Using the Public Transport in Kuala Lumpur...

I had to attend a meeting on Sunday December 2, a very important one at the IOI Mall at Puchong. The mall is on the other side of the world as far as I am concerned. To get there either I drive using the MRR2 and then the Subang Jaya Highway or take the public transport. I check the route on Google and found it just a straightforward drive but knowing KL traffic and with the raining season I thought it is best that I find an alternative way to get there. I then call a Blogger friend Lily Fu who to me is an expert in getting around the city using the Public transport system. She say she has not been there but advise me to check the Rapid KL portal where according to her give detail information of how to get around the city and its suburbs with ease and cheaper too. I check the site MyRapid and found wealth of information there so after thinking over it I decided to go to the meeting using the LRT and the Rapid bus. I told my spouse that I am not driving to that place since I would get depressed if there is a traffic jam. Moreover I am not that familiar with the place and it would be a nightmare.

So on that beautiful Sunday morning at about eleven in the morning I  decided to drive to the KLCC car park and park my car there then take the LRT from there. Just as I was about to drive out of the garage my daughter Lin arrived at the house. I then ask her whether she could send me to the nearest LRT station. She says yes. I re parked my car in the garage and after a while she sends me to the Datuk Keramat LRT station. I board the train there and try to find a seat. Then a youth stood up and I sat down making myself comfortable on that long stretch of ride. I took my cellphone and snap a few shots of the scene as the train move toward the inner city. On the left is a scene I snap from the moving train as it passes the Elevated Express-way. I look at the youth who was sitting near me and he told me that his leg is broken after a fall. I believe he start talking about his leg because he felt guilty sitting on a bench reserved for senior citizens. We continue to talk as the train move. He told me that he is a pilot in the Air Force and was training using the Russian Jet Fighter and did a few jumps from another plane and in one jump he broke his leg. We chat on various subjects and I ask him why he did not want to further his study but as usual he has his reasons. Since my train stop at the last station I did not worry of missing my stop and kept on chatting with this youth until he left when the train stop at his destination. Then I talk to another young man who introduce himself as from Acheh, Indonesia and is going to work at Kelana Jaya. In the conversation he told me that it is easy to make money here as well to acquire knowledge and skill especially in the construction industries. He wanted to learn as much skill before going back to Acheh to work there. We parted when the train reach the Kelana Jaya station.

I then when out of the station and look for a transport to get me to the IOI Mall at Puchong. I saw some taxi and ask. The driver says that it cost RM25.00 to take me to the Mall and that he would pay the toll as well. I decided to try another taxi but to no avail. So I decided to just take the bus as suggested by the Rapid KL portal.  I ask for information from a person in uniform and he told me just to wait pointing to a waiting area for the relevant bus which has yet to arrive. The arrival of buses is shown on the electronic board nearby. I have check at the portal as to the number of the bus [Bus Number U43] and wait there and in less than a minute the bus arrived. After the passengers had descended I went to ask the driver if the bus stop at the IOI Mall. He says yes and I boarded it and ask him the cost of the ticket. He says it is RM1.00. I then give him the money and move to take a sit but he say to hold on and take a receipt. I thank him and ask him to let me know when I reach my destination and then I took my sit and enjoy the trip. The bus was air-condition and comfortable just like the couch that ply cities all over the country. I have not been to this part of the city before and take my time to enjoy the scenery along the road. The road was not that busy since it was just before noon on a Sunday. I saw many new buildings and new construction in progress. In less than ten minutes the bus stop at my destination as indicated by the driver. He told me that the IOI Mall is on the other side of the road. I took a slow walk and ask a few youth of how to get there. Taking the overhead-bridge I got across to the other side and then walk to the front of the Mall at the Starbucks store. As I was walking I got an SMS from Maznah telling me that she is in the vicinity too. I replied saying that I am at the Starbucks.  Then Col.Yap the chairman of the Owner association of the resort arrives and we move in to find a place to sit and ordered some refreshment. As we sat to chat Maznah and another committee member Nizam came in and took their sit and later on Jeff arrived too. I ask everyone to give a ride back to the Kelana Jaya LRT station after the meeting and because most want to go back early I settled for Jeff to take me there since he had plenty of time to go for lunch with Col. Yap and me.  By 2PM the complex were crowded with folks shopping and even parking became difficult. I am glad that I did not drive for it save me getting into that Sunday nightmare at such a big shopping complex. With that I was able to move around freely and enjoy myself with friends here. Jeff gives me a lift in his Mercedes to the Kelana Jaya LRT station around 3.45PM. I then took the LRT to the Jelatek Station.

I am glad that I check the Rapid KL portal as suggested by my friend Lily Fu. With the information I got it makes it easy to get from one place to another without getting cheated like by the taxi I tried to get at the station. I would not take a taxi to anywhere when the driver did not want to use the Meter. I always give a tip to the taxi driver when I arrived at my destination but not this kind of daylight robbery. Had I not done my homework of how to get from point A to B I would not been able to have an enjoyable trip there. In this case the ride both on the LRT and the Bus was great. I got to my destination in good time and learn that the public transport system in Kuala Lumpur and its vicinity is as good as that in other countries. It was raining and had I drive it would be a depressing trip all the way. The ride on the LRT helps to get me to and fro my destination with ease and in good-time. I end my journey at the Jelatek station, the nearest station to get home. I then took a taxi that used the meter for the last part of my journey home. On arrival at my home in Ampang Jaya the meter read RM6.50. I give the driver RM10.00 and told him to keep the change. I am happy and I believe so is that driver. It does make my day; a colourful day indeed.

Have a nice day.