4 Years with Public Transport

---

INTRODUCTION

Its liberating, its cheap, it is convenient when it is good, then why is it not popular in US? I finally got a driver's license and ended my 4 year relationship with public transport. The feel of swinging onto the train or hopping into the bus and swiping the "pass" makes me feel part of a system, a city, a place. I am one with the veins of the city.
Evidently though more people enjoy driving from one parking lot to another parking lot instead of going from one place to another.

Chapter 1

PITTSBURG

City Profile: Mostly bus service. Many schools offer free passes to all students- the bus can be a good place to catch upon college gossip/news- even faster than facebook. Indispensable for city's international student population. Relevance to the tax paying population is questionable.

Most fun memory: Going to "Giant Eagle" with room-mates by bus #501 and devouring half the groceries on the bus stop itself.

Worst moment: I was trying to get home after pulling yet another all nighter at 7:00 in the morning in January. Walked out without looking at the bus schedule (fatal error). Missed the bus by a whisker and walked all the way home through 1 foot of snow.

Favourite Activity onboard: Admiring the many beautiful homes and churches, looking out for interesting places and shops to visit.

Secondary jobs:Offers good opportunities to the city's pan handlers.

Chapter 2

NEW YORK

City Profile: Bus, Subway lines, Commuter Rail and the Ferry. Each of these represent different kinds of new yorkers. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I dont know the "Bus" type. They are obscure beings who choose to be stuck in traffic instead of zipping around in the subway. The subway is staple and the alphabets names of the train lines (A,C, M, V...) could be part of your identity- "I am an M train girl" or "Are you a 4,5?". The commuter rail brings in people who like the city only during the daytime and on weekdays. For the rest of the time they retreat into their suburban mansions in New Jersey or Long Island. The staten island ferry, the only ferry I have ridden in and out of the ciy is the definition of charm. It is huge and glides over the water for a silky smooth 20 minute ride to sleepy staten island. Would have loved to buy a sandwich on the weekday for lunch and the just ride the ferry to and back. On board the ferry you are treated to a soft warm blanket of sea breeze, unobstructed sky (a rare thing for new yorkers) and a promise that the madness of the city, stays in the city.

Most Fun Memory: I was at the Fulton St. stop of the A,C line after a long day, waiting to get home. Three floors below the street the station platform is abuzz with drum beats and a haunting tune being played on the saxophone. My train came and went, I waited till they finished playing. The music still lingers in my head and I crave for it.

Worst Moment: Falling asleep and missing my stop!

Favorite Activity onboard: "Profiling"- guilty as charged- I did it. I would focus my attention on a random person on board and try to guess where they would get off, based on what they were doing, how they looked, what they were carrying...

There was a homeless person who lived in the 34th street "PATH" station that my husband and I used to keep a tab on. Never saw the face of this person who lay curled up covered in the blanket surrounded by stuff. My husband suspected he/she was a secret agent.

Also the train is a good place to check out the latest fashion and stuff in stores!- "Oh that's a nice scarf she is wearing, wonder where she got it from?"

Secondary Jobs: There are so many that I probably cannot list them here- souvenirs sold off the platforms, budding musicians, artists, con-artists...

Chapter 3

Atlanta

City Profile: Bus and train. Atlanta being another yet another example of urban sprawl in American cities, buses are the city's best bet. MARTA changed over to the feeder system once the train lines came into operation and it said the the ridership has been on a steady decline ever since (DETERMINANTS OF MARTA RIDERSHIP: HOW GAS PRICES, INCOME, AND RACE AFFECT PUBLIC TRANSIT USE IN ATLANTA:Julia Caroline Thayne) . This report here is an interesting read and I would agree to all that it has to say having used the system, both bus and train, for 1 1/2 years. Its as in-efficient as can be. The bus routes are ridiculously long and winding feeding into a train system that has limited reach! My office is 2 miles from my apartment and it took me 40 minutes to go one way by either train or bus. I could walk the distance in 30 minutes! Even while we lived downtown we had limited access to the city. This lead us (my husband and I) into trying the Zipcar- a car sharing service - and we loved it! It was like we had the keys to the world. Super convenient and it was quite economical till we could buy a car.

Fun Memory: Though it was not fun riding MARTA, I did enjoy the chitter, twitter of other passengers in southern accent ya'll. The bus drivers are quite friendly and would ask if I skipped a day at work!

Favorite Activity onboard: Cooking up stories in my head.... to be continued.