The delights of riding the bus

I like riding the bus.

It’s a simple statement and the reason why I don’t mind living 40… I like riding the bus.

It’s a simple statement and the reason why I don’t mind living 40 minutes off campus. But it always earns me looks of confusion from whoever hears me say it.

I don’t understand. Is liking the Pittsburgh bus system all that strange? Maybe everyone is having worse bus experiences than I am, but I doubt it.

I’ve been stuck on the Homestead Bridge during a snowstorm. I’ve encountered odd substances on the floor and seats in the backs of buses, and I’ve waited two hours for a bus when the first snow, a traffic accident and a Steelers game backed up traffic from Downtown to Oakland last November.

Because of these special times with the Port Authority, I know that the bus isn’t always an easy or enjoyable experience, but as a twice-daily rider for the last year, I’ve learned a few things that can make the ride better.

One of the first problems I had as a bus rider was the schedule. Sure, they’re easy enough to read: stops, times, maps. It’s simple, but when you’re faced with a trip across the city, the simple one-bus-trip often morphs into a complex system of transfers, walks and perfect timing.

To make it all worse, the schedules are named by bus: 13U, 28X, G. Where the hell does G go? I don’t know now and probably will never know unless I look it up. To save time and planning for any bus trip, my solution is Google Transit. Just think Mapquest with buses instead of cars.

It does all the calculating for you. In seconds, the site offers three routes to your destination including walking distances, names of bus stops and times of departure and arrival. After Google Transit entered my life and my browser’s bookmarks, my days of being lost among the transit system were over.

Making it onto the bus is one thing, though, the ride is quite another. Once onboard, everyone becomes hell-bent on finding a seat – even if it means hitting someone with a briefcase to get one. Trust me, I’ve seen it done.

I most frequently ride the 28X Airport Flyer from home to class or vice versa. During my rides, the seating issue is truly cutthroat – refer to the briefcase assault. Not only are bodies taking up room on the bus, but also half of the bodies have luggage, which occupies more space, seats even.

That is when the situation gets really contentious. You see, no one wants to stand his or her way into Pittsburgh for 40 minutes while a duffel bag enjoys the comfort of a nearby seat. This goes the same for any bus, whether it’s the airport bus or not.

For such times when a lunch box has your seat, I suggest asking the owner to move it. I mean we’re all reasonable people, right? Plus, it’s better than stewing angrily while standing for the length of a bus ride.

I’ll admit, though, that I wasn’t always brave enough to follow this advice, but I got over it after seeing fellow riders actually move people’s luggage without asking. Now, I simply ask to have the lunch box’s seat and try not to sound like a bee with an itch when doing so.

Unfortunately, seating isn’t the only issue that can arise on the bus. Let’s just say – strange things happen on the bus. I’ve sat next to the drooling guy who leans on you the entire ride, and I’ve been roped into an endless conversation with the guy who never shuts up.

These times can be so irritating that even the patience and understanding of a girl who loves the bus wears thin. However, I think the solutions are obvious. Drooling guy? Change seats, or if necessary, make the sacrifice and stand. Motor mouth? Take preemptive measures. Ipods are very useful in halting unwanted conversation, but books also work in this way.

I often choose this second option, because I want to hear what is going on around me – one of the reasons why I love the bus. With strange happenings come strange conversation.

More to the point, though, the bus is a social experience even if you’re not speaking to anyone. So I’ll forgive the half-eaten Big Mac under the seat that I don’t have, as long as the person sitting there says something ridiculous and unforgettable.

Share your love of Port Authority with Bethany by e-mailing her at brd13@pitt.edu.