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Carla Saulter |
My husband, known to most of you
as Bus Nerd, is my true partner in
car-free living. We both thoroughly enjoy
riding the bus — both alone and with each
other — and we both love living without
the hassle and expense of cars. But the
similarities end there. Bus Nerd and I have
very different riding styles — from why to
how to when we get on the bus.
Though we both appreciate the many
environmental, social, physical, and financial
benefits of carfreedom, we decided
to take the plunge for different reasons.
My wise and frugal husband committed
himself to car-freedom right out of college,
as a way to save money. His employer provided
him with a free bus pass, so he saw
no reason to waste his salary on a vehicle.
My decision to stop driving was motivated
by guilt. I wanted to stop being part of the
pollution-traffic-sprawl problem.
For me, one of the best things about
the bus is the time to be still. While I enjoy
reading as much as the next nerdy bus
chick, I am just as happy to think, nap,
or people-watch. Bus Nerd, on the other
hand, needs to occupy every moment of
his rides. If he’s not reading the news on his
phone, he’s answering e-mail or (I kid you
not) writing code. For him, one of the great
advantages of the bus is the opportunity
it affords to get things done. You can’t fix
bugs behind a wheel.
I prefer to avoid transferring when
possible. It interrupts the flow of the ride,
prevents me from settling in (to a book, a
nap, a conversation), and requires additional
exposure to the elements. If I have
an option between a single, slow bus and
two (or more) that get me there faster, I’ll
choose the single bus — unless it’s August
or I’m pressed for time. For Bus Nerd, the
most important factor is how long it takes
to get where he’s going. If transferring 18
times would get him to his destination five
minutes faster than not transferring at all,
he’d gladly do it.
Perhaps because — thanks to my
father’s chronic lateness — I spent far too
many a childhood morning running to
catch the 55, I prefer to get to a stop at least
two minutes before the bus is scheduled
to arrive. That way, I never have to rush or
worry about missing it. Nerd, on the other
hand, banks on the bus being a couple of
minutes late. He’d rather not waste time
waiting at a stop, so he rushes out the door
at the last minute — often just as the bus
is arriving, occasionally after it has already
passed. If you added up my daily 2-5 minutes
and his occasional 15, we’d probably
come out just about even.
He says tomAYto, and I say tomAHto…. |
