Public Transportation is Underrated

Not that I am or always have been the biggest fan of taking public transportation, but it if must be done, then I’m going to find a way to enjoy it. The idea really came to me one night many months ago while on a seriously long bus ride.

“Thanks, Greyhound, for providing leather seats, AC, and electrical outlets on a 4-hour bus journey from Boston to New Haven. We both know it doesn’t need to take this long, so I appreciate your efforts to give back and keep me as a greyhound customer. I will be back. Despite the fact that it’s easier and cheaper to bus it to New York, CT seems to be my destination of choice. Apparently, even in adulthood, the only destination that still matters is home…”

I think I recognize the man behind me. He's been on this bus before, bound for the casinos. Tonight, he asked if I had a rabbit's foot (let me see...mm, no). I'm not sure if he wanted one, or if he was implying that I, myself, was a good luck charm. Like an older gentleman, he eventually let the topic die and wished me safe travels. I still don't know what he meant...”

Commuting or traveling anywhere with strangers can be uncomfortable, but it can also be hilarious. To be fair, I like to laugh, so it doesn’t take much. But, there is so much that happens on the journey to the destination, and I realized I was probably taking a lot of it for granted. I don’t mean just the fact that the driver stayed awake or that we arrived on time, I’m talking about the fact that your neighbor asks you for a rabbit’s foot, the lady across from you sounds like she has tuberculosis (and you do not contract it), or the fact that the guy behind you has decided to leave all of his luggage in the middle of the aisle. Are you kidding me??

Still, with this idea for appreciating the whole experience of getting where I was going and being a lot more observant about my surroundings, I learned to expect the unexpected while traveling, and I think it has seriously lightened the mood on my commutes. I’m living every second of my life whether or not I take advantage of it, so if it takes 4 hours to get from Boston to CT on a bus, I might as well live the experience and not just wait for it to be over.