For the first time in many many years I caught a bus this morning. It was a trial run for the new school year and I wanted to see how accurate the timetable was and how challenging the walk at either end. Pretty accurate, surprisingly enough. And pretty fucking challenging, which isn’t all that surprising given that the new school is in the inner-city.
A few things have changed since my last bus trip. It was more comfortable for a start, with rather plush seating and good air conditioning, praise be to the Great Pumpkin. It was a hot humid morning and I hadn’t been looking forward to the sardine tin experience. About three quarters of the passengers were plugged into iPods or smart phones, and about half a dozen were reading Kindles. That was a huge change.
Other than that and the electronic ticket system, not much else was different. Most of the surprises for me wherein the scenery. I drive along those roads every day, but of course I’m looking at the road and the traffic, not the surroundings. It’s a nice drive when you’re not doing it.
Be interesting to see how all of those kids who’ve never had to get themselves anywhere will cope. The school has a well organized transport buddy system, but of course modern children live in The Cocoon. It was a rude shock to both of mine to find out how much walking is involved in public transport, and just how unpleasant and noisy and hot a city can be when you’re not gliding through it in a luxurious Swedish tank.
Do not ever try that experience here in Kansas City.
One may as well ride a bus in a third world country.
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
Ahh the memories of lugging a bag of books, and footy gear through either the humid afternoons or freezing rainy mornings of Spring Hill and the Valley. Was the making of me and probably the best part of the school day. I am sure that school is a lot more inviting environment these days.
Try the 3fkn80 or the 333 fkn bendy Bondi buses on a Fridee night with a flock of dozey, off chops ratsackers on board. *shivers*.
I heard BCC proudly announcing that their entire bus fleet are now air-conditioned the other day. That will come as a great relief to anyone who has ever had to catch those old 70s/80s style buses in a Brisbane summer.
So are you a public transport man at all JB? What works from your part of town when you’re getting your drink on? Trains, ferries, cabs, the Missus?
Oh yes, Therbs, isn’t it just? the 380, the 378…friday night mobile group therapy van, without a trained psychiatrist. ;)
JB, somebody was telling me she trained her kids to get the school bus –in Sydney this is–at age 5. Memories of catching the Bondi bus at age 1o still haunt me, so , yeah, it is a massive adjustment for them: all the strangers, what if I don’t know my stop?…plus , yes, indeed– The Cocoon impact. They need to build Volvo buses. With babysitters. And snacks.
Yeah, don’t listen to me on twitter. I’m a bit whiney and throw out some pretty sad things to complain about.
“its too cold”
“the door is broken and is swinging about”
“the driver doesn’t know how to brake properly”
“The driver won’t let anyone off because nobody pushed the button even though it’s the end of the friggin line”
“I swear that the driver is trying to hit on me and will drive off a cliff if i don’t agree”
Yeah, I’m pretty whiney.
Wow, you really are whiney, Medway.
Timmo, I quite like the citycat for a leisurely trip into town for a drink.
As a migrant type Jhonny I hope you wore deoderant?
I used to love PT, when I lived in the big smoke. Reading time, chillin’ watching the world go by, dodging crazies, eaves-dropping anon urban inanities.
I wish there was such a thing on the sunshine coast when I occasionaly work an 8-5 day.
On bus: 1 Way to work for me = $7 + & 50+ minutes, If I drive: approx $4 & 35 minutes.
Kinda defeats the porpoise.
School system is pretty good tho, Il Bobette took 2 buses 40min each way to Our Lady of The Gilded Guilt School. Only 1 bus crash in 11 years of travelling on the bus.
Of course Bus in January To School != Buss in Feb To School With Lots Of Schoolkids.
I love trams. That is all.
No, I lied. I love the old green rattlers on Chapel/Church st & the low-slung A/C bendy ones on the city routes. I love coming home latish and looking into the zillion coffee shops and bars along the way, and sometimes stopping at one. I even love the weirdos. We’ve been ‘bitten’ by the same panhandler on one route for 3 – 4 years. She’s not a conventional thinker or passionate about hygiene but always cheerful in a wild-eyed way. I wish Brisbane still had trams.
