The Joys of Adolescence

This week provided for some excitement on route 16. I took an earlier bus home one day this week and to my surprise was a host to not one, but two public school stops for the day. Usually by the time I get on the bus all of the middle and high school students are home and on to their next activities. Well on this special day I was able to re-live the years of adolescence vicariously through these individuals. In the end, Im glad it was short because the nostalgia wore off when two boys started fighting mid-way through the ride. Not only was it complete pandemonium at this point but the driver still had to operate the bus and worry about the other ninety-seven percent of the riders, not to mention those not in seats due to the suspense of the fight taking place or because at that very moment, there were no seats available. The fight ended quickly and one group of boys was ushered off the bus; though they would continue this, according to the rest of the eager riders, at the next stop. Lucky for me my stop was next and I did not to stay for the next scene to unfold.

Nathan, student

One month down

Some things I have learned:

 

If you are a bus, you can be early or late.

If you are a bus rider, you must be early.

 

Standing out in the wind and rain when a bus is over half an hour late is a very long time……..

 

If you are a bus, your schedule is subject to change every 4 months.

If you are a bus rider, you must be alert to these changes and change your home/work schedule and notify your supervisor every 4 months.

 

If you are a bus, and it is Monday, and it is Presidents’ Day or Memorial Day, it is really Saturday or Sunday (respectively).

If you are a bus rider you stranded and there is no bus phone service.  Hopefully, you have read the “the bus stops here” or some kind person has alerted you to this oddity.

 

If you work for a large company or even a big university, your bus pass can cost as little as $72.00 annually. This is quite a break for them compared to the $54.00 a month charged to the average Joe or Jill.

 

Some thoughts:

 

Seems as if we have the chicken or the egg problem here.  The bus routes do not cross each other enough to be truly efficient for the intercity commuter. 

 

For instance, I am 15 minutes, by car, away from home/work.  If I took the bus only, my trip would take 1.25 hours, with one or two transfers depending.

 

The bus schedule appears to be built around the schedules of students (schools) and any workers that do not have to work national/bank holidays. 

 

If the goal is to encourage ridership, the powers that be have to find a way to be there for all of us.

 

I have had occasion to use the bus system in Oakland, Ca. and in Seattle.  The crisscross grid is amazing and the buses are packed.

 

I am concerned that if I commit to this mode of transportation, I will find that the summer bus schedule will be Saturday or Sunday every day and I will be marooned.

 

Barb, Staff

 

Another crazy bus weekend!

I visited some friends up at the University in Seattle over the weekend, and we sure had some fun bus times.

Since my friends are students, they used their U-Pass to ride the bus, and I was always jealous of them but now I have one too, thanks to this project. It was quite a treat.

But on Thursday, I rode the bus to run some errands with a friend. She is a lot more social than I am, and on the trip we met a couple new people. One she offered candy to [he declined] and other conversed about television and manga with her. The bus ride and day adventure gave us a lot more time to get to know each other than we normally would have. Even though the wind was cold, the trip was worth the hardship. It still sometimes surprises me to see so many young people [high schoolers] riding the bus because I never did.

Back to the weekend; there was only one time we got lost, and decided to just head back to their dorm. We didn't know how to get to Capitol Hill [which is not very far from campus, but we didn't know how far or in what direction]. The map on the bus stops were not helpful and only said a handful of buses go through that route, when later I saw the 49 goes through Capitol Hill! But we did go to the international district and West Lake Center.

The Tacoma-Seattle and Seattle-Tacoma buses are quite handy, and really do not take much more time than if one were to drive.

Amy, Student

Back from Texas

In my last posting (or is it blogging?) a week ago, I said that because I’d be leaving the following morning for a conference in Dallas, there would be little to comment on. But I’d fully expected in my mind, that the following week would be different. Then I’d be able to report how miserable the Dallas-Ft Worth public transport system was, especially when compared to what we enjoy in the Puget Sound area. Never having been to that part of Texas, this somber expectation had been created by descriptions of a colleague who had recently returned from there. Terrible, she reported, no one uses it or knows about it, or expects it to run on a schedule. Yes, I discovered, there is a serious disconnect in signage at the airport for those wanting to use public transportation. But once you get by that problem (contact me for information), the transport system works. The double-decked trains between Dallas and Ft Worth, the light rail trains and buses in those cities look newly minted, are clean and well patronized, just as good as in any well run transport system, like ours. So the message of this blog is not that we are so much better than Dallas-Fort Worth, but as good. Actually we’re probably better, but that assessment would have taken a longer stay down Texas way.

