Singapore's bus enthusiasts: Lab technician nostalgic for non-air-con buses

Laboratory technician Chris Lee misses the old non-air-conditioned buses. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
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SINGAPORE - When a new bus hits the roads, lab technician Chris Lee, 38, has a special ritual: He hops onto a seat at the back of the bus, switches on his voice recorder and listens to the music of the moving vehicle's engine.

"I can recognise the gearbox based on its sound," he says. "The German ZF gearbox produces a whining sound when the gears change. I call it the 'cat howl'.

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