Sep 08 2005
Riding the Bus
I take a commuter bus to work five days a week now. Lately I’ve been thinking about the whole issue of mass transit usage and how our society can place us in class groupings by how we travel for work and leisure. I’m fascinated how mass transit causes a temporary “leveling” of class distinction. Everyone is equal, aside from their clothing. People of all races, religions, and differing socio-economic backgrounds are all together, sharing a ride.
Half way through my bus ride, we stop in a small town in Minnesota and pick up more riders on our way to the Mayo Clinic. The last two days we’ve had every seat full, with 9-18 people standing in the isle for 25 miles. Of course this is all because gasoline prices now hover around $3/gallon in Minnesota. While the vast majority of riders on my bus are women, I’m sure that for some, this is their first brush with public transit since their gradeschool years.
Today, on my 45 mile commute, I thought a lot about workers on many “welfare-to-work” programs who in some cases, bus 50 or more miles to their jobs. I thought of my friend Randy who doesn’t own a car. Most influential however, has been my partner Michael, who encourages me more and more to take public transit more often as a DUTY to the earth, rather than just a cost saving measure.
I guess I’m trying to find a silver lining in our over dependence on oil, and the behavior changes I’m seeing. A big hope of mine is that when/if gas prices go down, that some folks just continue riding the bus, biking, and carpooling. Wouldn’t that be great?…
One Response to “Riding the Bus”
Wow! I did not know that your route has gotten quite popular.
What is the Rochester City Lines planning to do now that they have an overflow on their primary bus from Cannon Falls via Zumbrota? Golden Gate Transit usually has a rule on their “premium” buses that they can only allow 10 standees per bus. Otherws would have to take an alternate bus heading across the bridge or do a transfer in Marin to aleviate the overflow.
You see, there’s no shame in riding the bus!