When I visit a new city and take public transportation, I almost always use the local rail system: the subway in NY, the El in Chicago, the BART in San Francisco. But I rarely have ever taken the bus. I think the main reason is that I feel like to take a bus, you really have to have a pretty good grasp of the city’s layout and the bus’ route, something that’s hard to pick up when you’re only visiting a city for a few days. I always envision myself getting on the bus and finding myself on the complete opposite end of town not having any clue how to get back. With the rail system, there’s only so many places it can go because of, you know, tracks and stuff.
I did take a bus once in San Francisco and that turned out fine. And during my current trip to Portland, I used the bus a few more times than that. It was a tad confusing and required me writing a lot of things down to make sure I knew where I was going, but it went well. It helps that the bus drivers in Portland are actually friendly.
But, am I wrong in thinking that buses are not so much for visitors and more for the city’s actual residents?
Posted in Everyday Life