As infatuated as our generation is by the ease and sophistication granted through technology, sometimes it’s better to go the classic route. By that, I mean the bus kind. As a UW student I’m blessed with the cherished Husky U-Pass, making traversing Seattle a breeze -- as long as we’re wiling to brave the intimidating beast that is public transit. I know it’s vastly more appealing to pull out your smart phone, call up an Uber, and ride in comfort to your destination. However while Ubers are nice, the value of the bus system is more than just the dollars saved, but also in the experience gained. Here are the primary things I learned through my many bus adventures, along with a few tips to make sure your own adventure is a positive one.
1. Always Double-Check Addresses Found On Third Party Sites
With smart phones, we seem to be programmed to trust and live by the apps we use day to day. Clock app says it’s 9 a.m.? Get out of bed. Weather app says it’s sunny out? Put on shorts. Yelp says “Get Directions” and automatically pulls up Google maps? Point body in direction of little blue arrow.
Fun fact. Sometimes that little blue arrow leads you to a house in the middle of a sketchy neighborhood and proclaims “You’ve arrived at your destination.” Even though up until that point you thought your destination was a quaint Thai Restaurant.
Do yourself a favor and get the actual address from the establishment’s website. Then maybe you won’t have to stand around for two hours in the middle of the night waiting for a bus, while cowering at a stop hoping nothing too frightening happens.
2. People Are Weird, But (Please) Don’t Stare
As expected in most public systems, the full spectrum of the public make use of it. That means yes, as likely as you are to sit next to a business man in a suit there’s just as good of a chance you’ll be up close with a sketchy, shifty-eyed individual. But just like you, all they want to do is get from point A to point B. Let them do their thing, and they’ll let you do yours. Start gawking? They’ll gawk back. And what does gawking lead to? Talking. It leads to talking.
So make like an Ostrich and stick your head in a metaphorical hole in the ground. If you can’t see them, they can’t see you. Works like 99 percent of the time. For the 1 percent of overly confident souls that just HAVE to impart their “wisdom” on you, just nod, smile, and become very interested in the lovely Seattle scenery out your window.
3. Strangers Aren’t Always Strange
Just because you don’t know a person, doesn’t mean they can’t touch your life. Either through observing some kind interaction between strangers, or even at times having one impart a courtesy to me, I have learned that some people are just inherently good. Whether they chased my dropped water bottle down the isle, or said something nice just because -- it’s always touching to have a stranger go out of their way to help out while reminding me to do the same.
4. Some People Make The Most Of Their Jobs, While Others Don’t
Imagine driving around Seattle for hours and hours a day, dealing with countless people of all walks of life and the hectic flow of city life. I am incredibly thankful the Bus drivers brave the stress and no doubt monotonous task of traversing the same route endlessly, while also slave to the clock in order to hit each stop precisely on time.
In my experience, some drivers bend to the pressures, while others remain in good spirits. You have the sort that will physically pull the bus over to chew out a passenger who dared not to face forwards when standing in the isle. Then there are the kind that will sing Old McDonald nursery rhymes to children in the back of the bus. Some drivers are chatty, others just want to silently get you to your destination with as little fuss as possible.
5. Getting Lost Is Just Another Adventure
Don’t fret when you accidentally hop on the wrong bus, miss that express and find yourself taking the long route, or end up at the wrong destination entirely. Coming from a small town where public transit just wasn’t a thing, mastering the bus system came through extreme trial and [mostly] error. After the initial “Oh crap” reaction from realizing I was far from where I wanted to be, I found I usually discovered something new. Or at the very least had some wild stories to tell about it. Sometimes the destination isn’t as interesting as the journey there, so try to make the most of it.
6. Avoid Long Connection Wait Times
A sad truth of public transit is that their boarding locations are like a half empty wine glass left out to flies. They attract the seedy folk in hordes, and are more often than not filthy and only partake in sketchy exchanges. And I don’t only mean bus exchanges…
If at all possible, try to plan ahead and time your connections so as to immediately hop from one bus haven to the next, shortening any time in the purgatory that is bus stops.
7. People Live Very Different Lives
I can’t think of a single other place where so many people of all different walks of life come together for the same purpose. You can learn a lot from people watching (covertly of course). My time on the buses, more than any other experience, has granted me a startling appreciation for how differently people live. They might all be there for the same purpose, but while some stare blindly at their smart phone during their commute, others pour airplane shots of whisky into ratty overused McDonalds cups. But people are people, and when it comes down to it we’re all seated by each other just trying to get from Point A to Point B.
