I decided to check into alternate methods of transport based on the fact that I hate driving a measly 12 mile round-trip to work every day. I find it wasteful, but find that there is no better, direct path or bike path or walking path that doesn't add another 5 miles to the commute or so. It's also nice that I no longer spend money on gas during the week to the tune of at least 30 bucks. Keep in mind that my ride is a relatively short one and that I doubt that folks that need to make transfers would have the same opinions or experiences as a result. It is not my intent to make light of bus riding or folks who have no other alternatives. We're all just one misstep away from the bus and it has been a humbling experience as well.
I'd looked at the bus routes before a couple years ago and had a hard time making sense of them, but then again, it didn't really matter because gas was still flowing like water at prices as close to water as we'll ever see them. So I put the schedule aside and went on living my life.
Just the other day, I looked into commute alternatives at work and found that we had a new commute benefit that paid up to 100 bucks a month for van pool or bus rides. Who wouldn't want a 100 dollar tax free incentive to have someone drive them to work? So I applied online and got my pass a month later. I'd ridden it for a couple of weeks before just to try it out and see if it was worth it and it was very doable. I took it all the way downtown one day to see a movie at a local theater and found that it was preferable to driving down there and looking for parking and then hiking it to my location. The bus dropped me off right in the middle of downtown and I was hooked. It was like parachuting out of an airplane right into the thick of things. A simple pleasure, but one that I wish I'd discovered years ago
My stop.
My stop is less than 300 yards from my house so it's a breeze getting to and from the location. I generally only have one other person waiting at that stop when I get there at 8am or so. The bus isn't full either so seats are plentiful. The bus swings down to one of the park and rides where it gets a bit more full and I've seen people having to stand. Another couple of stops after that add a couple more people and then it's pretty much a drop-off situation whereby people start peeling off to their respective stops.
The people.
So far, the morning crowd is pretty well-adjusted and happy for the most part. There are some lively discussions ranging from footwear to the existence of God, but most are sleeping or reading or listening to their various players. I expect the number to rise as school is out of session and the children have started appearing on the bus as of late.
What to do?
I have really started enjoying getting in some reading where I haven't made alot of time to read as of late, I'm burning through books and rediscovering the joy of reading as a result. Supplementing the ride with tunes also helps drown out the more unpleasant sounds of the engine and road-noise.
The process.
I'd considered bringing the bike along, but if the rack is full, which, so far, it hasn't been, you miss the bus and have to wait for the next one. The rack only holds two. I only have a 1 mile walk to work and it just doesn't seem to be the most ideal situation for the bike.
The gear.
I've taken to bringing extra clothes, a book, my phone, my ID and a few bucks in cash do reduce my profile should anything happen or if I somehow forget my backpack or, God-forbid, have it forceably taken from me. My first couple of times I'd worn flip-flops and found that they are not meant for long engagements with the pavement, especially if you're hoofing it to catch the bus on a hot day. It gets a bit dicey. I also have my boomerang just in case. I need to get an umbrella to add to the kit and perhaps a first aid kit and flashlight, a snack and water just in case I get hit by a car and someone doesn't find me in the ditch til 3 days later. I have considered wearing the bike helmet just because it would make for quite the conversation piece when folks noticed I didn't have an accompanying bicycle and because it seems to make people laugh when I tell them about my idea. I can just see it now, "Hey look everybody, helmet guy is on the bus!"
The walk down the road to work.
When you're getting to work about the same time people are driving down the road, you tend to get honked at by those you know. People have gone so far as to stop and ask if I need a ride down the 1 mile to work and although I appreciate the offer, I'd feel guilty if someone plowed into the back of their vehicle while trying to help a friend, so I started walking on the other side of the road whereby only people leaving the complex would see me. On the way home earlier this week, someone saw me walking toward my bus stop at the end of the day and went out of their way to offer to drive me to the stop. I insisted that I was fine and that I enjoyed the walk and that the bus was free. I have to say that I was very touched by the gesture and it really did make my day to know that people still care enough to stop and offer assistance. It seems that people think something is horribly wrong if you're walking to work or taking a bus. You almost feel as if they feel sorry for you. It's going to be very interesting to see if people change their opinion of me after seeing me walking down the street or getting off the bus.
So I get to work and thankfully we have a gym to which I have a membership and I'm able to take a shower during the dog days of summer. I can't wait for winter time! Excellent opportunity to bundle up and enjoy a nice brisk walk to get your blood flowing.
Stay tuned as I bring you my daily experiences on my chauffeured rides to work. I highly recommend it and if you have any way of taking advantage of mass-transit, give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised. If you have any social experiments you'd like me to initiate within reason, let me know and I'll post the results. I plan on chronicling the times I catch the bus and the length of the trip so that I can run some numbers and do some averaging as well for you stat-freaks out there.
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