Wallace, Faculty

No complaints

Last weekend, I was greeted with sunny skies and decided it would be a great day to head down to Point Defiance with some friends. We all piled in a bus, along with my trusty bus pass, and headed down. We stopped at the Antique Sandwich Shop and had lunch, and later took photos on the shore. It was a great time, and the bus made it all possible. The bus ran on time, and it was a very positive experience. No complaints.

Jack, student

Where everybody knows your name

Hopping on the 16 to and from downtown this past month, I've notice
that there is this community on the bus. There is a familiar rhythm
of who is driving the bus, who sits where, who gets on at what stop,
who gets off. There will be daily fluctuations of course, but the
feeling of familiarity never went away. The bus became comfortable
because of the commonality between the commuters. Thank you for the
opportunity of free public transportation!

Micaela, Student

bus trip blog

I took the 51 Bus from just outside of campus to the Tacoma Mall Transit Center - I had so many errands to run! The bus picked me up right on time and I chose a spot in the back but right next to the window to enjoy the sunlight that's been in town. The bus was about halfway crowded but there was a feeling of happiness in the air that was intoxicating for everyone, probably a result of the sunlight that's been casting its waves over Tacoma.

Nothing particularly special happened on my lunch time trip to the mall, except that it was busy and a lady who had just gotten pictures taken at the mall struck a conversation with me over the overall attraction of the pictures. She was nice and told me about her 6 year old daughter.

Jennifer, student

Is it a Bus or a Garbage Truck?

I have never had trouble distinguishing a bus from a garbage truck until I walking between bus stops at twilight looking back down the street for about 3 blocks and had to determine if the large greenish vehicle at the stop light with the running lights above the windshield was a bus a little ahead of schedule (so run to the next bus stop) or a garbage truck making its rounds (so continue sauntering to the next bus stop). Because I could not see the bus route number, I decided it was a garbage truck only to watch the garbage truck drive by followed immediately by my bus.

It was a good day for a walk.

Brad, Staff

18 Minutes to Heaven

Sunday Morning: Sun shining. Dewey leaves.  Oh my god, this day is amazing!  Point D is the place, my calling.  It only took 18 minutes to get there and I pretty much napped all the way.  Sometimes I think I am narcoleptic, but that's besides the point.   The point is this was an amazing day and it had to be spent outside.  I ran for an hour and half through a multitude of scenes.  I could run like a crab with the waves lapping at my feet or like an Asian Daniel Day Lewis in Last of the Mahicans through the woods.  Everything felt so simplistic.  My skin only felt the rush of cool air with notes of the salty sea.  My eyes were tantalized with the sun shining through the canopy leaves of the tree.  My ears only heard the pattering of my feet and birds chirping.  I found pure bliss in virtually nothing.  I spent another half hour indulging in my biology nerd personality.  I wandered about practicing for a bio lab quiz by identifying the vast varieties of life all around me.  I reluctantly boarded the bus and enjoyed the glow of pink light passing through my closed eyelids as I dozed on the short ride back to campus.  I really, really, really am enjoying the advantages of a free bus pass this week.

Mei-Lani, Student

Sinking in apathy?

I love to people watch and it just so happens to be that buses are one great place to people watch.  My friends and I, in need of some off campus chill time, headed on down to the Mad Hatter Tea Company downtown.  It's right by the 10th and Commerce transfer station. Full of tea samples and interesting people, it's a great way to relax, but still try to pull of the oh so intellectual college student appearance.  Anyways, our bus ride downtown was pretty thought provoking.  Everyone seemed jazzed up about Hilary Clinton's visit.  My friends and I first sat quietly and pointed out places we always wanted to go.  Then an elderly guy began an intensive interview amongst the three of us on our political stances.  He didn't seem to care so much about what we said, but rather how we said it.  He wanted drive, ambition, passion.  He wanted emotions of rage or joy to reverberate with our voices.  Yet, I didn't feel it and now I wonder how much I feel about anything?  Where are my wild protests of the 1960s college students?  Where's my passion?

