Suen Chu-hong is at the driver's seat of his minibus. A passenger shouts, 'M'goi, yau lok!' - 'Please, next stop!' in Cantonese. One hand on the steering wheel, Suen raises his other hand in response. The minibus comes to a halt, the door opens and the passenger gets off. Unlike the larger double-deckers where a passenger presses a button to get off at the next station, minibus passengers have to relay their intentions to the driver verbally, and loudly. It is a tradition that goes back to the 1960s, and a way of life for millions in Hong Kong who rely on the minibus daily for short and medium-distance travel. For residents of South Horizons, the number 63 minibus is the quickest and cheapest way to get to Queen Mary Hospital, short of calling an ambulance. Minibuses are also a welcoming sight to party animals, who have to go home to the dense working class neighbourhood of Mong Kok from the clubs and bars of Hong Kong Island after a wild night out.
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