I had ridden the muni and bus system maybe four times before coming to school at San Francisco State University. It wasn't that I stayed away from public transit prior to coming to San Francisco; I simply always had a means of getting around without needing to use it. Up to this moment, I have reached a point where I can say that I feel proficient enough to be comfortable in taking public transit, but I'd be lying if I said that Google Maps wasn't my best friend when I felt all hope was lost and I'd never see my home again.
I am not writing this article to dissuade you from using Uber, driving your own car, riding a bike or even walking. I am simply shedding light on the fact that public transit isn't as bad as it's made to seem.
When most people think about public transit they imagine a bus with a horrendous stench, every surface ridden with germs and personal space being nonexistent. And who is to say these judgments are not right every once in a while? I know I've had my fair share of muni rides from hell. However, it is crucial to recognize that these trips are few and far between and that not all public transit ventures can be acknowledged as so.
The public transit system is an amazing means of bringing people from our community together and getting to know one another, yet the opposite is happening. If you step on a bus, it is guaranteed that at least half of the people aboard will have earphones in and strangers are seldom speaking to one another. People have lost touch with what it means to be a person, and believe that their world can be found on a 4 inch screen held between their hands. I am not advocating that people try to make a new friend every single time they ride public transit, because I understand that there are days when people don't want to talk to anyone. But would it kill them to be human? People avoid eye contact at all costs, because it potentially opens a door for conversation -- and God forbid a person would want to talk to them.
It is saddening to see how quick people are to judge on public transit. If a person looks homeless, they will often have a two-seat radius in every direction from themselves. If you're with a group of your friends, it is assumed that you're up to no good. If you walk too closely by someone, they clutch their belongings a little tighter. If you reach too quickly into one of your pockets, people flinch, the fear emanating from their startled figure.
People tend to have a negative mindset preventing them from witnessing the beautiful little moments that can often be seen on public transit. For example, someone giving up their seat so that someone who needs it more may sit; a baby bouncing on its mother's lap having the thrill of its life; the joy that comes to people's faces whenever there happens to be a dog on board; seeing the surprised expression when friends unexpectedly run into each other on the same route. Public transit is a place where the true, raw beauty of a person can be observed.
Don't be so quick to write off its voyagers. Sometimes a person with a skull on their face can be the nicest person you run into all day.
