# Public Transportation



## Drac (Oct 11, 2010)

Had a discusson with friend of a friend that needed to get Downtown and his car was out of service,I told him to take the bus. He just looked at me like I was crazy and said " I wouldn't know how". Even before my stint with the Transit Police I knew how to use the buses if the need was great. Does anybody else know how to use public transportation?

Have we become so dependant on having our own cars that you never bothered to learn?


----------



## dancingalone (Oct 11, 2010)

Depends on where you live.  Cities like Washington DC have good subway systems.  Meanwhile, the bus system in Dallas is pretty appalling to take to work.  When I was working in Dallas, I once thought it would be a neat thing to take the bus and save the drive time for reading or doing some work.  I was wrong.  It regularly took me 2 hours each way to go from Plano, a suburb, to downtown Dallas.  I gave up after a week.


----------



## Omar B (Oct 11, 2010)

I'm a huge fan of public transportation.  Splitting my time between NY and FL has made me appreciate even more NY's MTA, you can get anywhere in the city in less than half an hour very dependably.  In FL though, the trains, buses, the whole system blows, it's not even seen as an option to most people here.  Whereas in NY I've been known to go months at a time without even using my car since everything is a short train ride away.  I wold drive if I'm going on a huge shopping trip like the wholesale clubs or when going to a concert but otherwise it's just easier to buy a 1 month unlimited Metrocard and just ride around on the bus and train.

I also find that I tend to be more at ease in cities with good public transport.  Those towns also turn out to be the better party towns (you can get plastered and ride the train home).  Like London, Berlin, Rome, Tokyo.


----------



## Bruno@MT (Oct 11, 2010)

It's not my favorite, but I sometimes take the bus or train if I need to


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Oct 11, 2010)

Years ago when I lived in the western suburbs of Denver, I worked downtown Denver and the daily parking fees for my POV were high, so I tried to start taking the bus.  There was a park-n-ride a few blocks from my house.

I quickly quit parking there - cars got broken into all day long.  So I walked to the park-n-ride.

I had to get up at 4 a.m. to be to work by 8 a.m.  What used to be a half-hour drive was now a two-hour bus-ride - if the bus was on time, which it often was not.

And drunks (yes, drunk at that hour) liked to ride the bus all day and all night as a substitute for a homeless shelter liked to fight and vomit on the bus.

I got hit by a flying cane from some old wino who was fighting another one fine morning and that was the end of that noise.

I drive.  Sue me.

Oh, and FYI - a commute to Detroit from the suburbs where I now live would most likely be life-ending in a few short weeks.  People get killed here, Jack.  Screw public transportation.


----------



## Bob Hubbard (Oct 11, 2010)

Used to take it all the time. Last time I did was 08 when I was working at the mall during xmas rush. Was, entertaining.


----------



## Ken Morgan (Oct 11, 2010)

If Im heading into Toronto for a short period of time I drive all the way in and eat the parking fees. If Im going in for a whole day, Ill drive ¾ of the way and park for free at the subway, its cheaper then paying parking downtown. Generally the subway stops are a hop skip and a jump from where I want to go anyway.

Like Bill though, if I in anyway felt unsafe, Id drive the whole way there and back. I don't need the BS.

Here in Guelph, Im a 5  10 minute car ride to everywhere, so waiting for buses and transferring to get me somewhere in 30  40 minutes makes no sense to me. My time is worth more then that.


----------



## Carol (Oct 11, 2010)

Having lived for 7 years in the City of Boston, and commuted in to the city for several years more, I know the public transit system all too well.  I do not like it one bit.

Very glad I don't have to deal with it anymore.


----------



## Gemini (Oct 11, 2010)

Took PT all the time in Chicago.
Avoided it at all costs in NYC. Used gypsy cabs. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




Hardly exists in Vegas (I think they have like 6 busses), but I would if necessity arose.


----------



## Omar B (Oct 11, 2010)

What's the problem with public transport in NY?

Carol, I get you on the whole Boston thing.  Got caught downtown a couple times when the trains stopped.  Not fun.


----------



## jks9199 (Oct 11, 2010)

Drac said:


> Had a discusson with friend of a friend that needed to get Downtown and his car was out of service,I told him to take the bus. He just looked at me like I was crazy and said " I wouldn't know how". Even before my stint with the Transit Police I knew how to use the buses if the need was great. Does anybody else know how to use public transportation?
> 
> Have we become so dependant on having our own cars that you never bothered to learn?


I can and have used public transit.  The problem is that public transit in the greater DC area sucks...  Too much reflects the traffic patterns of 30 or 40 years ago, designed to move people into DC and within the city, and not in the suburbs.  Also, the system isn't amenable to my shift schedules... and my bosses aren't particularly understanding about people not being at work on time, for some reason.


