People on the bus

Now that I'm a regular, (sort of) I noticed how different this bus ride was from Chicago. People actually talk to one another!

It seems like some of them work together at NC State -- I found out that NC State employees and students ride free, as do State employees. Good deal -- helps TTA make it's numbers and budget and helps keep traffic down. But quite a few people, like me, have to find dollars to feed the fare box. It's $4 a day, round trip, so I've run through quite a few singles in the last few days.
If you put in a five, it gives you a paper voucher for the change.

Found out from one of my fellow passengers that you get a discount when you buy a bus pass, and the best way to buy them is online. This also was quick and easy, once I got around to doing it.

Now back to the people -- they are a diverse lot -- all ages and types. Some of them ride the bus because of gas prices and some find it more convenient. One woman felt it was safer than parking in the ramp downtown near where she works.

One woman didn't have a car at all. She takes one bus from her job to Moore's Square, where she waits for another bus that takes her near her home. She phones her son from the bus, who picks her up on his scooter for the last leg of the trip. I believe she said it takes her about an hour and a half, but she's spared the cost of a car and insurance.

I was thinking about it. How much would people save if they didn't have to have cars? I look around my neighborhood -- not only do the adults all have cars (sometimes three for two people) the teens have cars when they get their licences. Growing up in Chicago, I remember that for a while, my parents only had one car. In the city, you could take busses if you needed to and stores were close enough to walk to. (Though I imagine that for big grocery shopping trips, my mom used the car in the evening.)

If high gas prices (they may go down temporarily, but I imagine they'll go back up after the election, they did last time) urge people to look at they way they live and commute, perhaps it's not totally a bad thing.