Mei-Lani, Student

A Surprise in Every Bus

After months of pleading, my sister finally came to visit me at school.  She only stayed overnight and her train got in pretty late.  For the first time, I used my bus pass to get to the Amtrak station.  Her train got in a few minutes after my lab got out and the excitement and small time gap forced me to sprint to 21st and Lawrence.  I hopped on the bus, both weary and excited.  My sister has a generally negative opinion of Tacoma and thinking of this I felt a little pessimistic as the bus headed through the paved streets into the bleak night.  From previous rides from Seattle I knew the Amtrak station was close to the Tacoma Dome transfer station, but I wasn't quite sure where to head. I asked the bus driver and he gave me the most thorough instructions I have ever received for walking half a block.  The enthusiasm in his voice put a little more pep in my step and the conversation carried on to Ol' Jim, the bus driver in the bus next to us.  Ol'Jim, apparently, is one fantastic guy.  The two of them shoot pool every night after work to blow some steam.  I was really surprised at the driver's contagious joy.  I'd be exhausted and cranky after driving people around all day, but this driver was open and friendly.  I never thought, until that ride, that a bus ride would cheer me up.

Mei-Lani, Student

No thanks, I have a ride!

The beauty of having a bus pass is the unlimited amount of rides you can take! Previously, I always bought coffee in the morning, purely for the extra benefit of receiving change back so I had exactly $1.50 to ride the bus for most of my trip. And even though I had that $1.50 and I could ask the driver for a transfer, I had to keep in mind just how much I was going to spend. I always had to debate whether or not I would try to walk in an effort to save money, or if I REALLY needed to get somewhere on time, I would have to fish around in my backpack for another nickel or dime.

And even if I caught a ride from a friend, I love riding the bus. Not just for the convenience, I love riding the bus for the few minutes out of my day that I’m not in the UPS bubble. The bus takes me into the “outside world” that includes Proctor, Safeway, Pt. Defiance, Old Town and so many other wonderful places for a curious college student.

Courtney, student

The Bike/Bus Connection

Although this is my second year working downtown and advocating alternative transportation, I must admit the bike racks on the front of the buses still worry me.  This fear of the racks coupled with my unwillingness to pay the $1.50 fare has kept me from the buses for far too long.  Biking to work has always been a great way to start my day and since I start work at odd hours, the traffic's not too bad.  Coming home is much less exciting...trying to combat rush hour traffic uphill the entire way is not my favorite way to end my day.  So today I faced my fears and placed my bike on the rack. Despite my apprehension, it did not fall off and get run over and although the entire bus got to see me awkwardly trying to fit my bike in the rack, the bus driver was very helpful and the bus pass made getting on go nice and smoothly.  While my fears may not be completely overcome, I'm sure that with practice I'll become a bike rack pro.

Liz, Student

First Week

This is my first entry and I must admit I have been a little delinquent in participating so far. I have recently returned from a semester abroad and was excited to hear about the prospect of increasing public transportation at the university. It is uncanny how efficient the transportation system is abroad and I think this, coupled with Sound Transit and their efforts, is a great first step. Upon my return to campus I have moved a good distance from campus (University Place) so this will be a huge saving for me this semester. So far everything is going good. I am still getting used to it all as the nearest stop is pretty far away, but I am still figuring out alternate routes. No exciting stories so far. I am sure there will be plenty to come in the upcoming semester though.

Nathan, student

We Are Not Alone

Monday, February 18

There won’t be much to comment on this week, since from tomorrow I’ll be in Texas for a conference. Today being President’s Day, the morning buses were fuller with riders than usual, as has always been the case during all my years commuting. In a way, it’s an affirmation for us bus riders that we at UPS are not alone, but part of a larger community of no-day-off working stiffs, rather than just ivied ivory tower elitists.

Wallace, staff

Lost with Lace-less Shoes

I had some excitement yesterday. I had the pleasure of getting lost taking the 592 instead of the 590 or 594. I saw the sign “Lakewood” and thought that was close enough. Before, I would never take this kind of risk.
By 6:00 pm at the 512 station, all was dark on the western front. I could feel myself getting tense. The station was set up like two orange slices parallel to each other. I walked back and forth between these two slices, looking for a ride back to 10th and Commerce. I accosted a black man who told me where I was: the 512. We both ran to the 574 to see if it could get us back to Tacoma, but the driver sternly told us to wait for the 594 that was sitting humming waiting for the 6:30 time slot. This was exciting. I had never been this far south by myself. I always like to walk streets or bus because I get to know the people better. If you’re driving, you can’t stare out the window and observe the going’s on.
After I got back on track back to the UPS bubble, I had a nice talk with a man about the University Way in the 1950’s. The conversation burst out from him when he verbally admired my shoes. He was curious about sneakers because I’m lace-less. I described to him what the clerk told me when I got my shoes, that most customers described feeling like butter after wearing them. I emphasized butter for his own sake in a purring-like voice. I think he enjoyed hearing that. I also told him that I got my Pumas on the Ave. The conversations changed into how much the Ave has deteriorated. He went to the UW back in the late 1950’s before there was malls, “Everyone went to the Ave.” These kinds of spontaneous conversations are invigorating when we go through our lives being selfish in our pursuits.

