Public transportation

I went to graduate school in the Mid-West. As you may already know, people in the Mid-West drive everywhere, near or far. There is no bus or metro. Very few people walk. I know that feeling of walking alone on the street, just like walking on the highway or in a desert. So I lived more than 2 years in Missouri. The small town where I lived has no sight of any public transportation, well I am not counting Amtrak. I have been to Kansas city and St. Louis and noticed buses are not very visible on the streets.

Chicago is in the Mid-West, people would say, and it is an exception. Public transportation in Chicago is efficient as my experience. I can go to anywhere in the inner city by bus or metro or both. I walked and rode a bus to places. I didnt have to walk too far or wait too long for a bus I wanted to take, and I always had company. Oh I loved Chicago, and I still do.

When I went to visit New York City, I took the metro which was an easier and common way to get around the city. I just did not like people joining an imaginary race on the streets. I bet they have a fast-paced life in one of the busiest cities in the world. People walk very fast, almost like running. They do not look at each other in the eyes. Most of them are on the phone and carrying stuff around. I guess if I move there one day, I would be one of them. I dont blame them.

Now I just moved to Virginia where it's like a hybrid of a bigger city and my Mid-West (so-called) hometown. There are buses and metro that carry you to some places but for your convenience, you are better of having a car, even though the traffic can be terrible. It is nice that I can take buses to work and do not have to walk very far. My bus comes once in every hour. It has a schedule but never comes at the scheduled time. There is a number that you can call and check the real-time next bus coming to your bus-stop but to my experience, it always has an error rate. First time I intended to take a bus to work, I ended up walking all the way through. I was waiting for my bus. I called the number, it said I had to wait about 10 to 20 mins for the next bus. So I decided to walk to the next bus-stop because it only takes me about 5 mins to walk. I was worried that I would be late for work. Once I got to a bus stop, I waited and called. I did the same thing to several stops. And in between the two stops, I heard the bus pass by. I was standing there watching the bus missing me. I could not describe how disappointed, desperate, and humiliated I was then. Now I got to walk all the way to get the next bus I needed to take to go to work. Then I walked, and I walked. After the snow storms, the sidewalks were still covered with snow so I literally was walking in the street with cars running pass me. I was thinking what if I got run over. That thought kept me busy while I was walking. I finally got to work after almost one and a half hours. Thanks God it was a nice sunny day and people knew how to drive.

Lessons learned: check the bus schedule, call the number but still get to the bus stop 15 mins before whatever time is said. I had better wait half an hour and get on the bus than missing it and walking again. It is not fun standing in the cold and watching cars and cars passing you by though. Haizzz!Over 200 things to do with your little scout: Kidding around in Kansas CityCheap thrills in St. Louis: A guide to free and inexpensive things to do