Trains, Feet, Buses and Automobiles.....your commute.

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I have recently begun to bus and walk to work, a delight and a wonder after years and years and YEARS of a long and congested drive.

This is a thread to savour the pleasures of that part of the day when we are getting to work.

What I miss:

I used to keep up to date on current affairs by listening to a morning and evening radio program, now I cannot. Also, I used to be able to sing!

My Joys:

WALKING!

Sometimes I walk first through parklands.....birds, trees, other walkers and and sometimes frisky dogs.

The other day, I walked past a man actually READING work stuff as he walked! We had a discussiion about this, and how odd it was.

Sometimes I take a bus the first part of my commute.

I have been off the buses for years....how things have changed.

Firstly, oftentimes I am almost the only whitey on the bus.....Chinese, Islamic people of various origins, Indians, Africans......so many different languages being spoken! I love the soft hum of all these languages......love seeing the different colours, from African people as tall and as graceful as palm trees, with skin so black that it absorbs light.....the comfortable, familiar cadences of Mandarin and Cantonese...the fluid notes of Indian language, or English spoken in that lovely accent.......

Sometimes it is almost all Australians of European descent....why?

Here's a thing! The buses "curtsy"......they lean over to pick you up! This is so wheelchair access is possible, and access for people with disabilities, but it is so sweet!

And, mostly, people thank the driver as they get off, and the driver greets them in turn, nodding courteously.

SOME drivers, though, delight in trying to jerk you off your feet.....piles, or just bad temper?

Then I walk through town. Again, whole throngs of African kids waiting to be picked up by their school bus, or great crowds of Chinese kids.....or Islamic kids.........or just mixed throngs of kids, shiny faces, showing off, chatting excitedly, with those 'orrid full backpacks they have now, so heavy, being swung with effortless ease. Strutting their stuff, flirting, chests puffed out, showing off so hard it makes your face ache for them....

(I notice the different cultures so much cos where I used to work, way out in the poorest suburbs, the cultural mix was much less present) - NOW I get to really enjoy living in the mix of the inner city.

Then driven looking walkers, so intense and dedicated looking.....off to work. Clutching coffees, briefcases, a few, like me, looking around with pleasure, most focused and a little grim.

I walk past the river.

Shrieking sulphur crested cockatoos tumbling through the air around me, and jeering and laughing at us. Swans! Black ones - floating on the water, flying past......sometimes a great jumbo of a pelican or two......beautiful parrots, finches, rosellas, grass parrots, lovely sooty cynical and amused crows.....flashes of jewel coloured rosellas and grass parrots feeding INCHES above me!!!!! In easy touching distance. Nonchalant ducks wandering past.....

More parks....a lovely cathedral...

Other commuters becoming familiar...

The woman in her sixties, always stunningly dressed and made up. What is she wearing today? WOW!!!!! The young homeless fella off for breakfast. I held my brolly over him today at the lights, it was so wet, making him laugh.

What are the joys of your commute?

What did you see? What made you laugh? What rituals do you have?

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I, too, don't drive to work any more. In my case, though, it's not entirely voluntary. I am carless for the nonce. Some mornings I get a ride from a colleague, but other mornings I'm on my own. I generally take the subway to its southwestern terminus and transfer to a bus for a fairly short ride. But then there's a quarter-mile (or more) walk up a street with a new housing development on it. Interesting Walk? Well, since I go in early, I generally have the street all to myself. Very rare to run into another pedestrian, though some cars do pass by. Very intersting to see the houses in the new development gradually acquiring tenants. Most are still vacant or in the last stages of being finished. I'd write more, but it's 5 a.m. and I have to get ready to go to work.

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dlowan - what a delightful piece of writing - I never thought of our buses as "curtseying" but they do of course Very Happy

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i have a very pleasant 15 minute walk to work, since i live and work in a rural area i walk past an orchard and many tree'd lots, and then down a small side road bordered with a small ditch, i get the best of all seasons, spring brings the birds, tree blossoms and wild flowers, summer continues with the flowers and the orchard full of fruit, fall brings the last of the wild flowers, the long ditch grasses with their bushy fronds and the small animals and birds scurrying to prepare for winter, oh and the colors as the leaves turn in the near by woodlots

and winter, well winter brings cold, but sometimes the frost and snow are quite spectacular

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The tram stop is right in front of my house. I say hello to the newspaper vendor, a young man from Sri Lanka, hop on the tram, there is never a seat, but I don't mind. Just 3 stops, then I gave to get off to take a different line. 3 more stops, then I walked through a quiet street, mostly meeting some of my pupils and we walk together.
It is fun to listen to them.
If I don't have to carry a heavy bag I walk home, through the park of the hospital, then across the farmers market. This is the best part, lots of colors and smells. Shopping for dinner.

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I get into the Bentley, tell Penbury where we are going, and read the Times.

Thank you.