Todd, student

bus

I take the #55 bus from my house to the Tacoma Mall then switch to the #51 which drops me off right next to the stadium. The ease and effectiveness of this transportation is well worth the time and effort.

Brian, Student

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Holidays are Slow days

So, apparently Monday was a holiday, President's Day, but I don't think UPS got the memo. We had school of course, and I didn't realize that the buses were on holiday schedule until my bus was 30 min late. Luckily it was a beautiful day outside so I got to enjoy the weather.

Pierce Transit just changed the 16 schedule so now my connection from the 594 to the 16 is always good; I dont need to go running after it anymore.

This Seattle pass will save me $200 this semester, which is mucho dinero for a pobre estudiante like me. That's $200 extra spending money, UPS, and the nightclubs in Seattle thank you.

Random Fact: It's possible to go from Tacoma to Bellingham on public buses alone. Of course, it takes like 5 hours. I was gonna use them to go to Bellingham Airport and use Skybus, the super-cheap airline that lets you go to New York for like $20, but then they stopped servicing Bellingham.

Daniel, pobre estudiante

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Nice Gesture

I’ve been riding Pierce Transit for over 25 years and I love it!  It’s so convenient!  I am extremely jazzed about this opportunity provided by the Transportation Task Force!  Last week my bus downtown was running a tad late, so I prayed that the “16” leaving downtown hadn’t left yet.  Well, to my surprise, the 16 was about to take off, then it stopped.  With coffee in hand and desperation in my eyes, I hustled across the street and was delighted that the driver hadn’t left.  When I got on the bus, I told the driver, I was so glad she was still there and she said, “Oh, I saw you and I know you catch this bus, so I waited.  Membership has its perks!

 

 

Cassandra, staff

 

 

lessons

This entry I sent over the weekend was also lost...so here goes again.

There's not much news; no particularly interesting experiences. I’ve just been really grateful to have the bus pass, which makes my thrice-weekly commute downtown to work much easier and worthwhile. The past couple of weeks have not yielded any particular experiences, but I’ve often been frustrated and checking myself for those feelings. There’s frustration with drivers who are cranky or who hit the brakes a little too roughly, jarring the passengers. I shouldn’t complain; it’s an important job they do, and not one I would take. I love talking to strangers, but sometimes I want to zone out and have my own space. We’ve all been there, but what’s wrong with a little connection? There are the annoyances of delays, taking the form of slow-moving cars/passengers and red lights. I have to be careful of my impatience; we’ll all get there at the same time, and I shouldn’t be angry for a few more minutes to be alone with my thoughts. Maybe it’s trite, but there’s a lot to be learned from riding the bus.

Jennifer, Student

First time user

I wrote an entry over the weekend, but it was swallowed in the internet somewhere.

I got my pass last Wednesday and have used it a few times already, and am about half an hour from other ride.  I first took it to the Wheelock Library a few blocks away.  It is quite embarrassing because it is quite close by anything but walking, but I wanted to test the card out, and will use it for the same purpose today.  That was the biggest news from that ride; the small bit of embarrassment of being the last one on and the first one out since there are only a couple stops inbetween.

I did ride the bus to Olympia on Friday [first down to the terminal then to Olympia], and that was more eventful.  I met this high school girl going to meet a guy in Olympia to drive down the Portland.  I did worry about her, but haven't seen anything worrisome in the news.  I also got a little carsick because I was reading during the ride, bad idea. 

Looking around the bus, it was full of people I wouldn't ordinarily see on campus, and it was much cheaper than having my parents pick me up from home and take me back.

Seattle Adventure

When my friends and I heard that Obama was going to speak in Seattle, there was no question of whether or not to go. The only problem was no one had a car and parking would be a nightmare. It seemed that the bus to Seattle was the perfect solution. I went onto piercetransit.org and planned out my trip from the University all the way to Key Area in Seattle. Everything went smoothly until we walked out of Key Area to find the bus back. I looked at my itinerary and suddenly realized that I had mixed up a.m. and p.m. when planning my trip. My schedule was planned for 2:30 a.m. on obscure bus routes that I had never heard of. But we had to get home. We followed the flow of people to the bus stops, asked the locals for directions, and somehow ended up in downtown Seattle. By then, of course, it had started to rain and we hadn't eaten in about 8 hours. After calling home for directions that proved unhelpful, my friend and I decided to use our heads and figure out a way home. The one place I knew in Seattle was King's Station so using our map-reading skills, we planned out a route to King's Station. Two hours after leaving Key Area, we arrived wet, hungry, but very proud at King's Station. We had made it!


