I tracked my steps for a week using my phone. Walking to and from the station plus switching platforms adds up to about 3 miles daily. That's 15 miles a week just from commuting. Found the stat when I checked my health app last Tuesday. Anyone else notice how much extra movement your commute sneaks in?
Ever since they moved the bus stop three blocks north on 5th Ave, I showed up 6 minutes late three days in a row. I was so used to the old timing that I didn't even check the new schedule. Now I leave my apartment at 6:52 sharp instead of 6:55 and I grab coffee from the cart by the park instead of the one at the station. It feels like a tiny win but it saves me from standing in the rain waiting for the 7:22. Anyone else have a small route change mess up their whole commute flow?
I sat down and then the next 3 stops nobody got on or off, so I just stared out the window in silence for 25 minutes and it felt like a stolen moment, has anything like that ever happened to you on a commute?
I normally take surface streets but figured the freeway would be faster since I left 20 minutes later than usual. Has anyone found a decent alternate route through Tacoma that actually saves time during those afternoon accidents?
So yesterday I'm on the A train heading home from work around 6pm. I was zoning out listening to a podcast and somehow missed that they were doing express service because of track work. Next thing I know we're flying past my stop at 42nd St and I'm like oh no. I was gonna spiral but instead I just got off at the next stop, 59th St, and walked back. Took an extra 12 minutes but honestly my heart rate stayed down and I didn't ruin my evening. Has anyone else just accepted the L and made it work instead of getting mad?
I was minding my own business heading into Manhattan when this big gray pigeon hopped right onto the seat next to me and grabbed half my turkey club right out of the bag. Now I keep everything in a hard plastic container with a locking lid, ever since that bird stared me down like I owed him money. Has anyone else had an animal steal food mid-commute?
I take the 42 bus from Aurora into downtown Denver every day and for three years I always sat facing backwards. Never really thought about it, just grabbed whatever seat was open. Then last week the bus was packed and I had to sit forward facing near the driver. Got to work feeling way less dizzy and tired. Turns out sitting against the direction of travel messes with your inner ear over time and makes you more fatigued. I asked my buddy who drives for RTD and he said yeah, most regulars avoid the rear facing seats for long rides. Now I wait for a forward spot even if it means standing an extra few minutes. Any other bus riders notice this or am I just late to the obvious?
There is a woman on my commuter train from Naperville to Chicago who gets on at the same stop as me. Every day for the last 6 months she calls her daughter at exactly 7:20 AM and puts it on speaker. The whole car can hear their conversation about grocery lists and doctor appointments. Last Tuesday she held the phone up near the window because she said the reception was bad. Someone finally asked her to use headphones and she got defensive, saying she is elderly and can't hear well otherwise. But I am starting to wonder if there is a middle ground here. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of thing on public transit and found a way to handle it that doesn't start a fight?
Back in April my truck broke down and I had to figure out a way to get from Sacramento to my jobs in Rancho Cordova. First week I took the bus. Cost me $2.50 each way but man that transfer at Watt Avenue added like 20 minutes. Then I dusted off my old Giant hybrid bike and gave it a shot. Bike lane most of the way on Folsom Boulevard and I got there in 28 minutes flat. Bus took 40 on a good day. Plus I saved like $45 in bus fare that month. The only downside is when it was 102 degrees in July that sweat situation is real. Anybody else tried switching modes and found a clear winner?
I got a monthly parking pass downtown for $60 back in February thinking I'd drive more. Turns out the bus was faster for most days and I only used the pass like 4 times. Now I'm stuck with it for the rest of the month and can't get a refund. Anyone else buy a commuter pass they regretted?
And of course no cops around to hand them a ticket for the move that backed up the whole line for a mile... has anyone else noticed how often this exact thing happens during rush hour?
I was on the 7:15 Amtrak out of Newark and we just stopped dead near Metropark around 7:30. The conductor came on and said an overhead wire broke somewhere up ahead. No AC, no announcement updates for 20 minutes, just people sweating and checking their phones. I ended up missing a client meeting at 9 and had to reschedule from the platform. Has anyone else had Amtrak just fall apart on them mid-commute?
I ducked in there during a downpour Tuesday and found six plastic chairs, a folded tarp, and a coffee stain on the floor that looked like someone drew a smiley face with it, so who else has secret commuter spots they keep quiet about?
After she pulled over and made eye contact in the mirror, I realized I was that person hitting it early and then again at the actual stop, so now I just wait until we pass the landmark and ring once, has anyone else gotten called out by a driver for something like that?
I've been driving myself into downtown Nashville for 2 years now and always laughed at the bus app my coworker kept recommending. Figured it would be laggy and useless like most city transit stuff. Finally gave up last week after spending 45 minutes circling a lot near Fifth and Broad looking for parking that didn't exist. Downloaded the app out of pure frustration and it showed me a bus arriving in 6 minutes that dropped me two blocks from my office. The tracking was dead on, not a single delay. Now I'm sitting here wondering how much gas money I could've saved if I'd just swallowed my pride sooner. Has anyone else had a similar experience with a transit option they dismissed for way too long?
So there's this older guy I see every morning at the 7th Street stop. Last week he said I should skip the highway and take Old Mill Road through the hills. I figured he was just being chatty but I tried it yesterday. Turns out he was right, my commute went from 45 minutes to 25 and I didn't hit a single light. Has anyone else gotten random advice from a stranger that actually worked out for you?
I caught myself today on the 7am route from Oakwood to downtown, and it hit me that I haven't looked out that window in months. Back in 2018, I'd zone out watching the same old buildings and trees pass by, maybe chat with the driver about traffic. Now I'm glued to my phone scrolling news or playing a game the whole 45 minutes. It's wild how a little rectangle changed everything about that time. Does anyone else miss that old feeling of just watching the world go by without a screen in your face?
I take the 42 bus from downtown to the east side every day, usually a 45 minute slog. Last Wednesday the driver just veered off the main route without warning, cutting through some residential streets near the old mill. We hit zero red lights and pulled into my stop 18 minutes early. I asked him if he was allowed to do that and he just shrugged and said 'been doing it for years.' Anyone else have a driver who ignores the official route and makes things better?
I got stuck at Union Station in Chicago for 45 minutes last Tuesday because of a signal issue. Some people in my office say anything under an hour is just normal and you should plan for it. But I feel like if the train company says it's a 20 minute ride, adding 25 minutes of waiting is kind of a big deal. Where do you guys draw the line between a normal delay and a real problem?
I checked my odometer yesterday and couldn't believe I put that many miles on just going back and forth to the same office. Has anyone else calculated their yearly commute mileage and gotten a shock?
I used to tough it out and ride my bike through the rain because I thought it was faster. After getting soaked twice last week and almost sliding out on a wet manhole cover near 5th and Main, I decided to try the bus on Wednesday morning. Hopped on the 42 at 7:15, grabbed a seat, and watched the rain pour down while I just sat there dry. It took an extra 12 minutes to get downtown, but I showed up at the job site not all wet and cranky. Plus I got to scroll my phone instead of watching for potholes. Honestly, saving 10 minutes isn't worth being miserable and fixing a chain on the side of the road. Has anyone else found a backup commute method that beats driving or biking in bad weather?
I was sitting in the priority seat on the 7 bus in Portland last Tuesday, but I had a bad back from moving furniture the day before. This older guy gets on and just stands over me, glaring, then says "You look healthy enough to stand, kid." I didn't move because honestly I was hurting, but I felt like a jerk the whole ride. So which side are you on - should you always give up priority seats no matter what, or is it okay to stay if you have a hidden reason?