Bus rider
Due to the unavailability of an automobile, I have had to ride the bus to work for the past two weeks. Here are some observations and thoughts.
Most of the passengers (probably 90%) are immigrants, mostly Hispanic. Of the non-immigrant riders, some are black, some are whites who mostly appear poor, elderly, or mentally incompetent to drive a car. In other words, I don't have a whole lot in common with most of the other people on the bus. That didn't make me uncomfortable, but I wished I could have partaken in some of the community that exists on the bus among the Hispanic riders. Alas, for once in my life, it might have been useful to know Spanish.
Riding with this mostly-immigrant crowd and watching their interactions solidified my opposition to trade protectionism and anti-immigrant sentiments. People who want to "protect American jobs" and curb immigration portray foreigners as malicious job-stealers, but they're just people who want to provide for their families, and they figure the U.S. is a good place to do that. Not that I didn't know that before, but now I have a better mental image of what it means.
The Hispanic women in particular seemed to have numerous acquaintances with whom they loved to chat. I realized something: immigrants, living in close quarters (because they can't afford bigger ones), form tight-knit communities that seem like a lot of fun, though obviously they breed problems too. My neighborhood is very friendly and has great community compared to the average suburb, but I imagine I'd get out more if there were more people around to hang out with.
Practically all of the bus drivers are black. I don't know why, but I noticed it and figured it was worth mentioning. I wonder if there's an interesting reason for it. But regardless of race, the drivers are generally friendly and do a good job.
The buses themselves are unwieldy beasts with none of the raw power or mechanical grace of a diesel locomotive. This is especially true of the diesel buses; the natural gas-powered ones look a bit nicer, but I never got to ride one. Buses are loud, rattly, bumpy things. Some are worse than others.
The route I rode was planned out decently enough, though no bus is particularly convenient to my house. In other words, I would never ride the bus unless it were my only option (which was the case this time). Even though I was able to get dropped off and picked up near a bus stop, it still added around 40 minutes to each day's total commuting time. At $1.25 each way, the cost wasn't too bad, and getting a SmarTrip card made boarding quick and convenient. I usually read a book (Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy, a Christmas gift), which I obviously couldn't do if I were driving myself.
My overall review of the bus system: decent, though I would have preferred to drive.
Most of the passengers (probably 90%) are immigrants, mostly Hispanic. Of the non-immigrant riders, some are black, some are whites who mostly appear poor, elderly, or mentally incompetent to drive a car. In other words, I don't have a whole lot in common with most of the other people on the bus. That didn't make me uncomfortable, but I wished I could have partaken in some of the community that exists on the bus among the Hispanic riders. Alas, for once in my life, it might have been useful to know Spanish.
Riding with this mostly-immigrant crowd and watching their interactions solidified my opposition to trade protectionism and anti-immigrant sentiments. People who want to "protect American jobs" and curb immigration portray foreigners as malicious job-stealers, but they're just people who want to provide for their families, and they figure the U.S. is a good place to do that. Not that I didn't know that before, but now I have a better mental image of what it means.
The Hispanic women in particular seemed to have numerous acquaintances with whom they loved to chat. I realized something: immigrants, living in close quarters (because they can't afford bigger ones), form tight-knit communities that seem like a lot of fun, though obviously they breed problems too. My neighborhood is very friendly and has great community compared to the average suburb, but I imagine I'd get out more if there were more people around to hang out with.
Practically all of the bus drivers are black. I don't know why, but I noticed it and figured it was worth mentioning. I wonder if there's an interesting reason for it. But regardless of race, the drivers are generally friendly and do a good job.
The buses themselves are unwieldy beasts with none of the raw power or mechanical grace of a diesel locomotive. This is especially true of the diesel buses; the natural gas-powered ones look a bit nicer, but I never got to ride one. Buses are loud, rattly, bumpy things. Some are worse than others.
The route I rode was planned out decently enough, though no bus is particularly convenient to my house. In other words, I would never ride the bus unless it were my only option (which was the case this time). Even though I was able to get dropped off and picked up near a bus stop, it still added around 40 minutes to each day's total commuting time. At $1.25 each way, the cost wasn't too bad, and getting a SmarTrip card made boarding quick and convenient. I usually read a book (Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy, a Christmas gift), which I obviously couldn't do if I were driving myself.
My overall review of the bus system: decent, though I would have preferred to drive.