Always thought the bus would be slower and more hassle, but after 3 weeks of parking costing $18 a day I switched. Now I'm not sure if the extra 15 minutes each way is worth saving the money - what's your experience been?
I kept hearing people complain that the 42 bus in Denver takes forever because the driver stops at every single curb. But I found out that if you stand right by the back door and make eye contact with the driver through the mirror, they'll often let you off there without waiting for the front. I tried it about two weeks ago and it cut my ride by a good 5 minutes one morning. Has anyone else gotten away with this on other routes, or am I just lucky?
I chose the express to save 15 minutes but it got stuck behind a broken down truck on the highway for 20, so the local would have been faster. Has anyone else gambled on a faster route and ended up late?
I was on the 42 bus heading downtown around 5:30 pm last Tuesday when the driver just pulled over at a random stop and got out. Turns out he saw a guy drop his wallet crossing the street and ran it back to him. Whole bus sat quiet for like 5 minutes waiting. Has anyone else seen a driver do something like that out of nowhere?
I was on the 7:15 AM from Newark to Penn Station when the door got stuck about 30 seconds before my stop. People were yelling and I had to squeeze through a 2 foot gap to get off. Anyone dealt with a train door failing mid-ride and know who you're supposed to report that to?
I was heading downtown yesterday morning and this older dude got on, sat near me, and spent the whole 20 minute ride telling his friend how bike lanes are 'just for show' and waste taxpayer money. He said he counted 3 bikes using the new lane on Main Street in an hour. But here's the thing - I've been biking that same route for 6 months because the bus is always late now. The lane's only been open for 2 weeks and they're still painting lines. Has anyone else had to listen to someone trash a transit upgrade that barely got started?
I was looking at the transit authority's annual report online and noticed they track on-time performance by route. Turns out the 47 bus has averaged 7.2 minutes late every single day since 2018. Why isn't that just built into the schedule by now? Wouldn't that fix the problem for everyone?
So I take the 42 route downtown every morning and I'm usually half asleep with my headphones in. But last Tuesday this older driver, maybe late 50s, taps my shoulder at a stop and says 'wave at the oncoming driver, it makes the shift better.' I thought he was joking but I tried it the next day. Just a little hand raise to the driver coming the other way. And dude actually waved back. Now I do it every time I catch a bus going opposite me and I swear it makes the whole ride feel less isolated. Like we're all in this together even if it's just for 2 seconds. Am I overthinking this or has anyone else tried little interactions like that on their commute?
She said the back windows fog up and the heat takes forever to reach you, and after ignoring her advice last Tuesday I sat shivering in a fogged up seat for 45 minutes - has anyone else had a driver give you a tip that actually saved your commute?
Some dude on the 7 bus yesterday just started using wet wipes like he was at the gym. He went through a whole pack and left the wrappers on the seat next to him. Has anyone else seen people treating public transit like their personal bathroom?
I bought a monthly pass from the city transit here in Milwaukee thinking it'd save me money over daily fares. First Sunday I try to use it, the buses come every 90 minutes if they show up at all, and I waited 45 minutes in the cold before giving up. Has anyone else bought a regional pass only to find out the service is basically a lie on weekends?
I spent a year taking the bus from Oak Park into the city, then switched to biking last spring. The bus was reliable but added 25 minutes to my trip with all the stops and transfers. Biking cuts that down to 35 minutes total, but I show up sweaty and have to stash my bike in a cramped office closet. My choice came down to losing the wait time versus losing the comfort. Honestly, I still flip-flop depending on the weather. Anyone else wrestle with this kind of trade off and land on one side?
I was waiting at the Main and 3rd stop in Portland for the 72 to take me downtown, but three buses in a row just blew past with full yellow signs. I walked 6 blocks south to catch the 4 bus instead and got there almost on time. Has anyone else had luck ditching a packed line for a different route mid commute?
