April 09, 2008 News & Views » Cover

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Diary of a CATS rider 

The true tale of a commuter who ditched her car to ride public transportation for five days — and lived to talk about it

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click to flip through (3) JASIATIC - THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM: A CATS bus prior to being boarded by passengers
  • Jasiatic

  • THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM: A CATS bus prior to being boarded by passengers

   

Page 5 of 6

That's so nice. He's much nicer than the asshole who left me! Finally, we make it to the transit center and the driver tells everyone: "Be safe and have a blessed and prosperous day."

"He must be new," I think. While I would love to go and get a cup of coffee, I can't because my bus, the 21 (Double Oaks), is in the bay. I'm already super late for work, so I'm going to be forced to go without my jolt of caffeine this morning. Climbing aboard, I notice that this city bus feels a lot like a Greyhound bus. The seats are wider and a bit more padded. But the bus smells like piss. I don't know if it's a baby that went wee-wee or what. But at least I know I'm on the right bus today. As the bus heads down Graham Street, I'm looking for the right stop. I see it, and I pull the stop request string.

The driver, however, keeps going. What in the blue hell is going on? Finally the bus comes to a stop somewhere off Statesville Avenue. Now, I'm really pissed. Because instead of walking a few blocks to the office. I've got a mile to go. Looking down at my feet, I realize that I was smart enough to wear the right kind of shoes today. But it's cloudy, and it looks as if it's going to rain. All I can do is pray I make it to the office before the clouds open up.

I do! Yes! One thing I know for sure, I'm not taking the bus to see Barack Obama for his loacal visit today. Thank goodness for driving co-workers!

By the end of the day, it's raining cats, dogs and lizards. This is when I realize just how lucky I am -- because I have the option of not waiting outside at the bus stop. My dear friend Erica, who was also at the Obama rally, is taking me home. But for the people who do have to wait for the bus in this weather, it sucks. There aren't many covered stops around the city. You have old people, babies and some people in wheelchairs getting battered by the rain while they wait for the bus. Not a good look, CATS.

Again, another night that I'm spending in my house and going to bed early.

March 20

The week is almost over! I've almost got this bus thing down now. I arrive at the stop this morning about two minutes before the bus does. I look down at my cell phone clock and see that this bus is actually early. I've never in my life heard of an early bus. Luckily, it's the same "have-a-blessed-day" driver from yesterday.

The conversations this morning are a little subdued. I'm sitting across from an Iraq war veteran, who is 30 minutes late for work. The woman he's talking to just told him she lost her grandmother to cancer. He tells her that he's into holistic medicine and has been in Charlotte for 18 months. It's amazing to me the things that people tell strangers.

I glance out the window as we pass a gas station on Central Avenue. The price of regular gas is now $3.29 a gallon. That should make this week on transit seem sweeter, but it doesn't. In six minutes, this bus has made five stops, and the lady sitting behind me is cursing out someone from Sprint because of her phone service. At least in my car, the only cursing I hear is my own when some asshole cuts me off.

The veteran and his companion are now talking about hard work. He looks at her six-inch nails and says, "Well, I can tell you're not working that hard. You haven't broke a nail."

She laughs, and as the bus pulls up to the transit center, they exchange names and shake hands.

Now it's time to get on another bus to make it to work. And despite the fact that it's the first day of spring, it's cold out here. I've got to make sure this bus puts me off at the right stop today. I made the mistake of pulling the stop request cord too soon this time. But I got off the bus anyway because this stop was a lot closer than the one from yesterday. And yes, I'm wearing sensible shoes today.

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