All Entries / Lynette, a Licensed Driver, Chooses to Use Public Transportation Because of It's Many Benefits
I am such a huge fan of public transportation, I really hope my story helps convince more people to use it!
About seven years ago I returned from a stint as a volunteer and University professor in Honduras. Having been dependent on public transportation there, I grew to appreciate the personal, economic, and ethical benefits of riding the bus. When I returned to the US, I was determined never to own a car again, for environmental, geo-political, economic, emotional and personal reasons. I moved to Pinellas County, to take advantage of the relatively complete coverage provided by PSTA. I am still a licensed driver, but I choose public transportation.
Personally, I benefit from additional time to read and think about my day, the necessity of better organizing my errands, and being more connected with my community, making new friends. I see more as I walk to nearby stores, friends’ homes and appointments. I experience the change of seasons (yes, we do have them in Florida), and smell the roses (along with orange blossoms, magnolias, beans and rice, barbeque, coconut oil, salt water, evergreens, and all the other wonderful, Florida smells that drivers miss). I hear the birds, music floating from open windows in the spring and summer, and the wind in the Palms. I am much less stressed and more relaxed. Economically, I benefit from not having to make car payments, insurance payments, fill the tank, change the oil, and deal with the trauma of periodic, catastrophic breakdowns, accidents, and, and expensive repairs, especially during these hard times. One overlooked effect of taking the bus is that I do not go to the store for a gallon of milk and a mop, and return with a patio set and 8 tiki torches, just because they were on sale. Taking the bus has caused me to re-evaluate my priorities, and re-define my needs, which has had an enormous positive impact on both my lifestyle and my carbon footprint.
There are things that come up for which taking a bus is not practical. My reliance on friends, neighbors and family for occasional rides is balanced by a willingness to exchange things I can do for them. This actually deepens what might have been pretty superficial relationships without the opportunity to reach out and help each other. Independent taxi has been a great resource for infrequent big shopping trips, and relatively inexpensive when compared with the costs of owning a car.
The combination of resources available in Pinellas County, through PSTA, BACS, the Emergency Ride Home program, and DART, as well as Medicaid transportation, the Red Cross and others, provides us with an opportunity to do more than just switch to a hybrid. We can create a new less materialistic, less harried culture. We can learn to plan our time better, and achieve our objectives a few minutes later. The resources are here. Let’s learn to use them to change the world, one ride at a time.
