Train Snob!

I have turned into a train snob! I rarely use the busses on our public transit system. I use the train every day in and out of the city. I am fortunate in that the majority of my meetings are close enough to one of the train lines I can use the train to get to meetings. There are still places in the city that are far enough away from the train line that forces me to have to use the “Fixed route system”. Fixed route or the buses would not be so bad if there were not run by humans. Like yesterday when I went up to visit my buddy Lori at the Regional Medical Center this was all done by bus. One bus completely passed me by, didn’t even slow down. I was sitting right out at the bus stop and “swish” the bus swooshed by. If I had been a cartoon I would have looked like the turtle passed by the hare, I would be spinning from the bus passing. In the old days when I was riding the “fixed-route” services like I ride the train service now, I would have gotten the bus number and would have been able to atleast report the driver but alas, I did not have anything to write on and I tried to read the bus number but to no avail.

Having said these disparaging remarks I do have to admit the “fixed Route” service in North East end of the city is impressive. Three routes service the hospital area I was in. This hospital is the old Holy Cross affiliate in this city. The Catholics are in the minority here but they had their own hospital from the very early days of the territory/state. So the hospital is built in one of the oldest, best settled and more exclusive part of the city. Broad tree lined street, beautiful century plus stone and brick homes which are still imtact—have not been cut up into apartments. Not far form this area is the beginning of the university district. Here you have home or building which once were stately homes but have been carved into university housing. Many of the homes have been transformed into “frat” and “sort” houses, bed and breakfasts and the like. But the homes round the hospital are nice. I have to admit the bus service up there is different then the same service system in the valley—far less spooky, angry and homeless just looking to survive. The buses are newer up here and air conditioned and best of all since everyone up here has a Mercedes, Jag, BMW etc no one rides the public transit service except “help”, Earth Firsters, some high and jr. schoolers and that is about all and the drivers will actually dialog with you. I finally flagged the bus down, it stopped and I rode down to the valley floor. I was able to cruise the rest of the way back to my office without having to access a regular bus. Boy, do I have to re-evaluate my values…I am beginning to slip.