Transportation Thursday #2

Ok....this is the first full week in a month and a half that I haven't taken the bus to work one time. Every week since mid-August, I have at least taken a ride on the JO at least once. However, this week I had to leave in the afternoon Monday to go to Manhattan for recruiting, then I was in Manhattan all day on Tuesday, I had to get home ASAP on Wednesday because I had people over at 6PM and had to get food ready and then tonight I met Lauren for dinner at 5:30. Then Friday, I'm only working 1/2 day because my work group is making the trip to the Liberty Corn Maize in the afternoon---so I have to drive there! BOO. But hopefully my schedule will calm down and the JO will be my main form of transportation again.

ANYWAYS...onto the point of this post, which is to re-live my stories on the JO. This week is a good one.

When I first started riding the bus, one of my biggest fears was that I was going to get on a bus that was going the wrong way and I was going to get stuck. For example, at the transfer station at 60th and Lamar, there are two lanes with all the same bus routes. One lane is full of buses that are going south and the other lane is going north. But unless you see the sign...you don't really know. And if it's your first time, you are just so nervous you want to find your bus route and get on, sit down, and start going!

Well, thank goodness that never ever happened to me. I was semi-smart enough to guess what side of the street I needed to stand on for me to go the right way and then at the transfer station I asked a lot of questions :) However, that is not the case with everyone.

A few weeks ago, I got on my normal A route to downtown at 7:22AM. Plopped my bag down, pulled out my Kindle and got in my "bus mode". Since I have been taking this route for awhile, the people are the bus have become familiar to me. So I notice when they are not there; I notice when new people get on the bus. This particular day, a well-dressed 30-something man gets on the bus. He's in slacks and a tie: not your typical JO rider's attire, so I immediately notice him. He sits across the aisle from me and gets on his Blackberry as he sits down.

The bus starts moving along. Through about three stop lights.....a few more turns.....at least 2.5-3 miles into the ride......he turns to me and says "OH MY GOD. Is this bus going North?" I answer yes it is...his eyes get really big. Then he reaches up, pulls the bell to indicate he wants to get off the bus. He immediately gets up, gets off the bus and off we go.

But I can't stop thinking about it. What happened to him? What exactly did he do? We were at least 2.5 miles from where his car was parked (most likely parked). So he either had to walk all the way back to his car and then drive to work from there- making him undoubtedly late to work. Or he called someone to come and pick him up...but that would take forever most likely for someone to come get him and then take him to his car and then to work. But if he walked, would he start sweating? Would he run in his nice attire? Overall, I just couldn't stop wandering....WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?

Haha. I know it's silly because I obviously have no idea who this person is nor will I ever probably see him again...but I still am curious. And secretly wondering what I would have done--- which would probably entail me calling Jimmy and yelling and then I would make him come pick me up and rescue me. Or if I were wearing tennis shoes, maybe I would have run :)

Regardless, thank goodness I never went the wrong direction.

Transportation Thursday #1

Ok blog readers...I'm starting a new tradition and calling it "Transportation Thursday" so I can make sure I have a set time to write about my stories on the JO, which is the Johnson County bus. If you are interested in reading about why and when I started riding the bus, you can check that out here....but if you really don't care and just like funny bus stories....keep reading.

Here's my problem...I'm a planner. Yes, I said it. I like to have a plan usually always and when you decide to try something new like public transportation its relatively impossible to have a plan because I have no idea what to expect. So maybe it's just I don't like the unknown? Either way, my initial struggle with riding the bus was finding the perfect route. That's easy, you say? Just get online, look at the schedule, find the closest one to your house and there you have it. I beg to differ. Not so easy. But I'm happy to say almost exactly a month of riding the bus....I have FINALLY found my perfect route. And I'm very very happy with it. But that's not the funny part. The funny part was all I had to go through to find this perfect route.

First bus route attempt:

Route 664 - Metcalf to Downtown

Pick up at 75th and Metcalf across the street from Burger King, drop off on the wrong side of the road in rush hour traffic and most likely illegally parking my car in CVS parking lot all day

FAIL

Second bus route attempt:

Route E - Nall to Downtown transfer to Route A - Antioch to Downtown

Pick up at 79th and Nall really freaking early, I walk to the bus, nice because I don't have to ever get in my car, awful because I am frequently a few minutes late...which means I have to sprint down my street with a bag, purse and wedges or heels. That was not fun. Especially that one morning that I rushed out, closed the garage door and started walking fast. Then I realized I forgot my work badge. I cannot even get into the door that goes into my office floor without that. I turn back around and start jogging back to my house. I open the garage door and frantically yell "JIMMY, CAN YOU DRIVE ME TO THE BUS STOP." I stand there waiting for some sort of response which feels like an eternity, say screw it and just run out of the house and sprint down the street....about 11 houses away. It was humid. I was sweating. Jimmy mentioned that night he did thought he heard something or someone but wasn't sure (um hello, your wife in desperate need of a ride). Drop off at 79th and Nall, which is not so bad. However, because of the pick up situation(s)