Grey of beard- “wild-eyed cheerfulness” is a great expression for crazy bus people.
When you said you liked looking in through the coffeee shop windows etc en route, you reminded me of the Experience that catching buses in Hong Kong truly is.
There’s a way to teach relativism to one’s children where buses are concerned. It’s completely mesmerising & fascinating and blinding driving from the city to HK airport past more and more and more and more neon lights, billboards, shops , neon, shops neon, shops..and more still.
Not wrong about The Cocoon. TBH still won’t let my girls age 12.5 ride to school alone, a 5 minute ride. Tell her I rode 30mins+ twice a day through the city centre at age 10 back in the day, but times are different apparently.
I blame the meeedja myself.
Abi, yes, was in HK last year. Certainly remember the neon at the city end anyway. But return trip to the airport was by ferry, from which you step off straight into the airport checkin lounge. Best way I’ve seen to avoid traffic holdups.
Do them good I reckon. I sometimes worry my kids growing up in a country town are very cocooned. When go visit rels in Brissy we try to make ssure we use public transport at least a couple of times. But not on their own yet.
drej, Oh yes, sorry, I meant the city end. It then gets quieter by far ,doesn’t it? The ferry , ok, shall use that next time. Good tip.
Buses can be a hassle for kids in one respect: if you get a prick of a driver who hates kids, they’re in no end of trouble if they don’t know what to do next. Just watch that, is my best advice. Kids get left stranded at bus stops some times. I know I’m stating the obvious and the grumpy but worth saying probably.
Trams.
Excuse him folks, he’s just flashing back to Prague between the wars.
C’mon old timer off you go. *pats hand comfortingly*
Funny how he never remembers the crushing winters, the natural fibres & lack of what we might call dentistry.
‘Round these parts, the bus service has improved greatly. Most of that can be attributed to a name change that’s now about 20 years old. For some reason, people love to Ride SunMetro more than the old Sun City Area Transit (SCAT.) Insert crap joke here…
Ah the 380/333- I catch them every working day. The littlest bloke has been riding them since he was a baby so he’s going to be fine when it comes time to catch them himself. Caught nighttime busses for the first time in a while last week when I took my three teenage sons and their cousin out one night, surprisingly few loonies for a Friday night! I started on busses in fifth grade, two busses from maroubra to woolahra. Mum worried at first, but I was fine! I still prefer riding the scooter when I can though, 15 minutes max each way to work versus a good half hour at least. But the little bloke is a tad young as yet to be a pillion. One day!
Come and experience a ride on the train here in Auckland, NZ JB. We still have ticket collectors and the engine (yes diesel loco’s pull carriges, no electric streamlined capsules for us yet) drivers have to wear earmuffs to drown out the noise. Old ladies complain that there should be open topped cattle wagons for the school boys and I relax and read. Public Transport with a she’ll be right attitude.
The buses may have improved but someone at BCC obviously needs to learn how tos pell – while in Brisbane over Christmas I was surprises to see buses going past with signs announcing that they were the ‘inner city BUZZ’ or something similar.
It is the beginning of the end of civilization when the ‘authorities’ start forgetting how to use the English language properly!!!
Red rattler, all the way from Graceville to Ipswich. Ay, those were days, eh? Used to go to bed dressed in full uniform kit to avoid the freezing mornings in winter. It were dark when we set off for station. Luxury!
Entertained by David Briggs from Corinda onwards, who had memorised The Compleat Monty Python, smoking Escort tens, and participating in the odd orange-fight with the catholic kiddies on the way home.
Ay, upholstry were poor, but we were happy then.
I’m a bit of a PT veteran and did not own a vehicle for many years. I walked most places and still try to though time constraints make it difficult now. We have had a car for about three years now but the spouse uses it – the kids and I still catch PT. Thankfully they like it and both of them are good walkers though they have their moments.
Their dad left the lights on in the car yesterday so unless he can get her jumpstarted, the boys will be showing their father how to use the bus tomorrow morning.
Love the Citycats in Brisbane – they are marvellous.