Kayla, Student

Rolling late

Late…late…late…pushed it just a little too far this morning…. Lingered too long over that morning paper… one too many hugs for the four year old urchin clinging to my leg as I rush out the door.. Urgh!  Gotta head back in for the bike helmet… really gotta boogie now and get some love from the streetlights if I'm to have even a slim chance to get that 7:30 bus.  There's the yellow school bus headed at me down the street.  If its on time maybe I'm not doing so bad after all…..

First light… green.  So far, so good.   Bottom of  the hill I can see that lovely green glow… stay, stay, stay, stay,  Yellow. #@%$!  In my mind's eye my bus is slowly pulling away just a few blocks away as the evil red eye glares at me and log trucks rumble by.  Looks like I'm chasing today.  (The beauty of a bike is that it can catch you up a few stops.)  Jog left, right, up the road a bit and there it is, red light working in my favor this time.  I roll up to the stop, flag her down, load the bike, and ease into the warmth and safety of my usual seat.  Piece of cake.    Time to sit back, pop open the coffee mug and let someone else deal with the stress of the road.

Garrett, Faculty

Small World

Subject: Small World

Another venture up to Seattle, this time at a more humane hour, reminded me of how small the world really is. On my way to the University District, I ran into a guy that I started up a conversation with. Turns out, he was originally from Nepal. I mentioned to him that I was going to spend the next school year over in the Pacific Rim, but that Nepal was off limits for study abroad programs for the time being. He told me that there was nothing to worry about as a “tourist”—tourists bring in the majority of the income of many of the communities in Nepal. The conversation progressed. He currently owns a store in Seattle, but about five years ago had a similar store in Estes Park, Colorado. Oddly enough, I have a tapestry hanging in my room at school that was purchased from that very store, five years ago.

Tara, Student

Running with the Early Bird

Subject: Running with the Early Bird

In celebration of getting my shiny new bus pass, I ran a 5k. Well, actually I had been planning to run the 5k before the bus pass came along. I decided to take the bus up to Green Lake in Seattle. The downfall—what would have taken 40 minutes in a car, required that I got up at 6am on a Sunday morning, to make a 9:30am race. I honestly can’t say that I was awake enough to remember the majority of the ride up there, but at least I made it to the race on time.

Tara, Student

A priest, a preacher, a rabbi and an Imam get onto a bus ...

..and the bus driver says, “What is this, some kind of joke?”  True story (ok, not really).

 

I’ve been an avid bus rider for several years, taking Sound Transit between my home in Seattle and work at the university.  I used to connect with the 594 via bike but that became a little too sketchy (close calls as I flew down city streets when I was running late--which was most of the time) and I began driving to an informal park and ride below the West Seattle bridge where I could catch the 594 at its last Seattle stop.  When my van’s engine gave up the ghost about a month ago, I was forced to consider new options and started taking Metro’s #2 to the 594.  The 2’s my favorite bus, largely because there’s a stop a half a bock from my house, but, unfortunately, the connection with the 594 is tight, the 2’s often late and I spent some of the coldest mornings of this winter sitting at the 2^nd and University stop, waiting for the next 594 to arrive.

 

A few weeks further along (and several thousand dollars poorer) I had a new engine in my van and resumed the park and ride routine.  Surprisingly, I soon felt that, despite the hassles I’d encountered with the 2 connection, just leaving the van at home and riding the three systems—Metro, Sound Transit and Pierce Transit—had become a lot more appealing option.  I’ve had one super in-the-know student bus rider educate me on the clear superiority of the 12 (with a stop two blocks from here) for movers and shakers in the bus riding world, and I’m embarking tomorrow on a slightly revised daily odyssey.  Wish me luck.

 

By the way, has anyone else noted Phyllis Fletcher’s (KUOW) remarkable knowledge of Seattle’s buses?  I think deep Seattle bus knowledge separates the real Seattleites from the carpet baggers (or, even worse, the East Siders).

Matt, Faculty

P.S.  Thanks for the pass!

