All Entries / Andrea Gave Up Her Jeep For Transit, and Isn't Looking Back
Riding the bus in Pinellas County is convenient, inexpensive, and safe. I have discovered new places, met new friends, gotten homework done, and saved money.
There are many businesses that I would never have noticed speeding past in my Jeep; places to eat, make copies, and best of all, relax with a cup of coffee.
Using the bus puts me into the community. I meet people from the neighborhood that I would not get the chance to ordinarily in my rush to go somewhere. Several of my classmates and co-workers take the bus. Letting the professionals do the driving lets us learn more about each other. Those drivers are my new friends too. I welcome the chance to break away from my self-occupied world.
Avoiding traffic alone is a great reason to ride PSTA. I got through War and Peace on the bus. The St.Petersburg Times is available on the bus. I talk to others about the headlines while sharing sections with them. I can talk and text all I want on my cell-phone without being a hazard behind the wheel.
I can get anywhere I want to go. The Pinellas County Transit Authority buses go everywhere. They are reliable. The PSTA website has a convenient trip planner. I just type the starting and ending addresses and it gives me all the details.
Considering the car payment, insurance and gas cost, along with the price of parking and repairs I used to pay, the $55 each month for an unlimited ride pass is a bargain.
Discounts are available for seniors, students, and the disabled. A single ride for a non-discounted passenger is $1.75; it is almost always a bargain to get the monthly pass that offers the freedom to be on the go.
The environmental cost for the convenience of personal vehicles is growing. The United States is falling behind in removing cars from the road. Fewer cars means less noxious gases entering the air, less consumption of oil and gas, and less congestion on the road. See you onboard.