FAIL

Third bus route attempt:

Route 664- Metcalf to Downtown, try #2

Pick up a little bit past 75th and Metcalf. In my head, it was perfect. I would park my car at 24 hour fitness, get to work at 7:35AM because this was the fast route and then dropped off just a little before 5:30PM right outside of 24 hour fitness, grab my work out clothes and go to the gym. However, in reality, it worked like this: Pick up a little past 75th and Metcalf in which I have to dart across 4 lanes of traffic. The road is under construction and they are ripping up all the sidewalks and curbs and it rained the night before. I make it across the street but my wedges are muddy. I make it just in time as I see the bus at the stop light. Oh and the bus sees me. But then he stops, about 40 feet away from me and sits there. Apparently waiting. I was so confused, irritated and a little embarrassed. As I trekked my way through the mud, he moved the bus up a little bit but not much. Drop off was ideally right outside of 24 hour fitness, however, with the construction and the turn lane they put in, that made it a little difficult. Plus....I'm bell shy....meaning, I get very nervous to pull on the cord to light up the "request a stop" button. So I pulled it too early and I ended up having to walk too far to 24 hour fitness...in the rain...with a really girly umbrella...and wedges on...then the sidewalk was ripped out...so my shoes got more muddy. When I finally got to my car, I realized, this was NOT going to be an everyday solution.

FAIL

Fourth bus route attempt:

Route E (again) - Nall to Downtown, transfer to Route A - Antioch to Downtown

This pick up was OK, as long as I didn't have to run. And I liked that bus driver. But it was the drop off that killed me...I was in a meeting and the time was getting closer and closer to 5:00 (the bus comes at 5:08, so I HAVE to leave the building by exactly 5:00). I started panicking because while there were more bus routes back to JoCo, the transfer from Antioch bus to Nall was only at 5:45, so I had to get on that bus or else I was stuck. Too much anxiety for me.

FAIL

Fifth bus route attempt:

Route A - Antioch to Downtown and back

This time, I would drive to the transfer station at 6000 Lamar and just get on the Antioch bus directly. While the Nall bus was still there, I could leave my house 7 minutes later and get on the bus to downtown, so I was sold. Also, I could eat breakfast on the way. Also, if I missed the bus (which I did last Thursday......) I still had a car to drive to work. Then I would get on the bus back, it would drop me off at the transfer station and I would get in my car and be free to run errands, etc immediately. I liked this one a lot better because there are TONS of different route times and if I am working late, it's not a problem!

NOT A FAIL, BUT NOT PERFECT

Sixth bus route attempt:

Route A - Antioch to Downtown and then back on Route D - Downtown to Quivira

I would start out with 6th time is a charm, however I don't like even numbers, so I'm not saying that. I took this Route home today and love it. I'm sold. This is my favorite route by far. Lots of flexibility (I took the early bus home today and it was great). I get dropped off at 7:45AM and picked up at 5:18PM. Love it. But since I only did the latter today, we'll see how I feel after a few rides.

SOLD, BUT STILL LOOKING??

Ok, moral of the story.....it takes a very long time, lots of bus rides, and lots of researching JO routes to figure out what route is best for you :) But overall, I would like to proclaim that I really love riding the bus. Provides me with a relaxing start to my day reading my wonderful Kindle, which was a present from old Jimbo and my parents for my birthday, and some GREAT stories. Which will all be shared when Transportation Thursday returns next week :) Until then, happy bus riding....

P.S. October starts tomorrow, which means I already had to purchase my new October bus pass. Don't worry, I already did :)

Adventures on the JO: Part 1

So 2 weeks ago, I got this crazy idea: I'm going to ride the bus to work. In taking on a new volunteer role for Pi Phi that adds some more responsibility (and emails!) to my daily life, I am searching for ways to get more "free" time to catch up on all my extra curricular activities that I have committed to!! When I saw an ad for the "JO", which is the Johnson County bus system, saying that they now have free Wi-Fi on their buses...I thought- that's perfect! That time I usually spend driving to work, using gas and mileage on my car, stressing about traffic---I will just sit on the bus, take my laptop and email away. And as everyone knows, it's all about efficiency these days, right? :)

I was a little nervous- ok, a LOT nervous- as I had no idea what to expect and could browse the JO website as many times as I wanted to and make sure I was getting on the right bus at the right place to get me to work. The first time I did it....not going to lie, was terrifying!! I wanted to try the Metcalf-Downtown, route 664 bus. But really had no idea A) where the pick up took place B) how I notified the driving bus to pick me up C) where to park, as I can't walk to 75th & Metcalf and really there were many more unknowns. But on a Friday morning, I got in my car and drove to the CVS at 75th and Metcalf. Drove around a few times, spotted the JO pick up sign- but there was no bench or anything. Just a sign. Ok, I can do that. But the sign was on the South side of the street..and I want to go North, so I guessed that the bus would really pick me up on the North side.

