The Bus Uncle

The incident took place on the Route 68x Kowloon Motor Bus heading towards Yuen Long (Which is why one of the Bus Uncle's name involve "68x"). The video clip begins with the middle-aged protagonist, Uncle Bus, responding furiously when a young man sitting behind him taps his shoulder to ask him to lower his voice while talking on the phone. When the young man, who seldom talked back during the long quarrel, expressed reluctance to carry on the discussion, the middle-aged man boomed, Not resolved! Not resolved! Not resolved!, "I face pressure. You face pressure. Why did you provoke me?", which have become instant catch phases in Hong Kong. He also used excessive profanity to insult the young man, but did not express any remorse when the young man told him to "keep my mother out of this argument".

On May 23 2006, a man called Elvis, roughly 25 years old, (mistaken as Alvin or Elvin previously) phoned into a radio talk show on Commercial Radio, who claimed to be the young man who was involved in the argument. [1] (Cantonese)

Two days later, the man who recorded the clip phoned to the radio as well, and identified himself as "John". He claimed that there was a second part yet to be posted online, where Elvis "fought back" by making fun of Bus Uncle with his friend on the phone. He also stated that the reason he recorded the clip was that if the Uncle Bus hit the young man, he could provide the police with evidence.

Some local newspapers pointed out that the behavior of Uncle Bus contravenes the general code of conduct of bus passengers, which constitutes a criminal offence, according to Section 46(1)(n)(ii)^[1] and 57(1)^[2] of Cap 374D of the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations^[3], with a maximum penalty of HKD$3000 and a 6-month imprisonment.

The behavior of Bus Uncle probably also constitutes an offence under Section 17B(2) of the Public Order Ordinance (the section titled "Disorder in public places"), with a maximum penalty of HKD$5000 and 12-months imprisonment.^[4]. It is possible that his behavior also constitutes Criminal Intimidation, which is an offence under Section 24 of the Crimes Ordinance, with a maximum penalty of HKD$2000 and 5 years imprisonment.^[5]

The latter two offences would be the more likely charges he would face (compared to the breach of the Regulation) if he were actually arrested by the police.

The famous quotes of Uncle Bus are now frequently used and mimicked among Hong Kong teenagers during conversations. The new coined slangs also appear on internet forum, posters and radio programmes. Parodies of the video clip have been created, including modified video clips, musical remix, artificial pictures and movie posters. On television, a TVB sports reporter was heard using the slangs while an ATV sitcom episode also imitated the video in an arguement scene. On 28th May 2006, this incident is mentioned in the 6 O'clock News on TVB, highlighting the success of Youtube.com.

To Kit, a Hong Kong-based columnist, has made a commentary about the incident on Commercial Radio. He described the behavior of Uncle Bus as "a noise raping", and said that the incident was the manifestation of the underlying social tension in society, as well as the mindset of a common Chinese person. He criticised Elvis' speechlessness as being too weak, likewise a stereotype of youths in the present Hong Kong. In addition, he noted that the incident implied that harmony in the neighborhood was somehow hindered.

The video clip was once regarded as nonsense by many people, however, this incident was reported by the media internationally through the Associated Press, New York Times, and The Guardian in late May.

1. "Hot! Bus Uncle Revealed!" (大熱! 巴士阿叔效應), Apple Daily, May 19 2006 (Traditional Chinese)
2. Bus Uncle, EastSouthWestNorth, May 24 2006
3. 240萬人次看巴士短片 青年現身　大叔痛罵︰你有壓力 我都有壓力, A22, Society (社會要聞), 尤弘毅, Hong Kong Economic Times, May 24 2006
4. 潮爆「巴士判官」 搞笑版登場, A22, Society (社會要聞), 尤弘毅, Hong Kong Economic Times, May 24 2006
5. "Video of Grumpy Man an Internet Hit", Associated Press, May 25 2006
6. "Grumpy Man Is Internet Hit", CBS News, May 25 2006
7. "Video of Grumpy Man an Internet Hit" Newsvine, May 25 2006
8. "The Cameraman of Bus Uncle Revealed: 'If someone fights, I can give this evidence to the Police' " (巴士阿叔短片攝影師現身:「倘有人動武, 有證據交警方」), Ming Pao, May 26 2006 (Traditional Chinese)
9. "Video of Grumpy Man an Internet Hit", New York Times, May 26 2006
10. "Grumpy man on a bus becomes star of the internet" The Guardian, May 26 2006

• Clip culture
• Internet phenomenon
• HK Golden Forum
• Diu (Cantonese)
• Star Wars kid
• Dog poop girl

• Video Clip: "The Bus Uncle" with English Subtitle
• Music: Uncle Bus "Diu" Rap Remix (Original Song: Dr. Dre's "Bang Bang")
• Music: Uncle Bus "Bamboo Fight" Remix (Original Song: Dr. Dre's "What's the Difference")
• Music: Hotel California in Uncle Bus and Crazy Frog Remix (Featuring William Hung)
• The Bus Uncle, transcript (全城熱播‧巴士阿叔內容之詳盡分析) (Traditional Chinese)
• "Wikia Hong Kong" 香港網絡大典 (Traditional Chinese)
• 「巴士判官」的啟示．一(Traditional Chinese)
• 「巴士判官」的啟示．二(Traditional Chinese)
• 「巴士判官」的啟示．三(Traditional Chinese)