fictional fleet and fictional routes. In the past they have been published on websites, but social media is now a more preferred option.

14. Route planning

Fictional routes may be undertaken as a standalone activity, with a focus on improving public transport links in Singapore. These proposals may either be proposed on forums or submitted directly to operators and regulators for consideration. This activity has seen increased popularity with the introduction of BSEP that brings along new routes.

15. Bus model collection

Especially popular in Hong Kong, enthusiasts would order and purchase scale bus models for collection. Currently there exists a small local market where these bus models are actively traded online and offline.

16. Paper bus models

A cheaper version of bus model collection, enthusiasts may use an image editing program to design the bus model onscreen. It is then printed out, cut and folded to form a complete paper bus.

17. Bus charters

These are similar to joyriding, only that the bus is rented specially for bus enthusiasts to conduct tours and activities that may be difficult to conduct when the bus is under normal revenue service. These events are increasingly infrequent in Singapore.

Finally…One GOLDEN Rule while conducting these activities

There is only one simple rule you have to follow. It is to practice common sense: Stay safe, conduct your activities in a reasonable manner, and respect the general public, operators, regulators and fellow bus enthusiasts.

If you choose to ignore this one simple rule, you do so at your own peril. You have been warned! Poor practices are frequently reported and extensively documented, and they are widely condemned and criticized by the community.

In any case, the author shall not be responsible for anything that results from your use or misuse of this guide.

Changelog: Information updated as of July 2013.

Quoted from userid granslime