I used to bike from my place in Astoria to midtown Manhattan every day, rain or shine. After a few months of showing up sweaty and fighting for bike rack space, I tried a kick scooter instead. The difference is crazy - I cut my time from 35 minutes to about 22 minutes, and I don't break a sweat at all. Scooters are way easier to carry onto the subway if I need to switch routes too. Only downside is my calves got sore for the first week, but now I'm used to it. Has anyone else here tried swapping their bike for a scooter on a longer commute?
I ride the 42 bus downtown every morning and I always just tapped my card and walked to the back. Then last week this driver stopped me and said I need to wait until people get off first before I get on. I felt so dumb cause I been doing it wrong for like 6 months and nobody ever said anything. Now I stand to the side and let people exit before I step on and it actually makes way more sense cause the aisle doesnt get clogged up. Has anyone else had a driver call them out on something you thought was normal?
I ride the 42 route downtown every morning and this one driver always nods at me. About 3 weeks in I was spacing out and missed my stop, but he actually called out 'hey, isn't this yours?' and let me off at the next corner. I never said anything to him before that, just got on and off. Has anyone else had a transit worker go out of their way like that for no reason?
So I usually catch the 7:45 bus downtown and it's always packed standing room only. Last week I decided to try the 7:35 bus just to see if it was less crowded. I figured 10 minutes earlier would make a huge difference right? Wrong. That bus was somehow even more full because it picks up from the high school stop and all the students ride it. The later bus actually has more space after they get off at their school. Now I stick with my regular bus and just stand for the first few stops. Has anyone else found that leaving earlier actually makes your commute worse?
I get on the 7:15 AM route every day in Austin and I always say "good morning" to the driver. But I swear half the people just scan their card and stare at their phones like the driver's invisible. Doesn't that just make the whole ride worse for everyone? What side are you on - polite greeters or silent riders?
Every morning for about 6 months this one lady would get on the 7am route 42 bus and take an aisle seat even when the window was open. I used to get so annoyed because I wanted the window spot for my morning coffee and staring out. One day the bus was packed and I had to sit next to her. She turned out to be super chatty and she told me she sits on the aisle because she gets claustrophobic in the window seat after a bad elevator accident 3 years ago. I felt like a total jerk for judging her all that time. Now I just ask people if they have a preference before sitting down. Has anyone else had a moment where you realized you were the one being unreasonable on your commute?
I always got annoyed when people just tap their card and walk off without a nod. Then my driver said most folks are listening to earbuds or staring at phones, so they literally don't see him in the mirror. Next morning I counted 8 out of 10 people looking down as they got on, so I guess he had a point. Anyone else notice this shift with all the screens?
For the past 6 months I've been catching the 7:15 AM bus from the Maplewood stop in St. Paul and it was always showing up around 7:25 or later. I was blaming the driver or the route until last Tuesday I actually looked at the schedule board at the station. Turns out the bus before mine gets stuck at a railroad crossing on Cedar Street for a solid 8-9 minutes every morning because of a freight train that rolls through at 7:05. Now I just walk two blocks to the next stop past the crossing and I'm on time. Has anyone else found a weird timing trick like that for their commute?
I take the 7 bus downtown every morning and every single day someone stands right in front of the back doors while people are trying to exit. It takes twice as long for everyone to get off and on. Let people off first, then move in. It's basic bus etiquette but nobody seems to get it. I timed it once and it adds about 3 minutes to the whole stop. Has anyone else noticed this getting worse lately?
I was complaining to this guy at the coffee shop about the 7am crush on the 44 route in Portland, and he just said 'you're not stuck in traffic, you are traffic' - made me realize I'm part of the problem too. Has anyone else had a stranger flip your whole commute mindset?
I just found out from a mechanic at my local shop in Portland that most cable locks can be cut in under 30 seconds with cheap bolt cutters from any hardware store. I always thought mine was safe, but after seeing a video he showed me of someone doing it in 15 seconds, I switched to a U-lock that same day. Has anyone else had a lock fail on them like this?