----------



## jks9199 (Oct 11, 2010)

dancingalone said:


> Depends on where you live.  Cities like Washington DC have good subway systems.  Meanwhile, the bus system in Dallas is pretty appalling to take to work.  When I was working in Dallas, I once thought it would be a neat thing to take the bus and save the drive time for reading or doing some work.  I was wrong.  It regularly took me 2 hours each way to go from Plano, a suburb, to downtown Dallas.  I gave up after a week.


As I said, the DC Metro system is great -- if you're going into or coming out of DC.  And if the escalators are working, or the AC on the trains or in the stations hasn't crapped out, or the train doors don't open where there's no platform... and if you can figure out the fares.  And the fare gates work.  (And they don't change 'em on you while you're traveling.)  The Metro system is old, and lacks a dedicated funding source, and too much maintenance got deferred.  Meanwhile, it reflects the transit patterns of the 50s, 60s and early 70s... which has little to do with today.


----------



## Carol (Oct 11, 2010)

Omar B said:


> Carol, I get you on the whole Boston thing.  Got caught downtown a couple times when the trains stopped.  Not fun.



Getting stuck is no fun, but it was actually not my biggest issue.  The lack of parking, the contagious infections, the overcrowding, the gropers, and the pukers were far worse.  I do NOT miss getting bronchitis 2-3 times a year, not one bit. :lol:


----------



## Omar B (Oct 11, 2010)

Carol said:


> Getting stuck is no fun, but it was actually not my biggest issue.  The lack of parking, the contagious infections, the overcrowding, the gropers, and the pukers were far worse.  I do NOT miss getting bronchitis 2-3 times a year, not one bit. :lol:



Yeah, all that is pretty bad.  But then there's the obvious buses they have running underground and calling them trains!  I've never driven to Boston specifically because of the parking issues.


----------



## MJS (Oct 11, 2010)

Drac said:


> Had a discusson with friend of a friend that needed to get Downtown and his car was out of service,I told him to take the bus. He just looked at me like I was crazy and said " I wouldn't know how". Even before my stint with the Transit Police I knew how to use the buses if the need was great. Does anybody else know how to use public transportation?
> 
> Have we become so dependant on having our own cars that you never bothered to learn?


 
Most recently I used it when I was in Vegas.  They actually have Transit people standing by at all of the bus stops.  They were more than helpful, even providing me with a map of all the stops.  Vegas has 2 buses that run, one stopping more than the other.  

I'll tell ya what....my wife and I saved a hell of alot of money using the bus for that 1 day, vs. a cab.  

I'd imagine it may be a bit confusing for someone who's never used it before, hwoever, asking a few simple questions goes a long way.


----------



## Gemini (Oct 11, 2010)

MJS said:


> Most recently I used it when I was in Vegas. They actually have Transit people standing by at all of the bus stops. They were more than helpful, even providing me with a map of all the stops. Vegas has 2 buses that run, one stopping more than the other.


You're talking about the strip.


----------



## MJS (Oct 11, 2010)

Gemini said:


> You're talking about the strip.


 
Yes.  We were there on vac. a few months ago.  Went down to see 'old Vegas' and other sites in that area.  The cabs...well, I felt like I was robbed by the time I got to my destination. LOL.


----------



## David43515 (Oct 11, 2010)

I grew up in a tiny farm town in the US, so learning to use buses and trains there wasn`t even an option. But when I moved to Japan it was just something everyone uses.

I usually can`t read the schedule so I have to ask someone next to me if it`s the first time I`ve been to an area. But everything is on time, clean, and people are polite. I`m not much of a nightowl so while I`ve heard of drunks on board, I`ve never seen one. And since we get SEVERAL meters of snow each winter nothing beats the subway for convenience.


----------



## BloodMoney (Oct 11, 2010)

Drac said:


> Had a discusson with friend of a friend that needed to get Downtown and his car was out of service,I told him to take the bus. He just looked at me like I was crazy and said " I wouldn't know how".



Step 1. Get on the bus at your point of departure
Step 2. Pay for the service you are about to recieve
Step 3. Sit on the bus as it travels from that point to your destination
Step 4. Get off the bus once it reaches your target destination

Its complicated I know, but im sure with the right support and training he will eventually come to the level of mastery required to Take the Bus.


----------



## Omar B (Oct 11, 2010)

LOL, great.

I have an application in my phone that works in conjunction with the GPS to give public transport routes along with the driving directions.  as I said, in an unfamiliar city, I love the subway, I woulda never seen a lot of many cities except for the tourist spots if not for getting out there on my own.

http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/transit/#mdy


----------



## jks9199 (Oct 11, 2010)

BloodMoney said:


> Step 1. Get on the bus at your point of departure
> Step 2. Pay for the service you are about to recieve
> Step 3. Sit on the bus as it travels from that point to your destination
> Step 4. Get off the bus once it reaches your target destination
> ...


