Comments on: Laughing at public transportation http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/ Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:20:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Frugal Vet Tech http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/comment-page-1/#comment-38671 Frugal Vet Tech Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:03:53 +0000 http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/#comment-38671 We have multiple bus lines/routes right out our front door, but my husband and I don't ride the bus. Why? Mainly because it takes too long. It would take me two hours to get to work if I rode the bus. I can drive it in 25 minutes. Similar story for my husband: it would take him an hour and forty-five minutes to two hours to get to work. He can drive to work in 30 minutes. (Before reading this article, I didn't think the buses ran to where I needed to go or at times husband and I needed to use them. I've at least learned that they do now!) We're looking at moving to a place three miles from husband's work. A bus trip to work would still take him 30 minutes. Moving closer to work doesn't always make it easier or more convenient to use public transportation. Then there are those of us who really can't stand living in the city and need open spaces....(but that's a whole 'nother topic!). Husband and I both like the idea of using public transportation, but around here, it just takes so much time. If Husband rode the bus to work every night, we wouldn't see each other three to five days a week! We'll keep driving our cars if it means we get to see each other sometimes. I wish the bus routes were quicker here, but they just aren't... We have multiple bus lines/routes right out our front door, but my husband and I don’t ride the bus. Why? Mainly because it takes too long. It would take me two hours to get to work if I rode the bus. I can drive it in 25 minutes. Similar story for my husband: it would take him an hour and forty-five minutes to two hours to get to work. He can drive to work in 30 minutes. (Before reading this article, I didn’t think the buses ran to where I needed to go or at times husband and I needed to use them. I’ve at least learned that they do now!)

We’re looking at moving to a place three miles from husband’s work. A bus trip to work would still take him 30 minutes. Moving closer to work doesn’t always make it easier or more convenient to use public transportation. Then there are those of us who really can’t stand living in the city and need open spaces….(but that’s a whole ‘nother topic!).

Husband and I both like the idea of using public transportation, but around here, it just takes so much time. If Husband rode the bus to work every night, we wouldn’t see each other three to five days a week! We’ll keep driving our cars if it means we get to see each other sometimes. I wish the bus routes were quicker here, but they just aren’t…

]]> By: Mrs. Micah http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/comment-page-1/#comment-38654 Mrs. Micah Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:17:05 +0000 http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/#comment-38654 That's an interesting point. We lived near the bus line where I grew up, but we didn't feel that it was worth our while to use it much. Going somewhere by car took a lot less time. Maybe we wanted to help the environment or save money on gas, but even more than that we wanted convenience. It wasn't that we didn't want the former, I think, but we wanted the latter more. Even now, I still have to decide whether to take the bus home from the metro or call my husband for a lift. I'd like to say that the bus wins every time...but some days I can't stomach standing at the bus stop for half an hour. Convenience wins... That’s an interesting point. We lived near the bus line where I grew up, but we didn’t feel that it was worth our while to use it much. Going somewhere by car took a lot less time.

Maybe we wanted to help the environment or save money on gas, but even more than that we wanted convenience. It wasn’t that we didn’t want the former, I think, but we wanted the latter more. Even now, I still have to decide whether to take the bus home from the metro or call my husband for a lift. I’d like to say that the bus wins every time…but some days I can’t stomach standing at the bus stop for half an hour. Convenience wins…

]]> By: Annabelle http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/comment-page-1/#comment-38648 Annabelle Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:19:07 +0000 http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/#comment-38648 Oh, one more story ... A few months back, I missed my regular bus and took the later one. It was the friendliest bunch of people and very respectful to each other and the driver. The passengers were very proud of their friend on the bus. They said "She got her degree on the COTA bus." Meaning, that's where she studied and did her reports. What a great testament to public transportation! Oh, one more story …

A few months back, I missed my regular bus and took the later one.

It was the friendliest bunch of people and very respectful to each other and the driver.

The passengers were very proud of their friend on the bus. They said “She got her degree on the COTA bus.” Meaning, that’s where she studied and did her reports.

What a great testament to public transportation!

]]> By: Annabelle http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/comment-page-1/#comment-38647 Annabelle Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:15:19 +0000 http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/#comment-38647 As a kid, we took the bus everywhere and didn't think less of ourselves. We had a choice to drive or take the bus, but the bus was cheaper and we didn't have to argue with mom about why we needed the car. Now I see commuters from the suburbs on buses reading newspapers, conducting business, writing reports, and working on laptops. Work can get done on a bus. It can be very efficient and affordable. As a kid, we took the bus everywhere and didn’t think less of ourselves. We had a choice to drive or take the bus, but the bus was cheaper and we didn’t have to argue with mom about why we needed the car.

Now I see commuters from the suburbs on buses reading newspapers, conducting business, writing reports, and working on laptops.

Work can get done on a bus.

It can be very efficient and affordable.

]]> By: bluntmoney http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/comment-page-1/#comment-38622 bluntmoney Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:49:30 +0000 http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/#comment-38622 NCN, I can see where gas prices could really have a negative effect in that area. But the same point applies -- people aren't forced to live there. We all have trade offs. Even ride sharing is a plus, and something a lot of people don't consider or write off as being untenable. NCN, I can see where gas prices could really have a negative effect in that area. But the same point applies — people aren’t forced to live there. We all have trade offs. Even ride sharing is a plus, and something a lot of people don’t consider or write off as being untenable.

]]> By: NCN http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/comment-page-1/#comment-38605 NCN Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:23:12 +0000 http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/#comment-38605 We live in a very rural area... There isn't a bus route within 75 miles. I haven't even ridden in a bus since the fifth grade. For folks like us, a decent alternative is one of those 'ride share' places, where you park your car and then carpool. Most people work fifteen to thirty miles from where they live (in one of three small cites that surround us)... gas prices are just crushing some of them. NCN We live in a very rural area…
There isn’t a bus route within 75 miles. I haven’t even ridden in a bus since the fifth grade. For folks like us, a decent alternative is one of those ‘ride share’ places, where you park your car and then carpool. Most people work fifteen to thirty miles from where they live (in one of three small cites that surround us)… gas prices are just crushing some of them.
NCN

]]> By: Tread http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/comment-page-1/#comment-38556 Tread Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:46:12 +0000 http://www.bluntmoney.com/laughing-at-public-transportation/#comment-38556 When Darling and I were apartment hunting after moving to Texas from Virginia, we told leasing consultant that we needed a house as close to downtown as possible and on a good bus route in order to get jobs. "But you don't even know where you'll be working yet," she whined, pointing out the many nice, cheap homes outside the commercial district. She had an extremely hard time understanding that where we lived would determine where we would be job hunting. Of course she found us a great place, on a great bus route, a ten-minute bus ride from downtown after only a few minutes of looking. Finding an even better apartment a year later was a breeze. Complaining about gas prices, yet refusing to research alternative travel, employment, housing, or other lifestyle choices is like throwing gasoline on a fire because the you're not sure where the hose is. When Darling and I were apartment hunting after moving to Texas from Virginia, we told leasing consultant that we needed a house as close to downtown as possible and on a good bus route in order to get jobs. “But you don’t even know where you’ll be working yet,” she whined, pointing out the many nice, cheap homes outside the commercial district. She had an extremely hard time understanding that where we lived would determine where we would be job hunting. Of course she found us a great place, on a great bus route, a ten-minute bus ride from downtown after only a few minutes of looking. Finding an even better apartment a year later was a breeze.

Complaining about gas prices, yet refusing to research alternative travel, employment, housing, or other lifestyle choices is like throwing gasoline on a fire because the you’re not sure where the hose is.

]]>