I recently discovered leaving my car at home and taking the bus to work is a great alternative to driving. Overall, my experience riding the bus has been convenient and worry-free. Taking the Red Line 734 to work has made a positive impact in my life in five unique ways:
1. Money Saved
Let me be perfectly clear, I did not save enough money to buy a new Porsche. However, the savings from taking the bus did have a real impact on my budget. The money that I saved was substantial. By trimming down my gas bill I can now skip the pizza and enjoy some fresh cooked salmon for dinner every now and then.
2. Clear Conscience
One day as I sat on the bus I looked out the window to see so many people riding solo in their cars. Just a few weeks ago that was me driving alone to work. Trust me, I’m not saying I don’t miss my car because that would be a lie. However, I do enjoy having a clear conscience and knowing that by taking public transit that I am actually reducing emissions and helping to keep the environment clean.
3. Making New Friends
To my surprise, I have met new and interesting people since making the move to public transit. Recently, I found myself sitting next to an avid fan of the Boston Celtics. This could have been a very long bus ride given that I bleed “Purple & Gold” for the Los Angeles Lakers. For the entire ride we debated which franchise is the greatest and who was a better player Magic or Bird. Now as it turns out, I look forward to seeing my disillusioned friend from Boston so we can continue our heated debate. Go Lakers!
4. Daily “Me” Time
I’ve discovered that riding on the bus allows me to catch up on all of my novelty reading and research. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make tamales but could never find the time. After reading several recipes and articles I’ve learned the process is tedious and time consuming. Consequently, I will continue to buy my tamales at the local market and leave the real cooking up to the professionals.
Daily Exercise
Every day I walk approximately a quarter mile to the bus stop. No, it’s not quite as long as running a marathon but I’m still burning calories by walking in each direction. Sometimes I even increase my walking pace just to ensure that I’m burning enough calories to enjoy a donut when I get to the office. Correction, maybe two or three donuts!
Photo Credit: LA Metro