The challenge can be figuring out which bus you need.  Take a look here; pick a route at random.  Don't forget that there are local bus systems, as well, which overlap in places, and may or may not transfer fares to the Metro.  I used the public transit system to get to work several years back.  My daily commute involved a local bus (after getting a lift to that stop), the subway, and Metrobus.  Time?  About an hour and a half or so.  Travel time to drive myself?  About 30 minutes.  Which is another issue about the public transit system...  You're on their schedule.  Which can be a problem as more people are working more erratic hours -- and there's the whole issue of emergency trips home or mid-day errands.


----------



## Gemini (Oct 12, 2010)

MJS said:


> Yes. We were there on vac. a few months ago. Went down to see 'old Vegas' and other sites in that area. The cabs...well, I felt like I was robbed by the time I got to my destination. LOL.


 
Lol MJS! Robbed is such a harsh word. Think of it more as a generous contribution to my taxes. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Y'all come back. Baby needs new shoes!

Anyway, back to topic, yes the public transportation between the Strip and Fremiont St. has a pretty good setup and the bus is the only way to go. It's the rest of Vegas that the transportation system is almost non existent.


----------



## MA-Caver (Oct 12, 2010)

dancingalone said:


> Depends on where you live.  Cities like Washington DC have good subway systems.  Meanwhile, the bus system in Dallas is pretty appalling to take to work.  When I was working in Dallas, I once thought it would be a neat thing to take the bus and save the drive time for reading or doing some work.  I was wrong.  It regularly took me 2 hours each way to go from Plano, a suburb, to downtown Dallas.  I gave up after a week.


I've had problems with the Dallas Trasnsit system myself and have lost good jobs because of them. Once with a 45 min commute the bus was horribly inconsistent with the timing. Granted I lived roughly near the outer limits of that particular line but invariably the bus would be 10 minutes early or 10-20 minutes late or not even there at all and I'd have to wait for the next one which is anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour... add that to the commute time and I'm a good 2 hours late for work. 
My boss was getting pretty frustrated with me and thought I was just using them as an excuse for sleeping in. 
Got to where I got up on time (as usual) and walked out the door and from that vantage point I could see my stop roughly 2 blocks away... there was the bus... pulling out to head into town. I ran of course and waved like a madman trying to escape a nuclear blast but to no avail. 
So, instead of calling work I called the bus company and demanded to speak to a stupidvisor. Told them they would have to call my boss and tell him why I was going to be late for work. 
Supervisor looked into it and discovered yes the bus was indeed too early on that route and thus cost me my commute. They called my boss. He essentially called me a smart *** and put me to my station. I was fired a couple weeks later because... you guessed it... the bus.

If a transit system has it's I's dotted and it's T's crossed then they can be a fine thing to use. If not... they're a pain in the ***.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Oct 12, 2010)

Drac said:


> Have we become so dependant on having our own cars that you never bothered to learn?


 
 
When I was in China I did use public transportation and when I go back I will again because driving there scares the hell out of me.

As for here in the US I tend to not use public transportation at all but if I had to I could figure it out .


----------



## MJS (Oct 12, 2010)

Gemini said:


> Lol MJS! Robbed is such a harsh word. Think of it more as a generous contribution to my taxes.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Oh, I do plan on coming back.  We had an awesome time!!  It was my first time there...so much to do and see.  IMO, if yu're visiting there, and ya get bored, theres something seriously wrong. LOL.  

We did alot of walking, using the bus for what I mentioned, and the cabs for to get to the Stratosphere for dinner, and to the speedway for my 'driving experience.'


----------



## Gemini (Oct 13, 2010)

MJS said:


> Oh, I do plan on coming back. We had an awesome time!! It was my first time there...so much to do and see. IMO, if yu're visiting there, and ya get bored, theres something seriously wrong. LOL.
> 
> We did alot of walking, using the bus for what I mentioned, and the cabs for to get to the Stratosphere for dinner, and to the speedway for my 'driving experience.'


 
There is certainly alot to see and do here and a single trip won't even get you close. Feel free to look me up next trip. I'll show you some things that the bus route won't cover.


----------



## Flea (Oct 13, 2010)

The mass transit in my last city was pretty good - anywhere I needed to go, there was a route for it.  Even the paratransit system worked decently well.

My issue was that every route I needed went through some ghetto.  It's not a slam on poor people or poor neighborhoods, but there was no shortage of screaming teenagers on their way home from the mall, drunks who reeked of urine, and stressed-out single parents dragging a month of groceries in one hand and squalling toddlers in the other.  I caught chicken pox from one of them at the age of 28.  I was never harassed for some reason, although some of my friends have horror stories.  A big issue for me is that I _cannot_ read or do anything requiring focus on any kind of a moving vehicle without making the ride miserable for everyone else.  It takes most of the tuning-out activities out of the picture.

