A foreign friend stood at the bus stop for 20 minutes. Several buses came, but they say none of them stopped and just drove past. Was the bus broken down? No. My friend just didn't raise a hand. ## The driver can't read your mind At bus stops in Korea, buses from many different routes stop together. So even if someone is standing at the stop, the driver can't tell which number they're waiting for. They might just be resting, too. What would happen if every bus stopped for every person standing there? Even when no one is getting on, the buses would have to keep stopping, which would clog the road and cause delays. ## The Rule That Came From This So a custom developed to announce, "I'm going to take this bus." That signal is raising your hand. It's the same when you get off. If nobody is getting off and nobody is waiting to board, the bus drives past the stop. So the person getting off lets the driver know by pressing the bell. Koreans grow up watching this from a young age, so they raise their hands without even thinking. ## Try it right now First, use a map app (Naver Map, KakaoMap) to check when your bus number is coming. When that bus gets close, raise one hand high. When you want to get off, press the bell next to the seat or on a pole after the next stop announcement plays. It's safer to stand up after the bus has come to a complete stop.