Q: I want to avoid high gas prices and do my part for the earth — I want to take the bus a few times a week. What should a new bus rider know?
A: Four bucks for a gallon of gas? It’s just the start. No wonder a lot of us, out of necessity or deep-seated guilt, are looking into ways to keep more of our hyper-inflating dollars out of Exxon-Mobil’s hands. Here are some tips for newbies.
Planning on commuting to work? First, choose a route that gets you there 15 to 20 minutes early. Maybe boss-man will think you’re striving to be a model employee and finally give you that 50-cent raise that comes with assuming twice your current responsibilities. Perhaps testing the reliability of your ideal commuting route by riding it on your day off would be time well spent. More than once I’ve tested my employer’s tolerance for tardiness by placing too much faith in the punctuality of a posted bus schedule. All in all, though, they’re pretty reliable; often, tardiness was partially my fault for expecting a bus to be on time within 5 minutes of when I’m expected to clock in, and partially forces beyond most of our control— like a couple of drunk guys having a little UFC re-enactment in the bus aisle.
For the way home, plan your trip on a route that has a supermarket at the intersection where you need to transfer buses. Google’s Public Transportation Trip Planner will help you do this with ease. There’s a link to it, as well as other helpful tools, on the Regional Transportation Commission’s website at rtcsouthernnevada.com. Note that the RTC sells five-day and 30-day passes at grocery and convenience stores all over town — and now 7-Elevens. Or you can buy a pass online.
Prepare for the trip itself. Here’s what I bring in the thick of summer: Two quarts of water. A big Indiana Jones-lookin’ hat, a couple hankies, good for soaking and cooling breezes. Mace — because there might be bears here — and some kinda salty snack food. All these things fit nicely in a daypack with extra room for a book (plus your swimsuit, should you encounter an apartment complex’s pool while waiting 20 minutes for your next ride).
Traveling north and south on streets like Decatur Boulevard, Eastern Avenue and Valley View Boulevard has proved a little faster and more reliable at getting me to my Strip job than “The Deuce.” I’ve also learned it’s helpful to plan my commute to include north-facing bus stops and 24 hour air-conditioned taco shops within a 10-second sprint to the bus shelter, and combining as many errands and obligations as I can into the same route.
If you’re still waiting for a better reason to ride the bus, the best I can offer is that every day I get to engage and meet new people. I find it much easier to make friends this way than by sitting in my own metal box, gridlocked on the 95.
Seasoned bus commuter Mike Gwaltney can be found waiting at the bus stop where the 202 transfers to the 101.