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I usually leave for office very early, 0615ish so that I can get in by 0700. I walk out of my house, and past the two gorgeous cars I have, giving them a longing look. 2 mins later I am at the bus stop, which is usually deserted. Sometimes there are a couple of builder types. After an inordinable amount of wait (bus frequency is HORRIBLE) the bus turns up. The driver usually looks right ahead with a grumpy look on his face - getting up this early probably is a violation of his human rights,or some obscure Health and safety rules, and he is probably contemplating going to the unions, either to get his salary increased, or go for a strike ballot for making him wake up before 0900. The bus usually looks like the inside of a MacDonalds dustbin. The train station is abt 2 miles, but it usually takes the bus abt 20 mins to get there due to wonders of the road system, and the obsession my council has for digging up perfectly good roads and repaving them.

(To give an example of the exemplary planning, just before my bus stop there is a junction. The road leading up to the junction was a wide two laned road, and after the junction, the road where the bus stop is a single lane. The junction thus became a bottleneck. In all their wisdom, the planners decided to make the two lane road a one lane road by converting one lane to bus lane only - as a result, the bottleneck starts from much before the junction)

Anyways, the bus is usually full of blue collor workers from the nearby council estate who probably havent showered for a week. They just got out of bed and into the bus. I usually stand rather than sit down next to one of them. I get off at the bus station next to my train station, which usually smells like a public loo and take a short walk to the train station trying to avoid spilled food and pools of vomit.

Get on the train and it is a short 15 mins journey to my office. The train is fine - ocassionaly there will be food wrappers and old newspapers scattered arnd, but since it is fairly empty in the morning I just move to another part and find a clean seat.

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i hop on my bicycle, pedal down Ramperstorffergasse towards Linke Wienzeile, steer right on Margarettenstrasse, pass Fredi's Feuerhalle, where grupmy Fredi is cleaning up after last late night's guests, then past the two or three strip clubs, down to Opernring. I turn left on the Ring before the Opera, pass the Kunshistorische museum, Burgtheater, and Rathaus, hit the Donau kanal, turn left and pedal awhile along the river through and alley, pigeons, kids, dogs, old people feeding the pigeons and kids and dogs, pass the Rosauerlande subway stop where I have to criss-cross through people gettting into and out of the station all the way to Friedensbrucke. There I have to control myself and stare right ahead, because on the right there is the most tempting pastry shop, that has warm pastries with nougat and chocolate in them. Takes me 20 minutes, 15 if I hustle.

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One thing on male bikers: all of them always assume they are faster on their bike then some girl. At each light some will pull up next to me or actually in front of me. Drives me berserk. Of course I am faster. I bike and bike and bike. I have a good bike and I am good to my bike. We're a team. Then I have to pass these nasty presumtuous buggers. Usually I don't even look at them, just meaningfully cough or clear my throat as I whizz by. I hate presumtpuousness. Even if there's a grandma on a bike, I don't get in front of her at a light... .but i digress. This belongs into a dear punkass.... thread.

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Thanks folks!

So, what were the little adventures that spiced your commute today?

Did Daggles finally attack a presumptuous male cyclist?

Did Gautam find something pleasant on his bus or train journey?

Did Didj see a special bird?

What did Ul buy for dinner?

Ha! here, the birds are nesting, or being randy little buggers....some nests are so low (city birds are SO confident!) that you can see the little, frantic beaks come up (I can see in my mind the ugly, wide gaping maws) into sight, over the nest walls, almost vibrating in their frenzy to "Pick ME! Pick ME!!!!"

Weary parents are on their own commute, back and forth, land, thrust food into gaping beaks, clear up nestling crap, fly off hunting....

Soon I will see ducklings and cygnets fluffily following anxious parents....

Tonight I walked home late.....past the suddenly sinister dark parklands....close to the road....ready to ram an attacker with my back pack, cos my legs were WAY too tired to run.

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No spring here, but the very first day of autumn misery; gray sky, drizzle, then more and more rain.
Wet pavements, wet roofs, and a lot of unfriendly faces everywhere. The only bright spot was the market.
I bought brightly colored food: yellow cheese for the soup, orange pumpkin, red beets, horse radish, blue grapes,and a bouquet of sunflowers.

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I'm the opposite. After years of taking one or a combination of train, bus, walking and/or subway, I am driving.

What I miss most of public transportation - reading. I used to read so much when traveling to and from work. I also typically had some sort of walk. On nice days, I loved to walk - similar to dlowan's comments.

Then the flip side. Breakdowns - how many times was I late as a result of a breakdown. How many times was I in a panic because I may not reach my child at 6:00 (even giving extra time for the inevitable problems)? Many times I would told to exit the train because it was coming out of service - wait on the platform for the next. It stops and only about 2 people can manage to squeeze on. Then the wierdos. Sometimes they were a form of entertainment, other times you didn't know if they would crack. I had one in the morning, obviously drunk, start to lean down as if he would vomit. That I don't miss. Or even the sometimes danger. One time during the morning commute some one pulled a gun out; another time sometime threatened to kill another person stating how he just got out of prison and didn't care. Then the beggers. Not just asking for money, but demanding it, if you refuse, they call you cheap. I don't miss that.

