Fun ride

The language barrier is still a challenge for locals and tourists in Japan. One recent incident in Kyoto showed this.

A foreign couple hopped on a bus that had just dropped off all its passengers at the Kyoto Station in Shimogyo Ward at 5:10 p.m. on 7 June. The Japanese driver failed to notice the two passengers who had entered through the back door despite the “out of service” sign and he drove off to the terminal to sign off from duty.

As the driver drove the two passengers noticed the bus sign. They asked the driver to stop so they could get off.

The driver ignored the pair and continued driving which caused the foreigners to get nervous. They called police who spoke to the driver on his phone.

The bus stopped after four kilometers, in Ukyo Ward, and the driver opened the door. The foreigners then got off ending their 20-minute ordeal.

The Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau told Asahi Shimbun the driver did not understand the passengers so he did not respond to them but continued driving to the bus terminal.

In contrast to the hairy experience of the Kyoto bus passengers, the passengers of Uber driver Linda Swann Fox, 63, enjoy more than a comfortable and safe trip.

The Tampa, Florida resident is in demand with a 5-star Uber rating for her unique service.

Fox has ready “microphones, glasses, a Michael Jackson glove, all different kinds of props, and instruments like a cowbell and tambourine,” New York Post reports. On the backseat of the car is a tablet on which customers can pick a song from a Spotify playlist and display its lyrics.

As Fox drives passengers to their destination, the car turns into a videoke booth. They can sing with Fox providing back-up vocals.

Fox’s 2023 post on her TikTok account LyricswithLinda shows her belting out her favorite, “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” by C+C Music Factory together with her passengers. The post went viral with 17 million views and made her famous.