 

Choose My Bus Route

Now that I have a bus pass, which bus should I take to work and back?  It seems that I have 3 choices:  I could take the 28 headed for downtown on South 12th to Union and then the 51 going north on Union to campus; I could walk about 6 blocks to 6th Avenue to take the 1 headed downtown to Union and then catch the 51 going north to campus; or, I could take the 28 to Tacoma Community College and then ride the 16 to the Fieldhouse.

 

I live off of S 12th so I decided the 28 to Union would be my first choice.  My plan was to catch the 28 at about 7:00 and hope the 51 was a little late so that at Union, I could walk off the 28 and on to the 51.  Unfortunately for me, the 51 has never been late so instead, I have had a nice walk to campus.

 

The connections are a little easier returning home because I can walk out of my office at 5:15 to catch the 51 across from the Thompson parking lot.  I can then ride the 51 to South 12th to connect with the 28 en route to Tacoma Community College so that I am home by about 5:40.  (On the other hand, I could just walk out of my office at 5:00 and continue walking to home and also arrive by about 5:40.)

 

Brad, staff

no news is good news

The news this week is no news, which is good news.  This past weekend the bus schedules changed, though not as much as the drivers, with the shake-up of their route assignments. Last Friday morning the riders bade  good-bye to our regular driver for some time.  We’ll miss her, we said, and jokingly added that we’d now have to break in the new ones.  Actually no one this week has had to called out, “No, no, you’ve missed the turn-off,” or “you’ve missed a stop,” or “what are we doing in Tukwila?”  The new drivers after all the shake-ups I’ve experienced over the years have been well prepped. The one exception  was because it was not part of the written script.  One afternoon years ago, on the trip from Tacoma to Seattle, the driver was alerted by radio to a traffic accident ahead on I-5, so she turned off to take the Valley Freeway.  Normal procedure in these situations, when buses are timely warned but car drivers often aren’t.    The bus sped along, and all was going well until we got to Renton and she didn’t know how to get back to I-5, having missed the turn-off. But neither did her passengers, who were making all kinds of conflicting suggestions.  Yet no one got angry, because we understood the humor in the blind-leading-the-blind situation, and were getting to see parts of Greater Renton not on the tourist maps.  Besides, the bus did finally reconnect to I-5, and no one was lamenting about missing the first act of “Parsifal” at the Opera House.  A sense of camaraderie and humor on the bus makes the commute all the more enjoyable, as well as a Schadenfreude about all the single person cars stuck in the traffic jam that afternoon.  So, no news this week about misadventures with new drivers, and that’s good news.

 

Wallace,  staff

 

The place where we met each other

Last year after the big wind storm, I rode the buses from one part of town to another to see the damage that had occurred. I met people who were forced onto the bus because their cars were blocked in by downed trees. I also saw how neighbors were out helping one another. As people would get on the bus, they were in more of a frame of mind to reach out to others. It gave me the feeling of living in a smaller place than we do. The buses that day were the place where we met each other—where we were all living in the same town, not Northenders or Southsiders.

Jane, Staff

An adventure in NYC

The first time I ever rode a bus was in 2004 in New York City. I was in the city for the weekend, site-seeing with a friend when we decided we could just hop on the bus to get to our next destination. I was under the assumption she had ridden a bus before, and she was under the assumption that I had ridden the bus before... Neither of us even thought to ask the bus driver for directions or if either one of us knew where we were going. So we rode the bus, enjoying the sights, thinking maybe the bus wasn't going in the right direction, but not worrying about it too much. All of a sudden, the bus driver yells, "Last stop!" We look around, confused, not knowing where we are as he yells again, "I said last stop!" As we were not acquainted with the city or its inhabitants, we quickly hopped off the bus before we were yelled at again. Looking around we realized we had no idea where we were...except that the street sign was in the mid-100s and we wanted to be at least in the 70s! There was no cab in sight, so we started to trot on down the road some 20 blocks looking for civilization. It turns out, we were actually in a dangerous part of town! Eventually our tired legs caught another bus headed back in the right direction, and we survived our first (and I thought, last) bus adventure.

Three years later, I sold my car, bought a bus pass, slowly learned the bus ridin' ropes, and have never looked back. I love public transportation!

Jessica, Staff

A helpful stranger

Taking the bus to Seattle for the day and walking around in the rain...it was a great day, but it got late, and we almost missed the bus. I was standing next to my friend, looking at the schedules trying to figure out which bus we were supposed to take. A random guy asked, "Are you going to Tacoma? The bus is one block over." We walked around the block to see the bus pulling up, and it happened to be the last bus out of town. Without his help, we probably would have been stranded in Seattle. My friend and I still joke about it from time to time.

Jonathan, Student