Bus Love

Some people hate public transportation. I don't mind it. I never have really minded it. Yeah it's more convenient to walk out the door and get in your car and drive away, but if you plan things right (read: make your schedule fit the bus schedule) you will find public transportation really convenient. And, you can make friends with the bus drivers.

Example 1: I used to try and take the express bus in the mornings, that resulted in lots of running. Now I've completely given up on that and go for the one about 10 minutes later. This serves a dual purpose. First, it allows me to work out in the morning, make a lunch, get ready and eat breakfast without feeling rushed. Second, the express bus always had a new bus driver now we have the same driver everyday. He knows us. Knows we eat toast in the mornings and knows we're prone to be late. He waits for us when he sees us walking down the street. It's pretty great.

Example 2: In the winter I take the bus home a lot since I don't like to walk home in the dark after the gym. The 7:00 bus driver knows me as does the 7:30 bus driver. Last night I caught the 7:00 bus home (I could have walked I suppose, it is light outside now...) but my bus passed the other bus and the driver waved through the window specifically at me. If I do walk home, and I probably will now that its light after 7, he will probably honk the bus horn and wave out the window too. And one of the best things about this is they know my stop, so if I get engrossed in a book and forget to pull the cord? They still stop for me. Awesome!

So, moral of the story, if you have to take public transportation, it's always better to become friends with the driver.