the bus, people, the bus
I just dropped Sam off at the bus station up here in the OKC megalopolis. He rode with me up to work because we had a meeting, and then $2.25 later, he's on his way back down to the Campus on the Sooner Express. (Now, disclaimer before I start this rant-- if you are reading this and thinking "Hey, I'm not that way!" or something to that effect like, "Hey, you ARE that way!", then clearly this isn't for you, so just be about your business.) As we were waiting for said Sooner Express and chomming some chik-fil-a (nothing like real lemonade on a hot day, incidentally) he realized, incredulous, that I have never, ever caught a city bus in Norman.
I was thinking after that how catching the bus, other than the one from Lloyd Noble to the South Oval, is not really a thought that occurs to most Normanites, or, well... I guess I can say most of the people I associate with or know. I know I certainly wasn't taught by adults or peers that it is a viable option. In fact my friend Todd's parents once threatened him, at their wit's end with his high school boy bad attitude, to take away his car, and that he would have to ride the bus all summer if he wanted to go anywhere. Whoa, that was so harsh. And, my question is, why do we not think of public transport as a viable option from point A to point B? The arguments are, I assume, the following, to wit:
1. Freaks and weirdos;
2. Schedule restrictions;
3. The bus doesn't stop right in front of my house;
4. I have to haul "stuff";
5. It costs money, and my car doesn't.
Ok, so of these four main arguments, three or more can be answered with a raised eyebrow. Why have I allowed myself to believe these arguments and suffered them from my friends and fellow citizens? I mean, seriously, how far out of one's comfort zone is a Norman weirdo? We're not in, like, New York City or anything here. Furthermore, who do we think we are turning up our noses at the "lower class". As for schedule restrictions, well boo hoo maybe you won't have exactly what you want, exactly when you want it. Thirdly, GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASS. Next, you probably don't need to move more stuff than you can carry anyways, and lastly, clearly you don't understand the bus fare to gas cost to car repair to car insurance ratios. Incidentally, did you know that if you drive your car within a certain number of miles per week, you can classify it with your insurance company as a "recreational vehicle" and get a lower insurance rate?
The facts are, we're a sickeningly consumptive society, and this is a good example of it. So often things are just about comfort. I mean, I really disgusted myself just thinking of all the gas money I could have saved if I had just ridden the Sooner Express to work these past 5 months. Furthermore, I'm sure the company would have been more than happy to pay my bus fare, since it is considerably less than a parking fare. And, we're not even talking about doing my small part in helping be a good steward of the environment. ("You can't change the world, but you can make a dent.")
I feel like I'm not even scratching the surface in this rant. Maybe I'll blow it into a full essay. There are so many tangents it could take. And I haven't even mentioned walking or riding one's bike as an alternative to driving. I guess I'll end it with this: Think about it, next time you have to get from point A to point B, my fellow Normanite (and if you really can't be bothered to hop on your bike) well then, consider paying the 50 cents, experiencing the weather on your way to the closest stop, experiencing people around you (possibly *gasp* from a different class than you), creatively figuring out how to take your kids with you, or carry your groceries home and then maybe do it. If we all did it, think of the impacts.
p.s. my apologies for any hypocritical righteous indignance. I mean, I've been driving since age 16 with the best of them, I admit. Its just Sam coming through, but I fully plan on carrying this mindset out when I get back from England. Believe you me. Except mostly it will probably be my bike and not the bus, per se.
I was thinking after that how catching the bus, other than the one from Lloyd Noble to the South Oval, is not really a thought that occurs to most Normanites, or, well... I guess I can say most of the people I associate with or know. I know I certainly wasn't taught by adults or peers that it is a viable option. In fact my friend Todd's parents once threatened him, at their wit's end with his high school boy bad attitude, to take away his car, and that he would have to ride the bus all summer if he wanted to go anywhere. Whoa, that was so harsh. And, my question is, why do we not think of public transport as a viable option from point A to point B? The arguments are, I assume, the following, to wit:
1. Freaks and weirdos;
2. Schedule restrictions;
3. The bus doesn't stop right in front of my house;
4. I have to haul "stuff";
5. It costs money, and my car doesn't.
Ok, so of these four main arguments, three or more can be answered with a raised eyebrow. Why have I allowed myself to believe these arguments and suffered them from my friends and fellow citizens? I mean, seriously, how far out of one's comfort zone is a Norman weirdo? We're not in, like, New York City or anything here. Furthermore, who do we think we are turning up our noses at the "lower class". As for schedule restrictions, well boo hoo maybe you won't have exactly what you want, exactly when you want it. Thirdly, GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASS. Next, you probably don't need to move more stuff than you can carry anyways, and lastly, clearly you don't understand the bus fare to gas cost to car repair to car insurance ratios. Incidentally, did you know that if you drive your car within a certain number of miles per week, you can classify it with your insurance company as a "recreational vehicle" and get a lower insurance rate?
The facts are, we're a sickeningly consumptive society, and this is a good example of it. So often things are just about comfort. I mean, I really disgusted myself just thinking of all the gas money I could have saved if I had just ridden the Sooner Express to work these past 5 months. Furthermore, I'm sure the company would have been more than happy to pay my bus fare, since it is considerably less than a parking fare. And, we're not even talking about doing my small part in helping be a good steward of the environment. ("You can't change the world, but you can make a dent.")
I feel like I'm not even scratching the surface in this rant. Maybe I'll blow it into a full essay. There are so many tangents it could take. And I haven't even mentioned walking or riding one's bike as an alternative to driving. I guess I'll end it with this: Think about it, next time you have to get from point A to point B, my fellow Normanite (and if you really can't be bothered to hop on your bike) well then, consider paying the 50 cents, experiencing the weather on your way to the closest stop, experiencing people around you (possibly *gasp* from a different class than you), creatively figuring out how to take your kids with you, or carry your groceries home and then maybe do it. If we all did it, think of the impacts.
p.s. my apologies for any hypocritical righteous indignance. I mean, I've been driving since age 16 with the best of them, I admit. Its just Sam coming through, but I fully plan on carrying this mindset out when I get back from England. Believe you me. Except mostly it will probably be my bike and not the bus, per se.
posted by Laura Negus at 2:26 PM
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