There comes a time in every Juneauite\u2019s life when they find themselves at a crossroads \u2014 sometimes literally without a mode of transportation.<\/p>\n
Perhaps your deep-seated sense of Alaskan generosity led you to lend your Subaru Legacy away, or perhaps your deep-seated sense of vitamin D deficiency led you to speed off to North Douglas at the first glimpse of sun without filling up the tank. Or maybe your truck\u2019s deep-seated sense of rust led it to fall apart in the driveway.<\/p>\n
Whatever the cause, there you are. Your wallet isn\u2019t in the mood for a cab, and your friends are all busy playing Pok\u00e9mon Go. You know that there is only one option left \u2014 the ominous blue bus labeled Capital Transit headed your way.<\/p>\n
You try to make yourself conspicuous, but not too needy, under the bus-stop sign. You wonder if you\u2019re supposed to stick out your thumb. The airbrakes halt the bus with a squeal and you find yourself staring at the toll-box. You\u2019ve become a tourist suddenly \u2014 only able to squeak out phrases such as \u201cdoes this go to the glacier?\u201d and \u201cdo you take American money?\u201d<\/p>\n
Congratulations \u2014 you\u2019ve taken your first ride on the public bus. You\u2019ve managed to coach yourself through the daunting time-schedule, and you know where your stop is. Maybe you\u2019ve even figured out which seats are the warm ones (I\u2019ll never tell!). You\u2019ve come to realize it\u2019s not so bad. I would offer that perhaps you haven\u2019t even gotten to the good part.<\/p>\n
Me? I savor the bus. It\u2019s the black-coffee-and-bagel of my morning. I love the routine. Wake up. Get ready. Throw bread at toaster. Miss toaster. Gently set bread in toaster. Check bus schedule. Check clock. Realize I\u2019m about to miss the bus. Leave without toast. Get on bus. Breathe on window to see what\u2019s been written there. Try my hand at poetry. Slowly wake up fully by the time the bus arrives, and there I am, ready for work.<\/p>\n
See, a city bus is so much more than a cheap alternative transportation. It\u2019s a whole menu of interesting experiences. For example: have you ever considered yourself a philosopher? No? No need to read Voltaire, just lean your head against the window and stare dreamily at the rain. Instant poet-philosopher. Trust me, I\u2019ve tried. I\u2019m not ashamed.<\/p>\n
How about music? I know you love to jam out to your favorite songs while in the driver\u2019s seat, but when was the last time you got to watch the passing landscape out the side window the entire time? It turns your favorite music into an epic, dramatic movie soundtrack about your life. Yes, even your guilty-pleasure Michael Bolton playlist. Plus, it\u2019s warm and dry on even the most unfavorable days, so it\u2019s the perfect place to bring your battered copy of The Life of Pi along and start reading. You\u2019ll be transported in more ways than one!<\/p>\n
So, I\u2019ll admit it. I\u2019m quite a people-watcher. I think it comes with the territory of being a writer. Chances are, you\u2019re a people watcher, too. Luckily for us, a bus is like a cross-section of local social life, a mobile diorama, a locomotive of locals. I once had a professor in college prescribe city busses for writer\u2019s block, and I\u2019ll confess that I\u2019ve taken plenty of inspiration from the mingling between stops. I\u2019ve seen men carrying carnation bouquets under their leather jackets, and I\u2019ve overheard people give out their bank account numbers loudly over the phone. I\u2019ve watched strangers meet and become friends over mutual appreciation of walking sticks. I\u2019ve even mustered up and met some people myself. I\u2019m glad I did. Where else could I meet an anime cosplayer with spiky blue hair and a penchant for death metal, a friendly ex-con-turned-radio-DJ and a college student with a pronounced obsession with President James Madison? Sometimes you\u2019re just one of four or five travelers, sometimes there\u2019s standing room only, but on the bus it\u2019s always interesting.<\/p>\n
In case I\u2019ve whet your appetite for some fine public transit, I\u2019ll give you a quick unofficial guide (you\u2019ll find more info on the city website). The busses run as far down as Savikko Park and as far up as the University. The two main hubs are the Federal Building and the back of Nugget Mall. If you wait there long enough during the day hours, you\u2019ll find a bus eventually. The drivers are all knowledgeable and helpful, and it always pays to ask if you need help making sense of the schedule. There\u2019s no eating, music or profanity allowed on the bus, and there\u2019s a section at the front reserved for people who need greater accessibility. You\u2019ll also find that if you purchase the monthly bus pass and use it to get to work instead of driving, you might be able to save a lot on gas.<\/p>\n
Anyway, next time my car needs a brake, or if I\u2019m just feeling like it, I may see you on the bus! P.S.\u2014the middle two seats in the back are the warm ones.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Guy About Town appears the first Sunday of every month and includes seasonal musings on what changes and what doesn\u2019t in a small town. Guy can be reached at unzicker.music@gmail.com.<\/p>\n
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