An Ode to Public Transportation

I was riding MARTA (the Atlanta subway system) the other night from downtown and had to chuckle at the lack of train-riding efficiency around me. It was crowded after the movie, and some people chose to wait on the platform, while in my opinion, there was plenty of room left in the cars. (Plenty of room I suppose, though, if you have ever been on the Green Line of the T in Boston during rush hour on a Red Sox game day. If so, you know a well-packed train.)

On the ride home, I found myself thinking about many years spent riding public transportation... something I've been prone to think about lately given the time I spend in my car and the rising price of gas.

(The following meditation on mass transit brought to you by our friends at Sesame Street. Buy a token now for a ride that's super-wow!)


This year in Atlanta has been the first of my adult life commuting to work or school without public transit. Recall also that I spent 4 of those years in Tucson, AZ, a town not known for stellar public transit. I have now used public buses and subways in at least 5 countries and 9 states (that I can think of at this moment).

Yes, public transportation can be a headache in many ways. There were times I have been near tears -- packed in awkwardly with heavy groceries or waiting for a very overdue bus at night in sub-zero wind chill. It also did once take me almost 3 hours to get the 5.5 miles to work after the blizzard of '03 (yes, I could have walked it faster... it's a long story).

After one year of car-dependence, though, I conclude that I would take the headache back. Traffic is horrid in Atlanta, but even if it weren't, I would much rather ride the daily commute than drive it.

It is true that because I drive everywhere, I can navigate around Atlanta better than I could in other places I have lived. For example, I remember the first time someone offered to drive me home from a church activity after moving to Boston. Gratitude quickly turned to embarrassment when I realized I didn't actually know how to get home... unless she could get to my bus route. After listing a few landmarks, she was able to get close enough that I could navigate the rest of the way.

However, I feel less connected to my city now than I have in other places I've lived. While some of that is likely for other reasons, I do think much is because I live my life in bubbles -- I have a house bubble and a work bubble and a church bubble and a friend bubble, and then I now even travel between all of those separated from the rest of the world in a car bubble. Tucson, for example, may not have a great public transportation network (thus the majority of people who used it were either poor/elderly/handicapped and didn't have cars, or they'd had their licenses suspended), but I got to know and love the city in a way I wouldn't have otherwise.

Transit is also fodder for the best stories. But, this is already long. How about you? What are your favorite bus or subway tales?

Yes, I live in the South.

That was made abundantly clear last weekend. I spent Saturday with friends out at Stone Mountain, east of Atlanta (NB: a very large granite boulder, really, for those living in the West with real mountains). It is also the self-proclaimed Mt. Rushmore of the South, with three "Confederate heroes" carved into one side (NB#2: that would be Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis for you yanks).

We spent the afternoon melting in 97 degree temperatures (plus humidity! HOTlanta!) having fun at their little theme park and also took the tram up to the top of the mountain. Here's an example of the view of surrounding (very flat) Georgia.


Then at night, we had a picnic and watched the laser light show they put on during the summer on the side of the mountain. Although the laser show looked very much like we had wandered into someone's late 70s acid trip, it was ultimately a celebration of all things Southern. The show was set to such songs as "Georgia on My Mind", "Sweet Home Alabama", "We love country and we like it loud", etc.

And, lest you were still unclear that you lived south of the Mason-Dixon line, it was capped off with a moving rendition of Dixie and the Battle Hymn of the Republic (Elvis, of course), during which laser outlines of our three confederate heroes charged again on their horses.

Yes, I live in the South. Ya'll are welcome to visit anytime!