I have been
having a lot of fun with my latest source of transportation. I’ve not had the stress or worry about
driving on icy roads, having another motorist slide into me or getting myself
stuck in the snow. I have a short walk from
my house to the nearest bus stop, a relaxing ride and then another walk to
where I work. Every day I take a different
route from the downtown bus station to work and back simply based on how the
crosswalk signals allow me to go. Every day
is a new walking experience and I love it.
It has also brought back a lot of memories.
This is how our buses used to look back then
When I was in high
school I used to walk down to the bus stop after school and catch a ride to my
dad’s shop so I could ride home with him when he got done working. Often he would be there waiting for me to
help him out on the job site while other times I’d get my homework done while I
waited on him. On days when I didn’t have
homework to do and I knew Dad didn’t need me I’d walk around downtown and do
some shopping, mostly window shopping as I rarely had extra money to spend, but
I found it fun regardless. Then I’d hop
on the bus and away I went.
It is nice not having to drive in this
Bus fare at the
time when I was in high school was only 35¢, now it is $1.50 or you can buy an
all day pass for $2.50 for adults. They
have some less expensive options, especially if you are a child or a senior
citizen or a more regular rider. Nowadays high school students ride for free if
they show their school ID. My own
children took full advantage of that and rode the bus often to get where they
needed to go including work. On one
occasion they missed the school bus and I had already left for work so they
hustled over to catch the city bus which saved their bacon and got them over to
their schools in time for class.
One fun excursion
I took with my youngest daughter, it has been a few years, was to walk to the
bus stop, instead of driving, and ride over to the mall. First we had lunch at Sizzler which was her favorite
restaurant and then we went into the mall and did some shopping, just for fun.
Once we were done we hopped back onto the bus and headed back home. It was simply a change to our everyday norm plus
the time spent together that made it special for us.
I’ve always felt
that teaching my children to use public transportation was an important life
skill for them to have. It is also a
good one for me too. Having an alternate
source of transportation allows me to get out and get things done so I’m less
dependent on my vehicle which gives me a lot of peace of mind in case I have a
breakdown or my truck needs to go in for service and I’m not able to use it for
a few days. Or, as was the case recently,
where we had some terrible road conditions.
By having alternate transportation my life won’t come to a grinding halt. It also frees up some extra cash that
otherwise would be going into the gas tank and the extra exercise I’m getting
these days doesn’t hurt either.
I loved riding the bus when we lived in family housing on a university campus! I only drove our car maybe once a week for big grocery shops.
ReplyDeleteI am very much enjoying it. :o)
DeleteI remember riding those old buses in my youth too. Seems so long ago.
ReplyDeletebarb
The newer buses are much nicer and no diesel fumes. ;)
DeleteI used the bus when I was working while in school and when I lived & worked in the city. While I would like to ride the bus now it rarely goes near where I need to be. The suburban busses go to the shopping centers and commuter train stations and the local community college. The places I go aren't on those routes. Plus my schedule is too tight and often erratic to allow for the time that a bus ride usually includes (waiting/walking to the destination). A bus made sense when I worked because I had a set schedule.
ReplyDeleteI think it's delightful you can use a bus and find it actually adds to you day's experience. I'm not one who really enjoys driving. I would love to have someone else do it but that's not an option for me right now.
margaret
It is very nice to have the option. :o)
DeleteI wish bus service would expand. I have a 1.5mile walk to the nearest stop and a bus change downtown to get anywhere I need to go even places just 2 miles away. I don't walk with heavy bags. I'm saving my shoulders and back for the decades I hope are in front of me. I will walk 2miles each way if I'm not packing weight. Boise needs to catch up!
ReplyDeleteThey used to come within 6 blocks which is easy. Not enough ridership from here :-(
DeleteI think most people prefer to drive. However, things change and VRT is working to make improvements.
DeletePublic transportation is so important to a good, independent life! I keep telling DH we need to retire to a nice urban area with a good bus system. Being car-dependent is NOT ideal!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right Sue. So many of my seniors come to the center using the bus. We often ride together. :)
DeleteI wish our small town had public transportation. It's such a great thing! I'm so glad you can take advantage of this!
ReplyDeleteMe too! :o)
DeleteI used to enjoy riding the bus. Recently they took away our bus stop to get to the shops and it is rural back where I am with no good sidewalks to walk and a narrow bridge to cross, along with cars. It’s not that far, just dangerous walking conditions.
ReplyDeletePlus there are always interesting people on the bus.
I'm sorry to hear about that. Yes, definitely you meet some interesting people. ;)
Delete