Ride On

As I was reading the news online on the CBC today I came across a story indicating that a lot of people are unhappy with the route changes implemented by OC Transpo. To that I have a couple of things to say.


First, if you think there are problems with public transit in Ottawa you should try to take the bus in Winnipeg. Ask anyone from Winnipeg, they will fill you in.


Second, since one of the big complaints is overcrowding it should be noted there are a lot of people using the bus that really don't need to. I have witnessed this every time I have been on an OC Transpo bus, people wait for the bus, get on, go two stops and get off. I am not talking about elderly people, or parents with small children. I am talking about able bodied people.


There are two things that are not right with this. 


This behaviour makes the bus more crowded. There are a lot of people who have to travel a great distance each day and are not in a financial position to drive. Be it they can't afford a car or can't afford to park, it really doesn't matter, they need the bus to travel a long distance.


Additionally, if you are able bodied, you would benefit from the short walk. With the wait to get on the bus and the slow speed it travels you are probably only saving a minute or two. You will also see the health benefit of being active. That's a whole different entry.


I don't take the bus very often. If the weather is very miserable, I will consider it. I took it home from work one day when I seemed to be coming down with the flu. It was also raining that day so it seemed reasonable.


Travelling by transit bus is affordable but most affordable options don't come with convenience. It is a trade-off. I understand how a change to a routine can be upsetting and if you had your system worked out and it was changed on you that is definitely frustrating but if you choose to rely on the bus you have to live by their whims.


I do see public transit as a viable means to get around and compared to many cities, Ottawa has a good system, however if you don't need to use it, consider leaving the capacity to someone who does.

Rolling Down the Avenue

Last week-end I had the pleasure of taking the bus. The city bus. I don't do this very often but from time to time I have a reason. It wasn't a very long trip and the route I took was well travelled so the service is quite good with a bus passing by about every six minutes.

The full fare for an adult on Winnipeg Transit is $2.30. This is quite affordable. The affordability of the bus lends itself to two things. It is not the most expedient travel but often there are some rather unique characters using the service.

For example, there was the guy sitting in front of me who became visibly upset when we missed the green light during a driver change. It's the bus. You can travel quickly or you can travel cheaply. You can't do both. The same guy became visibly upset when we missed another green light because an older lady took longer than normal to get onto the bus. It's the bus.

True to form there was a woman talking to herself the entire time she was on the bus. She was also sitting near me. The conversation was rather coherent and topical as she discussed with herself the merits of sitting or standing on the bus.

The bus makes for an incredible people watching experience. Since sitting and riding takes virtually no mental effort you can make up stories about the others you see on the bus.

If you are lucky enough to catch two people who know each other you can hear the most interesting conversations and get some insight into their lives. You will most likely never see these people again, however there is definitely some entertainment for you during your ride.

If you like to observe people and have some time hop on a bus. It could be funny, it could be sad, it could be annoying, or it could be uplifting. It will always be the bus.