Driving now - the benefits - of course now you don't have the negatives of a public commute. Also, for me, it makes the commute shorter since I need to drop and/or pick up kids. Before when I dropped them off, I would have to go back and park at the train station. Now I just continue on the highway. Driving is also significantly quicker during the summer, high vacation times and if I need to go in extra early or have to work late. Also, when working late, no worry of traveling on public transportation at night.

Basically I start my commute at about 7:00. I turn down the radio and talk with my children before dropping them. The youngest a 20 minute drive to grandmoms. Then I continue to drive another 20 minutes to my older daughter's school. We will go over her spelling words or her verse for school or just chit chat about what is going on that day. After dropping her off at school, I listen to the radio and the news. I can sing as loud as I want or laugh at some of the antics of the show. Another 35 - 45 minute drive. I arrive at work just before 9:00.

Disadvantages - getting stuck in traffic; cost of gas; no more reading during the commute.

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I get up, walk throught the kitchen, and sit down in my office.

I used to have an hour commute each way. Life's too short for that BS.

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Hmmmm, really interesting thread.

I must say I have never taken public transportation to work...

I drive, and enjoy the time in my car, think of all sorts of interesting things.
My commute is usually never more than 20 minutes one way, and I know a bus would take twice the time.

I'm not one for doing things on someone elses schedule. I don't leave my house at exactly the same time every day, since some days I like to get to work really early, and other days, like today, I was a 1/2 mile from the house and realized I forgot something I need this afternoon.

Also, during the day, I might have an appointment, or need something. I mean unexpected things come up. For instance, to get from where I work to the nearest place to eat or drug store, I'd have to walk an overpass over a busy highway, it might be only a mile, but in 100 degree summers, I'd get back to the office stinking frankly. That walk and errand would take an hour, something I could have accomplished in my car in 10 minutes.

I have a question...Does anyone know how many miles per gallon a city bus gets? How many passengers is a good size load?

I'd like to figure the fuel usage per mile, per passenger. In my case, I have a feeling I'm being more fuel efficient driving my little corolla.

Also, I think I'd be afraid of all the different schedules and stuff. I think I'd end up getting on the wrong bus and end up on the other end of town. Embarrassed

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Ridership in Austin sucks compared to other cities. Who's gonna wait 20 minutes in 97 degree weather?

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Well, yeah!

Also, then you have to schlep to the stop, which is ok because it's probably in your neighborhood, except that at 7:00am the humidity is at 98% and it's already 85 degrees.

Then when you get off, how far to you have to walk to get from let's say mopac to where you're going.

Then, reverse that, expect that now it's over 100 degrees.
For folks that don't know, that is a guaranteed June through September.

Drew, do you know the latest on the plans for Mopac?
I mean, no one asked me, but from what I've heard, they are contemplating the whole thing bass-ackwards.

Personally, I like the idea of putting a 2nd level from lets say 360 to 183, BUT the idea of who gets to take that 2nd level is stupid.

For instance, from my childhood in NJ, I remember on the Garden State Parkway, they had a 2 lane highway running ajacent to the parkway, for those that were going straight through for let's say 60 miles, with just 1 or 2 exits. Kinda like the 2nd level on 35 up north of downtown.

Oh no, Austin considers that this 2nd level should be for multiple occupancy vehicles to "encourage carpooling" You know, I would sooner take a bus in the middle of August than carpool. Sorry, but I am not going to be at the mercy of Carl down the street getting his ass out to the curb on time, and having to forego my errands or have to go with Carl on his just because we're going to save 1/2 gallon of gas. God I hate Carl

Tons of people go from S Austin to north and visa-versa every day, much more than getting people to car pool, and saving more gas because you won't be sitting in traffic.

But, like I said, no one asked me.

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Will be back -- but I drive on Rte. 2 and then 128. Usually.

Today I worked at home, so my commute was two rooms away from the bedroom. Smile

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I fill my coffee cup, climb half a flight of stairs, peer out the window by the front door to see if the deer have finished everything in the garden, climb the other half-flight of stairs and plunk my butt in an office chair where I will remain for the rest of the day.

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Lovely reading!

Haven't commuted for a while. In L.A. it was bad, solitary, white-knuckle driving -- some strategy involved, a certain video-game aspect, but usually not enjoyable. My work was west of my home, so I'd see spectacular sunrises and sunsets in my rear-view mirror, and often lovely colors in the clouds ahead of me. I'd sometimes take 15 extra minutes to go through the mountains, but I never seemed to have 15 extra minutes, and it was more white-knuckle than usual because it was speed demon territory, and correspondingly speed trap territory. So I'd find myself going well over 100 when I was still lagging behind the flow of traffic (it's hard to keep your eye on the spedometer ALL the time).

Now it's the stair commute. Not bad, as commutes go. Involves a nice view (backyard with big trees, vines, and sundry wildlife) and a warm little girl clambering on my lap every 5 minutes.

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Trains, Feet, Buses and Automobiles.....your commute.

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