So I finally settle in the CVS parking lot and call Jimmy. I tell him that I cannot do this, I'm too nervous, I have no idea what to do/where to stand/how to breathe at this point. He laughs and tells me to calm down. In the end, I'm sitting in my car and if I don't want to get on the bus, I can just drive to work. Yes, he's right. I'm an idiot. But I make myself get out of the car and walk to the side of the street, after Jimmy reassures me that my car won't get towed 16 times. And I stand there. Waiting for the bus. The pick up time comes and goes, and about 3 minutes later, I'm still standing on the side of this busy street---wondering what people think I'm doing. I mean if I drove by me, I'd be confused.

Then FINALLY the bus arrives. I get on, put my $$ in the slot and sit down. I'm ok. I'm on the bus. I text Jimmy with a "victory" text. The bus makes it's way downtown; my stop is last, so I'm the last person on the bus. They drop me off at Crown Center, as planned at 7:59AM and I walk to my office building and sit down at my desk and sigh a sigh of relief/victory in conquering the fear of the unknown/excitement- I liked the bus.

My day proceeds to go on. And then around 4:30, I start getting nervous about the process of getting home. Since I'm unsure how all that happens (even after studying the route's 16 million times), I decide to leave at 4:45 for the 5:05 pick up, which will give me plenty of time to get down there and time myself how long it takes for future bus trips. I head down the elevator to walk across the square---and then NO, this cannot be happening. The area that I planned to walk through, that I walked through to get to work, that I walk through once a week to get to Crown Center/Panera for lunch....it's BLOCKED OFF!!!!! There is a Friday night concert that you have to pay to get in and I cannot walk through. I panic. How will I get there? Will I be late? Do I run? I'm going to miss the bus!!!!!!!! I start to half jog through McGee square and realize I can go down the stairs to the left and end up in front of the Crown Center Parking garage and just walk on Grand a bit to the stop. A bit of a detour, but my only choice. I do that, and still have plenty of time. First disaster averted.

Then comes my logical reasoning. **Let me preface this, that I confused my downtown KC Federal buildings. The pick up after Crown Center on the bus schedule is the IRS building, which would cause the bus to go north on Grand, I confused that with the Federal Reserve building, which would cause the bus to go south on Grand** I start thinking of the final pick up and reason with myself, even though there is not a "JO stops here" sign on the south side, I go over there and sit down with the other MAX (KCMO bus) riders. I quickly notice how I clearly do not fit in, however I do reason with myself that it's ok and I'll get on the bus no matter what. A nice older woman sits down next to me and I think about asking if she is taking the Jo, but then wonder if that's some kind of reserve discrimination if I assume that she is taking the Jo and not the MAX because of what she looks like. So I don't. I just sit there.....

And then what do you know? I look across the street. Yep, there it is. The bus that I am supposed to be on. On the north side. I guessed/reasoned completely wrong. So I bolt up, not sure what to do, but know that I have to get on that bus because I'm not going to wait until 5:30 for the next one....so I stand up, stick my hand out in front of the MAX that is stationary and a few cars (no time for the cross walk) and make it to the other side of the street without getting hit (WHEW). But then the bus doors are closed, but thank goodness there is plenty of traffic because it's not moving yet. So I go to the door, knock, smile and wait for it to open. I make sure I am in fact on the correct bus, insert my money and sit down. Relieved. Excited. Exhausted. But I open my book, and the rest of the trip is relaxing. Second disaster averted.

Oh no, not over yet :) Because I have to get off the bus, well of course that throws another loop hole at me. I parked on the north side of Metcalf and I get dropped off on the south side of Metcalf. Now, if it wasn't rush hour...at 75th and Metcalf...I could probably just walk across the street. Not going to happen because that street is packed at that time. So I get dropped off about 2 blocks from the intersection/cross walk and have to walk back it, wait for the signal and then cross the street. Of course, I call Jimmy and make him talk to me so I don't feel like a loser crossing the street. But then I spot my car, nope not towed, get in, immediately call my mom and relay this entire story to her and she laughs. Mission complete.

But then I am determined to never cross 75th and Metcalf at rush hour, so I need a new plan. After scouring the bus routes....I had a new plan where I don't even have to get in my car. Well, that will be for another blog post, but trust me...each bus ride = new stories.