"Red or blue, as long as they help us make a living" — ordinary people shaken between the last and first buses [Recorder of the Low Places]

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\r\n Even after the last bus has stopped running, people remain at the stop. Some are heading home, some are leaving for late-night work, and some are waiting for the first bus to take them to their early-morning jobs.Through the words they shared about one bus, taxi fares, and daily earnings, we looked into the nights and mornings of ordinary people. [The Financial News]  "Without this bus, I couldn't work." That is how the citizens we met at a bus stop in Nowon District, Seoul, from the night of the 23rd to the early hours of the 24th, described the bus. For some, it was the last bus of the night.
For others, it was the first bus to a late-night workplace. At night, people heading home after work waited for the last bus and night buses.
At dawn, those starting early shifts boarded the first bus. It was the same stop, but the circumstances of the passengers changed with the hour.After 11 p. m., people kept checking the arrival board at the stop. As the last regular city bus approached, some ran toward the stop, while others searched again on their phones for night bus routes.Among those heading home were also people on their way to late-night jobs. One man in his 30s, waiting for the night bus, said, "I have a part-time job at night, so for me this is the first bus." For other passengers, it was the bus they took after missing the last one. For him, it was the first ride of the day, taking him to work.
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Around 11 p. m.Around 11 p. m.The driver operating the night bus said that among passengers at this hour, there are many designated drivers, night-shift workers, and people heading out for early-morning jobs. He said, "Many of them live on a schedule opposite to people who work during the day.For them, this bus is the one that starts their day. " A man in his 40s, met at the stop, was on his way to a night shift at a convenience store.He said, "My shift time is fixed, so if I miss the bus, I'm immediately late. " He added, "Taking a taxi is convenient, but I can't do that every time." Looking at the arrival time on the display board, he smiled and said, "I'm glad there is a bus at this hour. " Citizens heading home after working late said much the same.
One man in his 30s said, "I worked overtime today, and if there's a bus when I come out, that's a relief. " He added, "I got through another day.
" For them, the night bus was both a way home and a way to leave a little more money for the next day. After the night bus passed, citizens waited for the first bus At around 5 a.m. on the 24th, at a bus depot in Seoul.Photo by Han Seung-gon. At 5 a.
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" He added, "I'm used to coming out in time for the first bus. " A woman in her 50s who said she was heading to a logistics center in northern Gyeonggi Province could not take her eyes off the display board.
She said, "I have to get to a designated place before I can take the company shuttle. " "If the first bus is late, I keep checking the time because I might miss the next one too." For her, the first bus was both the first ride to her destination and a practical way to keep the day's schedule on track. There was also a citizen returning after an overnight shift.A company worker in his 40s, surnamed Kim, waited for the bus holding a drink he had bought at a convenience store. He said, "When you come out after working all night, other people are heading to work.
" He added, "It's the same morning, but for some it's the end and for others it's the beginning. " "I just hope things are a little easier economically".
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" A man in his 30s on his way to an early shift said, "Even though my body is tired, I hold on because payday comes. " The reason they checked the bus schedule was simple.They wanted to get to work on time and spend less of what they earned on taxi fares. Meanwhile, as the 9th Nationwide Local Elections, to be held on June 3, approached, citizens were not asking for much.One company worker in his 40s said, "Whoever wins, I just hope they help us make a living. " He added, "Jobs matter, and in the end I want people to feel less anxious financially." At around 6 a. m., a bus pulled into the stop and the waiting passengers boarded one by one. Those who had worked through the night headed home, while those who had come out early headed to work.The stop briefly emptied, but soon new people were standing there again, waiting for the next bus. One citizen said, "I hope today passes without anything unusual." He added, "After work, the most comfortable thing is to doze off for a bit on the bus on the way home. " We record the stories of real lives in print.Even if the words are rough, we preserve what we hear on the scene.One company worker in his 40s said, "Whoever wins, I just hope they help us make a living. " He added, "Jobs matter, and in the end I want people to feel less anxious financially.
From alleyways and markets to someone's workplace, the record of an ordinary day that we may have passed by comes to our readers.
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hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter