Why did Seoul bus conductors shout “Orai!” before departure?
In the 1970s and 1980s, bus conductors collected fares and managed boarding. After checking that passengers were aboard, they tapped the bus and called “Orai!” as the signal to leave.
WHERE THE WORD CAME FROM
Seoul’s city magazine traces orai to a Japanese-style rendering of the English phrase “all right.”
WHY IT DISAPPEARED
From 1982, automated stop announcements, bells, doors and self-service fare collection gradually replaced the conductor’s role.
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