Via Planetizen:
This article from Vancouver, B.C. outlines the skills required, and benefits of being an expert transit rider.
Developing Transit Surfer™ was one of the ways I scratched my itch to use the system more efficiently here.
What skills are required to be an expert transit rider here in Portland? What are the benefits?
2 responses to “Becoming an Expert Transit Rider”
Not sure if this counts as a “skill” or not, but I rely on my iPhone and the iBus application so much to ride TriMet these days that it’s hard to go without it. With that one app, I can find out pretty much exactly when a bus is going to arrive, compare more than one stop (like if I’m downtown and trying to get home to Sellwood and can take any of several different buses to get there), and even find bus stops near me using GPS, if I find myself in a part of town I’m not familiar with. TriMet rocks for making their API public, and combined with the “internet anywhere” of iPhone (or other smartphones), it’s like an entirely different experience.
And yet so many people aren’t aware of how easy it is to find out when a bus is coming. Even before I upgraded to iPhone, I was using 238-RIDE to get arrival times. When I tell people standing at a stop, “The bus will be here in 4 minutes,” they look at me funny. Maybe that’s just my funny hat, though.
I’ll go read that linked article now and see if what I said is a repeat. :)
Meh, IMO, nothing in that article that sparked my interest.
I think the best way to become an expert transit rider is (hmmm, these sound familiar):
Fare is fair!
Move for seniors and people with disabilities!
Don’t threaten or intimidate anybody!
Don’t be so loud that you disturb others! (We don’t need to hear about the “baby daddy,” that you just got “out,” or you’re riding the bus so you have enough money to pay the parole officer. Yes, I really have heard all of these at least once.)
Don’t block aisles or doors! (And when the operator says “folks, I need everyone to move back,” they mean the elevated section in the back, not just by the back door.)
Leave fluffy and fido at home, or put them in a carrier!
Keep food and drinks in closed containers!
When riding other transit systems, understand and respect their policies, which may be more restrictive!
If you’re asked to do something you don’t agree with (i.e., leave the bus, pay again, etc.), do it anyway, note the time/date/location/vehicle number, and if you have questions, call the transit district offices.