Little Known Bus Facts

Here's a few things I've picked up riding public transportation the past few months, things I never knew or considered when I had my car.

Only ten percent of the buses, if you're lucky, take you where you want to ultimately go. Those that do, never do so directly, but swing past every possible or conceivable location on the outside chance that someone will be waiting. Any destination outside of a tiny handful requires me to change buses, at great benefit and convenience to the bus system. I've seen lots of street corners that I never dreamed of.

Here in LA, there's the big, city bus system (Metro) that costs nearly twice as much as some of the bus lines run by nearby incorporated cities. Those other buses are always full, run about three times as frequently, and may even be turning a profit.

The Metro bus isn't as full of ads as I remember when I took them to high school. It used to be like sitting on a matchbook cover, but that analogy no longer holds. There are no more advertising matchbooks, but instead of ads there are now public service announcements (and the occasional lawyer). Most surprisingly is the poetry. Yes, poetry. There's poetry up where the ads for DeVry used to be, and it isn't all that bad.

Some buses use a GPS system so a disembodied recorded voice can call out the next stop. It would be cool, but lacks the human touch. I like it better when the bus driver does, though I can only rarely hear him.

The number of people in LA who prefer to ride the buses I catch may be limited to the driver.

The drivers often let people ride for free. Fuck the system.

People use their phones to let others know "I'm on the bus." I'm glad I don't feel the need to communicate every little thing in my life. If you ride the bus, you get to see the type of people who listen to iPod knockoffs, too.

The drivers are almost universally pleasant. You can't legally talk to them, but some are downright chatty.

I can't wait to get a car and drive again.