The last time I rode the bus was one night at the airport after a long flight.  My friend wasn't able to pick me up, but the bus route went straight from the airport to my street.  It was a 90% discount off a taxi, and the late hour made for a quiet ride.  

In the larger picture flying sucks, and Greyhound is passable in a bus that isn't full.  I've never had any complaints with Amtrak or any other train line. I'm overjoyed at the proliferation of bicycle trails and bike-friendly policies nationwide.  I usually drive.


----------



## Drac (Oct 14, 2010)

Here is Cleveland the train lines get alot of riders during rush hours, the buses not so much. Its a straight shot into town and there is no cost to park your vehicle. The train is prolly the best to get to Downtown as many communiters have discovered, and with the cost of parking your vehicle you come out a winner. Its after rush hours that you get the unwashed masses.


----------



## Drac (Oct 14, 2010)

MJS said:


> Most recently I used it when I was in Vegas. They actually have Transit people standing by at all of the bus stops. They were more than helpful, even providing me with a map of all the stops. Vegas has 2 buses that run, one stopping more than the other.
> 
> I'll tell ya what....my wife and I saved a hell of alot of money using the bus for that 1 day, vs. a cab.
> 
> I'd imagine it may be a bit confusing for someone who's never used it before, hwoever, asking a few simple questions goes a long way.


 
That must be a new thing, transit folks standing at the bus stops. I took the bus the first time I visited Vegas from Downtown to The Strip. Downtown was still a toilet back then and the bus turn around was by the post office which was a popular place for the street folks to hangout. It WAS cheaper than a cab, even moreso for me as I badged the driver and he honored my Transit Police badge and ID.

The new monorail they put in between the hotels is even better. They should have extended it to Downtown.


----------



## MJS (Oct 14, 2010)

Gemini said:


> There is certainly alot to see and do here and a single trip won't even get you close.


 
I agree.  I hated to leave and easily could've spent another week, but that thing called work forced me to return. LOL.




> Feel free to look me up next trip. I'll show you some things that the bus route won't cover.


 
Will do.  Thanks.


----------



## MJS (Oct 14, 2010)

Drac said:


> That must be a new thing, transit folks standing at the bus stops. I took the bus the first time I visited Vegas from Downtown to The Strip. Downtown was still a toilet back then and the bus turn around was by the post office which was a popular place for the street folks to hangout. It WAS cheaper than a cab, even moreso for me as I badged the driver and he honored my Transit Police badge and ID.
> 
> The new monorail they put in between the hotels is even better. They should have extended it to Downtown.


 
No idea if thats new or not.  On a few of the buses I got on, there was an armed security officer riding as well.  Hey, if it means keeping the peace on the bus, fine with me.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Oct 14, 2010)

Now here is some public transportation, which may actually be coming to Beijing, that looks really cool that really scares the hell out of me... and if you look at the passengers... in China... apparently no Chinese ride it

There is even a film in Chinese (in English)


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Oct 14, 2010)

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/10/14/Man-shot-dead-on-Los-Angeles-bus/UPI-65421287035946/


----------



## Flea (Oct 14, 2010)

Xue Sheng said:


> Now here is some public transportation, which may actually be coming to Beijing, that looks really cool that really scares the hell out of me... and if you look at the passengers... in China... apparently no Chinese ride it
> 
> There is even a film in Chinese (in English)



Now _that's_ creativity!  :cheers:


----------



## Drac (Oct 16, 2010)

*STORY TIME*: A traffic court judge up here took the license away from a middle aged offender and didnt grant work privledges because of his attitude. After only 2 days on the RTA( our bus lines) the male returned to court and submitted in writing an apology and verbally begged the judge for work privledges,which was granted. "Please dont subject me to riding the RTA for 6 months, its terrible". Seems to get to work by 9 am he had to start riding the buses at about 7 am..


----------



## Flea (Oct 16, 2010)

Here's another story:

The paratransit system in my city killed a passenger last year.  They had an elderly woman in a wheelchair on the lift to be hoisted into the bus.  The driver attached the seatbelt wrong, knocking her chair backward onto the pavement below.  She hit the pavement with the back of her head and died within hours.


----------



## Fiendlover (Oct 18, 2010)

Drac said:


> Had a discusson with friend of a friend that needed to get Downtown and his car was out of service,I told him to take the bus. He just looked at me like I was crazy and said " I wouldn't know how". Even before my stint with the Transit Police I knew how to use the buses if the need was great. Does anybody else know how to use public transportation?
> 
> Have we become so dependant on having our own cars that you never bothered to learn?


 
I have no idea about how to use public transportation.  I've only been on a bus twice with friends both times and I just recently went on a train for the first time with the same friends to Chinatown.  I don't like to use it and if I didn't have my friends with me I would be clueless.  I rely on my car.


----------

