For Pham Van Sang, a bus attendant in Ho Chi Minh City, collecting plush toys at claw machines is not simply a hobby, as it also helps revamp his work vehicle into a vivid dreamscape that wows unsuspecting riders.

In the past few months, city bus passengers have become familiar with the sight of multiple brightly-colored plushies adorning the interior of one of the vehicles running on route No. 146.

The novel outlook was all Sang’s idea.

Sang said he first thought of making over the bus after picking up playing claw machines to kill time during the outset of the COVID-19 epidemic in early 2020.

As riders shied away from public transport for fear of infection, Sang had more time off from work, which he used on the claw machines to garner a big collection of plush toys. 

He started glamming up the vehicle with only a few toys, but then slowly added more after seeing enthusiastic responses from passengers. 

Sang keeps on playing claw machines during his break between shifts, then showcases the toy bounties he picked up on the vehicle he works on. 

“Passengers love it," he said.

"They say it livens up the space and helps them relieve stress.

“[The responses] inspired me to play claw machines more.

"It costs me money, but the passengers’ excitement makes up for it.”

Sang sees the bus as his second home.

On good days, he opens lucky draws for passengers, using the ticket numbers to find out who gets free toys.

The discrete decoration never fails to amaze Nguyen Minh Tam, a bus rider in District 1. 

“It feels like a garden of toys, one that brings me back to my childhood and soothes the weariness on my ride home from work," Tam said.

A bus running on route No. 146 in Ho Chi Minh City is embellished with plush toys. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Pham Van Sang, an attendant on bus route No. 146 in Ho Chi Minh City, embellishes a vehicle with plush toys he has collected from playing claw machines. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

A vehicle running on bus route No. 146 in Ho Chi Minh City is embellished with plush toys. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Pham Van Sang works as an attendant on bus route No. 146 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

A passenger on bus route No. 146 in Ho Chi Minh City signals to get off the vehicle by pressing a toy chicken to make it scream. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Minh Tam, a bus passenger in Ho Chi Minh City, revels in the sight of toys that embellish a vehicle running bus route No. 146. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Pham Van Sang, an attendant on bus route No. 146 in Ho Chi Minh City, cleans up a vehicle that he works on. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Pham Van Sang, an attendant on bus route No. 146 in Ho Chi Minh City, cleans up a vehicle that he works on. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Pham Van Sang sits with Pham Ngoc Tuyen, a bus driver, on a vehicle running bus route No. 146 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

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