A Few Lessons To Learn

By Liz

It often amazes me how different my commute into work is from my commute home.   Going in is a bit more calm, almost everyone always has a seat.  The ride seems to be smooth and easy going.  Then when 5 o’clock rolls around and the mass exodus of Downtown Seattle happens the busses are full and usually running a little behind schedule. 

These days I feel all the more like a sardine packed in a tin can.  Happy when the can opens slightly for ventilation.  Imagine picking up that can of sardines off the shelf at your nearest Trader Joes (or other grocer) then suddenly dropping it on the aisle floor.  Still packed tight those sardines jerk and scrunch into each other just a wee bit.  Can you hear the tiny screams? 

Now I’ve done the math.  The 15E bus is a double long one that has the accordion looking mid section.  The bus holds about 65 seats and most ride homes are packed from back to front with standing passengers in the walkway, about 20 or so. That means about 85 people on the commute with me.   All but three times on the ride home, I’ve been one of those standers.  I’m totally used to it by now.  You grip well with one had while scrolling through your twitter feed with the other hand. 

For some more basic bus mechanics, I’ll educate you.  Busses are equipped with a gas peddle that accelerates the vehicle in a forward motions gaining momentum as it speeds along the road.  To the left of that peddle is another one with the opposite purpose.  This is known in common terms as a break.  Depending on the force placed upon said break the in motion vehicle will slow or stop with either ease or elevated force. 

In the past week, I’ve felt like one of those sardines being picked up off the supermarket floor.  Friday I was lucky enough to have the front spot on the bus with a quite particular jerky ride home.  During one of the more sudden jerks, I was acquainted with the lady behind me as she was trying to turn her page in her book at the exact moment of said jerky break.  Luckily, I had both hands on posts and had the leverage/steadiness to brace myself as well as book lady with the few behind her as they jilted forward into my back.  She was quite apologetic and smiled at her reassuring her it was no worries.  After another more than normal jerky ride home yesterday I started thinking about what could be learned here.  I’ll share my conclusions.

Lessons to learn:

1. Reading while standing on a moving bus, may not be the best thing to do
2. One to two hands on grab bars (if you happened to be equipped with a third or fourth hand you can use those to read, or grab onto more bars)
3. Work on those arm muscles, they’ll come in handy
4. Enjoy the ride (pretend you’re at Disneyland or Cedar Point)
5. Don’t eat sardines on a bus (or off a bus for that matter), that is just smelly and gross