I rode the bus this week. I haven't been on a bus that wasn't preceded with the word "party" since college over 10 years ago. I was without a car for the past week and a half so it was kinda like I was in NY or another city where I didn't need a car. This was kind of a fun little experiment for me since I enjoy the urban experience and dislike the inner city highways that divided cities, destroyed neighborhoods, and enabled sprawl. I had the chance to have a rental car but turned it down (partially because I'm cheap) in favor of finding my way in this city without my own automobile.
1. Hitchin' a Ride: If I needed or wanted to go into work, I'd hitch a ride with Gina since we leave for work at the same time. Thank goodness for her! This worked out until I had to find a way home since she works 12 hour days and I work 8.
2. Walking More: I walk to places a lot. It's actually easy in our neighborhood. Most places are a comfortable walk away. With this little adventure, I was faced with having to walk to those places that were an uncomfortable walk away. It was either that or a walk to places that I'd just normally drive to because I'm bringing something home that'd be hard to carry or whatever. It's great exercise and lord knows I need that. Plus I get to see beautiful Cleveland.
3. Uber: Uber is comfortable. Uber is cheaper than a taxi. Uber is nice in a pinch. The drivers are personable sometimes and the joke I heard coming home from work was worth retelling. Ask me about it next time you see me. Gina laughed but I question whether she really listens or just reacts to my inflections and body language. It was $13-$19 dollars depending on the circumstances so it's decently priced with a quick pickup since work is close to the airport and airport hotels.
4. The Rapid: I love trains. I took one when I worked downtown from Tower City to West 25th Street. It's a 1 stop trip and it cost $2.25 but it saved me from walking in my dress clothes in 90 degree heat carrying my work bag...ok I just love trains so I rode it. I did walk back to our house from the train station so I did get my payback exercise.
5. Biking: I did rent a bike from Zagster, our local bike share company. You can rent a bike for $3 an hour and there are now many places to pick one up from around the city. Its really easy and fun! I went to get cupcakes for a birthday and am proud to say that I got them back to the house without issue. It reminded me of my youth when we'd ride from Louisville to Belden Village...or Atwood Lake. Ahh the good old days!
6. The Bus: None of this is really that exciting until this one. I rode the bus! The same bus where you may have read that drivers punch unruly women; where people get stabbed; where drivers get hit with bricks. On a side note I used ";" in the last sentence and I don't care if I used it correctly. It just seemed like it fit. Anyways, if you read the paper and watch the news, the bus could be a very scary place for passive white guys like myself. I say "white" to convey the pansy-ness of me and more than likely people similar to me. Gina called me a "white t-shirt" once. I'm not cool or tough looking. I'm a mark that gets bothered by beggars and street swindlers because, and this is another Gina quote, "I look to them like a sure thing". I am literally chum being thrown to the media hyped sharks that swim in the buses that crisscross this county. Trust me though people...it's not all that scary.
With all that being said I have to admit that it was a fairly uneventful endeavor. I caught the bus outside of my work. Figuring out how I was going to pay was a snap lesson since I had no idea what to expect. It was easy though. There's a little device right by the driver like you see on pop machines to put your money in which also has a place to slide your bus pass. It was 90 degrees out so the bus smelled a bit ripe but I'm guessing only because the AC couldn't keep up with the heat especially with the door opening and closing pretty consistently at stops. The trip took about 40 mins and the bus did slowly fill up the further we went. I played Candy Crush on my phone most of the time and farted around on Facebook for the rest of the time. That was pretty much it. Everyone kept to themselves and there was no issue what so ever. All that hype for a nice little ride that cost $2.25. It dropped me off at the West Side Market and I walked home the rest of the way. It couldn't have been easier and I plan on doing it again.
The media frenzy every time there's a problem on an RTA bus or on the Rapid is news but in my mind is only the news feeding it's patrons what they want to see and read. It's a shame that public transit has the stigma that it has because it does come in handy and is very affordable. You'll have that though with the popularity of suburban living and car-centric transportation. With more and more people moving downtown the possibility for transit oriented development around Bus and Rapid stops makes more and more sense. The one to zero car household is possible and makes financial sense for people who want to be able to afford a better urban situation for themselves. The more riders there are means that there is more money coming in which will in the future fund improvements and expansion. All of this is possible but the luxury and popularity of a 2 car lifestyle and a suburban development agenda is a major hurdle. It all comes down to what you as a citizen want to see happen.
As a person who would like to see mass transit expanded in this area I have to be a part of the paying ridership. It's just like why I moved to Cleveland in the first place. I want to see Cleveland succeed and prosper so I moved here to make sure my money went towards the local taxes and to local businesses to help them succeed. Money talks in life and if you want something to stick around and get better, you have to make sure that you help fund them. You can't just cheer from the sidelines urban adventurers. You have to participate!
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