Today Amanda needed the car for a birthday she was going to. I needed to stay in Richmond for dinner tonight, so Amanda took the car to work. Which meant I had to take the bus. I'm no stranger to the bus, I used to take it all the time before I started driving. But it has been a while since I've taken a bus for a trip lasting longer then 10 minutes.
I started off getting dressed and looked into the mirror I instantly knew that the bus ride would be awkward. How many bus patrons wears a suit and tie? I had no idea how much fare would be so I grabbed a hand full of quarters and was on my way. One of the people I was having dinner with needed a binder which was conveniently left at home and not at the office, so I had my work bag in one hand, binder in the other hand, bus pass in my third hand, and hand full of quarters in my fourth hand.
Getting into the #25 UBC bus towards Granville street was all too familiar. I used to take the same bus every day back when I was in University. After sitting down (I was lucky enough to get a seat) I noticed that the bus had a voice system to read out the stop names. I don't know if this was from a GPS or if the driver had to push a button, but it's quite convenient. The voice was a mono toned computer voice, but better then peering out onto the streets hoping to catch a glimpse of a street sign.
It always makes me wonder when someone who is sitting beside you on the bus decides to just get up and sit somewhere else. Is it me? Do I smell? What's going on? Is that really that much better of a seat to warrant you to get up and make your way there? I should've asked.
Getting off the bus at Granville street I made my way to where the #98 B-Line would stop. The #25 bus wasn't bad, didn't get too many stares, and I got a spot to sit.
The #98 B-Line driver told me politely how much extra it was to Richmond and after paying for the extra zone I was on my way. Bus etiquette hadn't changed much, people were still sitting on the aisle seats even though the window seats were available. Lots of people crammed in the front while there was plenty of room in the back.
At the next stop I noted that some people were getting on through the middle door entrances. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they all had 2 zone bus passes and wasn't illegally traveling on the bus.
I made my way to the middle of the bus and found a seat in the "Death Hinge" the flexible section that connects the front of the bus to the back. How safe is the Death Hinge? The ground rotates when the bus turns, this is just asking for injuries.
The #98 B-Line got down to Richmond fast, the whole trip from my house took less then an hour. I'm not going to start busing regularly, just noting its efficiency.
While riding the bus it made me think back to simpler times. I used to take the bus all the time with my mom and little sister. Weekly trips to Chinatown for groceries, odd trips to Brentwood mall and Metrotown. School during the weekdays, cartoons and grocery shopping on the weekends. There's no worries of bills, jobs, money during those times. I miss those times.
I have a strong belief that kids should all take the bus, it teaches gratitude (to the driver), graciousness (to other passengers), patience (when waiting for the bus) and money (how far you can go with a dollar, although now it's more like $3.75, but still). I miss taking the bus, ok maybe not so much the bus but the memories that come with the bus. Kids grow up way too fast I don't think they know it until it's too late.
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