I researched the microfilm at the library about an hour and left. I sat at the bench outside. I let two buses go by because I didn’t see one that said Perry Square on it and I need to go there to transfer to my bus route.

When the next bus, came I acted like I wanted to get on but actually I just wanted to ask the question, “Do you stop at Perry Square?”. He said yes. I got on and like an old pro I put my money in and took my transfer ticket. As I later found out pretty much all the buses stop at Perry Square.

The driver pulled up to a stop at Perry Square and I stood up and walked to the door. He wasn’t opening it and was ready to take off but I said, “This is where I need to get off.” He acted surprised. I had asked him to take me to Perry Square and I was the only one on the bus so I figured I didn’t need to pull the yellow cord. But they have their rules. You need to pull the yellow cord. You can’t expect them to remember everybody that boards. He didn’t say that but he was thinking it.

I got off to a sea of waiting travelers. I had my bus-route brochures in hand and was checking the schedule to see how long I had to wait there. Several buses came and went with the “bus people” and soon I was left there by myself except for one guy with headphones on sitting on the bench. A bus pulled up and I couldn’t read it well and I moved towards the curb for a closer look. The man behind me said, “That’s a school bus.” I turned around and he removed his headphones. Oh, I felt pretty stupid.

I asked him if he’d been waiting long and if he happened to see a bus with my route listed on it go by already. I handed him my schedule. He said it would be about 15 to 20 more minutes but the bus came as he was talking. Sometimes they come early? He was taking the same bus and sat behind me. He pointed out to me where the EMTA office really is, showed me his monthly pass and told me the good and the bad of taking a bus.

The main thing he pointed out is you need to be willing to walk. He showed me how I could take another route and keep the wait time down if I was willing to walk a couple of blocks out of my way. He said if you don’t have a car, you just plan your life around the bus schedule. You get used to it and it becomes the norm. He also said, there are times you will want a taxi but you’ll still save lots of money not having a car.

I got off near my house and it did feel good to be back near my home. Coming home was faster, about 35 minutes total.

A few observations:

• People didn’t bother people that had headphones on. I figure if you don’t want to talk to anyone, then wear easy-to-see headphones.
• There were a lot of blank faces among the people. Just get on and get off the bus, no expression what-so-ever.
• You will confront strollers and wheel chairs. They take up a lot of isle space but they are necessities for a lot of people so I figure, don’t get cranky about it.
• Some of the buses are really crowded. I was surprised as I was under the impression few people ride the buses. The buses to and from Perry Square and the Intermodal were pretty much empty, you can easily walk it on a nice day. Not that many people are spending the day at the library.
• The uncertainty of when the bus is coming is a big deal. If they get those time monitors signs that tell you how long before the bus comes or you can see that you already missed it, that would really be nice.
• On busy days, I think you could be left to wait for another hour if the bus was full. That would be a real bummer. No wonder so many have iPods or Mp3 players.
• My stop didn’t have a bench. After awhile I was sitting on the fire hydrant.
• I give a lot of credit to the bus drivers. What a responsibility to get everyone to their destination safely. People walk right out in front of the bus, cars cut right in front of the bus. Think of how boring it might be to drive the same loops over and over and over. And we all expect them to remain friendly. I thanked every driver as I left.
• I will use the bus system. I have a lot to learn but I’m no longer anxious about it.