Mass transit memories

By Trudy Rushforth

HappyNews Citizen Journalist

Many people tout the environmental benefits of mass transportation. I am not qualified to comment on that subject. However, I have noticed economic and social benefits that merit consideration.

From the time I was 16 until recently, I had almost constant access to an automobile. I could drive wherever I wanted whenever I wanted, and I enjoyed the freedom that the car provided me. About a year ago, I was left without a car for several months. Because I commute from San Jose to San Francisco (a distance of about 50 miles), this was an adjustment for me.

I researched the various mass transportation opportunities available, and decided that the train was best suited for my needs. In addition to gas prices being high, parking in San Francisco is ridiculously expensive. By purchasing a monthly train and bus pass, I saved about $180 per month over driving. I also ended up saving about 30 minutes in commute time, and eliminating the stress of being stuck in a traffic jam.

I could have taken the bus from my house to the train station, but my father would not hear of it. He dropped me off at the station on his way into work. I boarded the train for my first day with a little bit of apprehension. I didn't know what kind of people I would be traveling with. It almost felt like getting on the school bus for the first day of kindergarten.

I spent the time studying until I got up to the city. Then I transferred onto a light rail to get to school. While I was on the light rail, I saw some tourists who looked lost. They asked me for directions, which started a nice conversation. We talked about where we were from, our families, and other such things. They were pleasant people. This type of experience was repeated on several occasions through the rest of the semester.

After a few weeks, I began to notice the other regular commuters. Everyone sits in relatively the same place each day, and after a while, I would wonder about the people who were missing on a particular day. It reminds me of stories that older people tell about the good old days when everyone knew their neighbors.

Recently, I had another positive experience when I was flying to visit my grandparents. I don't like peanuts, so when the airline did the beverage and nut service, I offered my peanuts to the woman sitting next to me. She accepted, and we started to talk. She was going to visit her son. We found out that we shared the same religious beliefs, and we talked about work as well. Flying makes me nervous, but because I was talking instead of just sitting there, I forgot about all the reasons that I should be worried. The flight seemed to go faster than normal, and I left feeling glad that I had decided to fly instead of drive.

A few months ago, I got a car. I was excited about regaining my independence from the bus system. I spent the summer driving to work every day, and I realized that although I liked being able to come and go as I pleased, it got kind of boring being by myself for an hour with nothing but my thoughts and the radio. I still use my car to run errands, drive to the train station, and do other things around town. However, I look forward to my daily time on the train to interact with other people on my way into school.

Trudy Rushforth is a Citizen Journalist from San Jose, CA. She also sells candles and attends law school. To find out more, vist her website.

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