Posted by Let’s get the archaic perception-baggage that comes with bus riding out of the way. The deterrents are well-documented. You have to know where to catch the bus, know where it goes, which historically has not exactly been immediately apparent. And this is if, by chance, you’re in walking distance of a bus line that connects you to your job, or other destinations and resources.
If you can get past this, there’s still the awkwardness of standing (most bus stops don’t have seating) in the elements (freezing cold, blazing heat, rain, snow and wind can make even the shortest waits unbearable) and watching people drive by in their comfortable bubbles on four wheels.
When you board the bus, you never quite know what you’re gonna get. There’s the person shouting with their speaker phones blaring. Maybe you sit adjacent from someone who is talking to themselves. The bus can face delays and even if it doesn’t, it can turn a 10-minute car ride into a 40 minute bus ride.
Then when you disembark, you are once again faced with the elements while crossing busy streets to reach your destination.
No, I’m not trying to discourage people from riding public transit with the paragraphs above. I’m simply acknowledging the sea of deterrents that dissuade people from even considering the transit option. Case in point, I have a friend who is living in the city and can’t afford a car. As a result, she laments having to pay for an Uber or rely on friends for rides to work and elsewhere. I discovered a workable bus solution, but a mutual friend said “Arian, she’s not taking the bus,” as if my far more fiscally responsible mobility solution was beneath her.
What people don’t yet grasp is that technology has completely changed the transit experience. Here are 5 examples that might surprise you.
Hey, Google
See a bus stop by your residence and want to check where the associated bus route goes? Simply go to Google Maps on your device of choice, click on that bus stop, and Google will show you the entire route.
Furthermore, it will also show you the next scheduled departures for this stop.
Want to see how to use transit to get to a certain destination? Ask Google for directions the same way you would if you were driving, then select “Transit” as your mode, and Google will plan your trip.
Google gives nearly everyone a chance to conveniently navigate public transit in a way that wasn’t available just a decade ago! This takes the guesswork out of determining where each bus goes and how to plan routes to destinations any time of the day.
Transit Apps
Beyond Google, many urban transportation agencies now have their own apps, and/or use 3rd-party mobility apps like Transit, which allow riders to see live, up-to-the-minute departure times as well as view exactly where your bus is in real time.
Don’t want to wait in the cold, wondering when the next bus will arrive and take you to work? Pull up the app before you leave in the morning and see exactly where your bus is and when it will arrive, minimizing your exposure to extreme weather and maximizing your time to get ready for the day.
Furthermore, these apps often absolve us of the responsibility to adhere to a fixed form of payment. Smart bus systems offer payment via cash, a pre-purchased bus pass AND a smartphone-enabled QR code that links to one’s bank account.
Earbuds
Remember the perceived on-bus deterrents that I mentioned earlier? The ability to board and ride the bus with your favorite music, news or podcast dominating your audial channels is a game changer. No longer is a rider subject to the sounds that often come with a public transit experience. A decent investment in a robust set of earbuds connected to your smartphone can drown out uncomfortable sounds and discourage unwelcome encounters, helping to elevate your riding experience.
I will, however, acknowledge that this negates what is potentially one of the most powerful features of public transit. Being in a tightly enclosed space with people who may not walk, talk, or act like us can be an uncomfortable but transcendent experience, allowing us to face the nuances and variables of humanity that make us more tolerant and understanding individuals. So often, we avoid encounters that make us feel this discomfort, but riding the bus gives us a little window into what society really is… a cross-section of people trying to get by, trying to find a way to navigate an imperfect world.
In Conclusion
Smartphones, apps, and earbuds have given us the power to navigate the uncertainties that inherently come with riding the bus. They empower our ability to know where a bus is and where it is going. They give us multiple ways of paying for our ride. They allow us to drown out the occasional unpleasant human variables that inherently come with moving throughout our environment with others, though this might rob us of an opportunity to grasp a better understanding of our diverse communities.
But technology has made riding the bus so much easier and as a result, I would encourage everyone to reevaluate any false narratives regarding this practical mode of transportation.