Urban Thought Collective

What’s going on UTC?

Someone help me. How did I go from saying “Let me get $60 on pump 3,” to saying “Is this where you catch bus 187 going to Pasadena?” I found myself catching the bus almost every other day while in this great state of Cali. Not that I’m complaining or anything, I really think that the transit system in Los Angeles is absolutely great. I just simply feel lost without my car keys. I haven’t driven in almost 50 days. That’s crazy. I mean, come on… in Florida, we don’t have transportation like this. In Orlando, they have little city buses, but it fails in comparison to LA’s 50 jillion-ga-billion buses that they provide and expect you to know everything about.

I feel like a kid again taking the bus to school, except this time, it’s to work. Don’t get me wrong. I think providing public transportation is a wonderful thing (especially when the price of gas is higher than your rent or mortgage. I know all of my fellow SUV drivers can easily relate!). I think we all should experience the “bus” ride at least once, if you haven’t already. A lot of crazy things happen on the bus. I know it’s only been a little over a month, but I’m now a bus-riding expert, here to share a few tips for you. As your tour guide for your wild ride, I’ve compiled a few things that you should know based off of my experiences on “Lost in the LA Transit System.” So buckle up and enjoy the guide… I mean ride.

1. KNOW THE SYSTEM AND STOPS

   This is important. You can’t always rely on the internet or what other people are telling you. For example, I was under the assumption that the bus would run at a certain time and I would make it to work on time. I was sadly mistaken. It was a Saturday in June, and I didn’t realize that the buses operate under a different schedule for the weekends as well as holidays. Had I known the system and stops thoroughly, that would’ve never happened. Instead I sat patiently waiting for the bus for 2 hours. I called my supervisor and told her “something is wrong, 3 buses are running late.” She laughed as if she knew exactly the reason why and said, “Just catch the next one here.” I didn’t know why she laughed, obviously she knew something about the transit system that I didn’t. It took me a while before I realized the difference in operating times.

2. HAVE YOUR CHANGE READY

   I’m used to putting 60-80 dollars in my truck for gas. So, I always have large bills of cash on me. The first time that I muscled up enough courage to hop myself on a crowded bus that was headed to the mall on a Saturday afternoon; I found out that they don’t give back change. Can you imagine how embarrassing that can be to have to ask a bus full of people for change when you’re holding them up from going to the mall? Well, luckily someone gave me a dollar, and I had to break the 20 dollar bill at the mall for the return trip back home. On the bus, I had an awkward feeling that people were starring and laughing internally, thinking to themselves, “Where’s he from?” and “Did he really just try to pay with a $20 bill?”

3. DON’T FALL ASLEEP

   I had to learn this the hard way. UTC, you’re the only folks I’m telling this to, so don’t go telling the world. I’ve been riding the bus all summer now, and everyday I see people who are knocked out on the bus. I used to (and still do) think that’s crazy, “they’re going to miss their stop,” I would say. Then I would turn to look out the window whispering (under my breath) “I would never do that.” Well… I did that. How embarrassing! You know how you can feel your head nodding and swaying while you’re sleep, but for some reason, you can’t wake up to stop it? Well, that’s what was happening to me. Thank goodness, before I got on the bus, I asked a lady who was also about to get on, “Is this where you catch bus 187 going to Pasadena?” So when we were approaching my stop, and she realized I was dead to the world, she gave me a little nudge, and said “I think this is your stop.” Wow, the same thing I said I would never do, I did. And had it not been for the nice lady, I’d probably still be on the bus sleep somewhere in Arizona.

So there you have it. This is my public transit survival guide. What about you? What tips can you offer for everyday situations? Go ahead, leave a comment.

Torian Salary is a senior at Troy University in Alabama, studying Broadcast Journalism and Public Relations. He is interning at a black woman owned PR & marketing firm in Los Angeles. His observations on his summer experiences are exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.