Omnitrans

Although its not the point of this blog, I would like to use today's post to talk about the specific "brand" of bus service I have been using these past few weeks.  Omnitrans provides bus service to a large portion of San Bernardino county, including the city of San Bernardino itself.  My travels on Omitrans busses have so far been a reasonably pleasant experience.  Unlike the Los Angeles MTA bus that I was a passenger on earlier this year, these busses are quiet, they seem to ride well, they smell okay, and the seats are as comfortable as reason would allow.

However, I do see two possible areas of improvement.  First, it would be great if I didn't need exact change for the bus.  If it is impossible to implement an on-bus change machine, then how about some sort of easily printed credit voucher?  Second, when a free-ride program ends, such as the one from my school that just ended, it would be a nice gesture to post a sign at the bus stop informing people of the change.

My complaints are really quite minor, and all things considered I wish to congratulate Omnitrans on a job well done.

Opportunity knocks twice

When I started using the bus this summer for necessary transportation my attitude was all wrong.  Although I was determined to make the best of it, I felt that it was somehow unfair that it was necessary.  My line of thinking was that I had somehow been wronged, that this was some sort of punishment for a sin uncommitted.  What the hell is wrong with me?

First of all, this "hardship" has caused me to write this blog.  After all, what else should I do with my time while riding the bus?  Perhaps more importantly it is a great opportunity for exercise.  Let me be clear - I could find a way to exercise on my own.  The problem is that there is always a justification for not doing it. This way I don't have a choice - if I want to get home, I must walk the last three miles of my journey.  The only alternative is to wait around for hours to be picked up, and even I am not that lazy.

So there it is - this "burden" that has been placed upon me is the two best opportunities to happen to me all summer!

People on the bus

While waiting for the bus to leave today I had a wonderful chat with the driver, which made me think about the people who ride the bus.  Many people think that only disadvantaged people ride the bus, but that simply is not true.  For example, as I write this, two professors from the university I attend are discussing the Fall schedule jut over my left shoulder.  Sure, there are poor people on the bus, but most of them are honest, hard working people who are just trying to get from point A to point B.  Yes, there is the occasional thug or smelly homeless person, but they are the exception to the rule.  

It's my birthday, so I'm taking the night off, except for taking the opportunity to post a photo of the San Bernardino train station, which I made yesterday with my super-awesome-crap cell phone cam.  Enjoy!

Day 2: Alternate route

Yesterday was not a bad experience, in fact most of it went very well.  The only hiccup I encountered was getting off the last bus one stop too early, and it was so close to the correct stop it was trivial.  The simple truth is that although everything went smoothly, it takes far too long.

So here it is readers, day 2, and I am already taking the alternate route, aka plan B.  Today's route, if all goes well, will "only" take 1 hour and 37 minutes to get -almost- home.  And there is the catch, the magic almost, which equals roughly 3 miles.  Fortunately my wife will be able to pick me up from my end point, but it won't be until 20 minutes after my arrival.

And now here come the cheat - my route for today involves 1 bus, a 1 mile walk, and a $7 Metrolink ticket.  I know, I know, the original plan was to take the bus, not the train.  On the other hand, I will still be on the bus for the longest leg of my Monday/Tuesday route, and I will also be riding the bus on most Wednesdays.  At least that is the plan for now....

For the next 5 weeks I will be taking the bus home from work twice a week, and part way home a third.  This blog will be a brief chronicle of my experiences, thoughts, and feelings regarding the experience, whether good or bad.  So here it is, in all its splendor ...

Day 1 -   Ugh.

"Ugh" is the exact sound I made after I viewed the route home on Google maps.  Let me precursor what I am about to say with this: I like mass transit.  For example, if I have cause to go to Los Angeles for the day, I usually try to find a way to take the train, even though I know for a fact that it takes considerably longer than driving.  However, knowing that it only takes 30 minutes to drive home, there was only one thing I could say when google maps proclaimed 2 hours, 45 minutes to get home ...

Ugh.