Friday, April 18, 2014

Things I Like: Public transit

Beyond the carbon footprint-reducing environmental benefits, commuting by public transit has much to offer, namely:
  • time to read, contemplate, meditate, or even grab a catnap, 
  • the chance to be exposed to a more varied mix of people, including those from outside of your caste, 
  • the possibility of communicating with said people in ways that don't involve laying on a car horn and raising a middle finger, 
  • did I mention catnaps? 
  • a justification for being able to say to a co-worker "My driver is picking me up at 4:17", 
  • watching the same ol' landscape for something new (and there's always something new), 
  • a reason to embrace slowness as a moral imperative in a stressed-out world, where saying "I'll get there when I get there" could be construed as a treasonable act, and
  • a way to extend the life of your car while sticking it to the gasoline cartels. 
Yes, I ride the bus to work, and offer no apologies to those car-centric elitists who would cast aspersions.

2 comments:

  1. 100% with you on all of the above. I've also been surprised how many ideas for short stories and more have come to me while riding the Metro to work.

    Public transport saves me money, saves the planet (well, it makes a small contribution), saves my nerves that would otherwise be frayed by negotiating Athens traffic or looking for a parking spot, AND it feeds my Poor Brain.
    I think that's known in the trade as a "win-win" deal!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah...writing on the bus. I have notebooks full of stories, journal entries and first drafts of blog posts (including this one), rendered in an even worse version of my handwriting. (Anyone reading them would assume I was having an episode of some sort.)

    Back in 2009 my wife an I traveled to Greece, and so I fond memories of being thrilled (and a little terrified) by the sheer volume and insanity of traffic in your city. (I have a post in the works that touches on that topic, so I won't say too much here.)

    ReplyDelete