A Bus Named Louise

Our story takes place in modern-day Panama City, Panama. A curious, rather humerous culture within a culture has developed here. Most big cities have mass transit systems of some sort; San Francisco has it's BART trains, DC and New York have their subways, Atlanta has MARTA a fleet of current design buses. In London, they have developed two notable and unique systems, which will always stay in the memories of every visitor there - the big black taxis, all seemly identical, and the fleet of Red Double-Decker buses.
Well, Panama City has it's own flair with public transportation - the "Diablos Rojos" Buses. It's a unique cultural statement that private individuals in Panama often own the buses in what has become a public service bus system. In other words, the city only controls the actual routes and the licensing of the drivers and road-worthyness of the vehicles. The style of bus is the traditional "school bus" made by Blue Bird. You will see none of the modern high-tech types within the public bus system here. These are the old, big wheeled, high off the pavement snorting diesel variety with the emergency back door for quick exit.

Additionally, owner/drivers compete with one another for popularity within the "bus-riding public" by customizing their "ride" in different ways. Buses are all colors, embellished with a variety of chrome parts added to the hood, scenes and favorite characters painted on the sides and back. Every part of the bus is fair game to become part of the artist's canvas! Favorite sayings, movie stars, pets, girl friends' faces and names can all be part of the theme. Lights can be added at night which make some of the most famous Diablos Rojos look like a pig with sun glasses rumbling through the city. ...And ALL of them rumble! It is the universal Panama bus language to have a blasting exhaust note! Some have chromed exhaust stacks in the rear but ALL have the sound of straight exhaust systems belching diesel smoke into the atmosphere.
Some even have elaborate sound systems inside, others have masts with streamers, or roofs replete with dome skylights and shark fins of plastic. Drivers of the most splendidly decorated buses become celebrities within the culture. Regular commutors will call them by name and brag to their friends that they had a chance to ride with "Jaime" in the decked out bus named "Madeline". What a cultural treat! Believe me, once you experience the buses of Panama, you will never forget them - it's part of the lifestlye. yboggle.com