So it was a Tuesday morning around 8:15 and I was on the 7 bus in Denver heading downtown. This guy gets on with a bluetooth speaker playing classical music at full volume, no headphones. Everyone was annoyed at first, but after a few stops I noticed people were actually bobbing their heads and smiling. A woman next to me said "this is way better than hearing someone's tinny earbuds leak through." By the time I got off at 16th Street, I realized we spend so much time isolating ourselves with headphones that we forget how nice shared sounds can be in small doses. Has anyone else had a moment where something annoying on a commute turned out to be kinda nice?
I was stuck on the F train near Brooklyn last Tuesday when the AC died, and this guy next to me just started peeling off his shirt like it was a beach day. Had to stand there for 25 minutes in that sweatbox, has anyone else dealt with a total AC failure on a packed train?
Last Tuesday on Route 9 near the old mill bridge, a deer jumped out and stood its ground right in front of my van. I had to lay on the horn for a solid 15 seconds until it finally wandered off, and the guy behind me gave a thumbs up as I pulled away.
I was half asleep on the 7:15 express into the city when this dude sits down across from me with a green parrot on his shoulder. The bird was quiet for about 10 minutes, then started squawking every time the conductor announced a stop. By the third stop, the parrot was mimicking the announcement perfectly, which got half the car laughing. The owner just sat there reading his phone like this was totally normal. Has anyone else had a weird animal encounter on public transit that made you question your whole morning?
I was in downtown Portland waiting for the 15, and this huge goose just planted itself in the middle of the street and refused to move. The driver had to get out and shoo it away with a newspaper, and everyone on the bus was cracking up. Has anyone else had a weird animal delay during their commute?
I noticed this happens almost every morning at the 34th Street station. Someone steps off the escalator and just stops dead right there to look at their phone while 20 people behind them have nowhere to go. Yesterday I counted 4 people in a row doing this between 8:15 and 8:20. My question is do you think it's better to tap them on the shoulder or just squeeze past real fast without saying anything?
I always thought audiobooks were too slow and boring compared to podcasts. But when my train got stuck near the Clybourn stop for almost an hour, I ran out of podcast episodes and figured why not try the free audiobook app I had. Three chapters into a biography about building bridges and I was actually mad when the train started moving again. The narrator's voice just pulls you into the story in a way that multiple podcast hosts yelling over each other never could. Has anyone else found themselves switching sides on this whole audio format debate?
I took the same 22 bus line from South Congress to downtown for 8 years. Construction on the new light rail tracks along Lamar stretched the ride out and added 15 minutes of sitting in traffic. Has anyone else watched their commute time double without any real warning?
So I was on the 4 bus yesterday heading downtown and this guy starts screaming about how the door is stuck and we're all gonna die. I had just bought one of those little emergency window hammers from Amazon for $12 after reading a random thread. The driver couldn't get the door open and people were losing it, so I cracked the window with the hammer and we all climbed out. Felt like a hero for like five minutes until the cops showed up lol. Has anyone else ever actually used their emergency gear in a random situation?
Used to take I-5 through downtown every morning until a 6 car pileup on the bridge last Thursday added 45 minutes to my drive, now I go the long way around through the industrial district and haven't been late once since, has anyone else found a weird backroad that just works better?
There's this older homeless dude named Ray who hangs by the 14th Street stop downtown. One morning I was complaining about traffic to a friend on the phone, and he just cut in and said "take the 42 bus two stops, then walk through the alley behind the old theater." I figured what the hell, so I tried it. Turns out that alley cuts off a full 8 minutes from my usual route, and the 42 bus runs every 4 minutes instead of 12. Now I see Ray most mornings, and I always grab him a coffee from the corner bodega. Anyone else ever gotten a good tip from someone you'd never expect?
I ride the 8:15 express out of Portland every morning and at least twice a week someone tries to get on and then gets mad when the conductor says no stops until downtown. There's a big yellow sign above the door that says EXPRESS in 3 inch letters. How do people miss that after riding this same route for months?
I keep seeing people waiting at the wrong sign near the old coffee shop, the one thats been gone for a year now, and missing their ride because the route got moved a block north. Did the city just never update the signs, or am I missing something obvious here?
Turns out letting my F-250 run for 30 minutes during a lunch break burns about a gallon of diesel, which adds up to roughly $1,200 a year according to a Department of Energy study I found last night. Anybody else actually calculate what small habits are costing them on the road?
I was stuck in the same traffic jam for three days straight near the old mill bridge in Greenfield until I spotted a gap in the fence that led to a service road nobody seems to know about, and now I'm wondering if anyone else has found weird local shortcuts that actually work?
I hit that pothole by the 7-Eleven on Main and Elm around 7:30am and my tire went flat instantly. Had to wait 45 minutes for roadside assistance, then another 30 at the tire shop to find out the rim was bent too. $180 later and I was finally on my way at 10:15am for what should have been a 20 minute drive. Anybody else have a specific spot that always messes up your commute?
So yesterday I thought I'd save 10 minutes by cutting through the alley behind Maple Ave near the old bakery. Big mistake. Got halfway through and a loose dog came running out from behind some trash bins. I froze, it barked at me for a solid minute, then some guy came out and called it off. I was late anyway cause I had to wait for my heart to stop pounding. Has anyone else had bad luck with alley shortcuts near 5th Street?
I used to print MapQuest directions every morning and still got lost twice a week near downtown. Now I just yell at my phone when it reroutes me, which happens at least 3 times per trip. Anyone else miss the days of just knowing your route by heart?
I've been taking the 42 bus from Oak Park into downtown for almost a decade. Last month they finally put in those digital arrival boards at every stop, no more guessing if I missed it by 30 seconds or 30 minutes. Now I can actually time my coffee stop before the bus rolls up, saved me 10 minutes of standing around in the rain this week alone. Has anyone else's transit system actually improved something useful lately?
Overheard a guy yesterday on the 6 train giving a full sales pitch to his whole side of the car for 20 blocks. Nobody wants to hear about your Q3 targets at 8am. Anyone else deal with this crap?
I ride the 42 bus from downtown Portland to the Hollywood neighborhood, and this one driver, Mike, would call out stops before anyone even pressed the button. "Hey, you're getting off at 28th and Sandy today, right?" he said to me after just 3 rides. It was wild how he remembered 20 different people's routines and saved us all from missing our stops. Has anyone else had a commute buddy like that who just made your day?
Last Tuesday I was carrying four heavy grocery bags on the 44 bus in Seattle, and one of them tore open right as I was getting on. A older woman in the back stood up and handed me two of her own cloth bags without saying a word. She helped me repack everything while the bus driver waited, and then she just smiled and went back to her seat. I tried to give her the bags back at my stop, but she shook her head and said "keep em, you'll need extras next time." Has anyone else had a complete stranger help out like that on their commute?
I used to take the bus every day downtown. For 2 years. Then I switched to the train for 3 months. Night and day difference. The bus driver had to deal with traffic. We'd sit at red lights for 5 minutes sometimes. Got stuck behind a wreck twice. The train just moves. Smooth. On time. I'd get to work 10 minutes earlier every single trip. Plus the seats are way more comfortable on the train. Nobody sitting right next to you unless it's packed. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed how much calmer your morning gets?
I chose the bus route that takes 20 minutes longer every day just so I could avoid the packed train crowds, and honestly that extra time reading has saved my sanity big time has anyone else found a weird route that just works better?