Thursday, May 16, 2013

I Taught My Kids to Use Public Transit

As regular readers of my blog have probably noticed, I am a non-driver.  When I was young we never had the extra money for drivers' ed, or the added insurance, or any of the other expenses of driving to learn.  Later when I tried I realized I just couldn't.  My husband on the other hand, grew up in the country where the only public transit was a school bus, and people drove everywhere because everything was miles away.  During those times when the car was sitting in the driveway awaiting repairs, I was in far better shape than he was. When the kids came along I was determined to make sure they knew how to function in both city and country.

 Leaving dad to deal with the driving end, I began teaching my kids how to get around the city.  We didn't just board the bus, I explained where we were going and how we were getting there. The Boy's first word was "bus". He referred to my sister's minivan as "My aunt's bus." This  detailed oriented child knew where every bus in the city went by the time he was 6.  He knew the entire timetable for our local buses too.  My daughter, while not as fond of buses as her brother, knew how to get the bus to and from school when necessary, and happily went along with me when the alternative was staying at home.

When she complained occasionally about my non driving, I pointed out that a girl who wants to be in a dance company someday should probably know how to get around on public transit in a big city, since that's where most of the dance companies are.

It wasn't just the city buses either.  We have taken numerous trips by both Amtrak and Greyhound, and when arriving in a strange city have figured out how to make the transit work there too.  They know how to take shuttle buses from big cities to smaller towns, and how to get around a really big city on subways.  Other than the initial haul all the gear trip to the college, he will probably make his own way back and forth all year.

Both kids plan to relocate to other areas of the country someday. The boy is going off to college to a suburban town an hour out of a really big city.  He already has worked out all the available public bussing options, from how to get to Walmart to how to get to the Greyhound terminal.  The girl already has her eyes on the bright lights and the big cities. She will know all about how to get around. 

There is this as well:  I believe that driving the way Americans drive at present is not going to be sustainable for the next generation.  Gas is only going to be more expensive, greenhouse gasses more of a concern.  If our kids can learn there are alternatives to taking the car 1/2 a mile to the grocery store, they will be far better prepared to adapt in the future.

I taught my kids to use public transit and I am proud (and glad) that I did.

This post is part of Theme Thursday, a group of bloggers writing on a different topic each week.  This week we were asked to write about something we are proud of.  To find out what other writers are proud of, or to tell about something you are proud of, click on the link below.


15 comments:

  1. I know my way around the T (Boston's subway), but I live in the suburbs. I can't imagine taking public transportation every day. I hate people too much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I take the bus daily to and from work at least. Even if I drove I wouldn't drive to work as its downtown and parking would be 5.00 a day vs 2.50 for an all day pass.
      By the way, the T is probably the nicest subway system I have ever been on.

      Delete
    2. And as for other people, that's why I have a Nook, an MP3 player, and headphones for. Although it is a little jarring to be on a bus when a crazy person is ranting and realize I have spoken to said person on the phone at work before.

      Delete
  2. You were very wise to teach the children how to use public transportation and how to navigate in various cities and circumstances. I'm sure they are pleased to have these skills.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know my son is. The last couple times we travelled this spring for college visits, he has made all the arrangements for the tickets and transfers. Anytime we plan to pass through a new city the first thing he does is sit down and plan the transportation.

      Delete
  3. I am a non-driver as well. I can get around anywhere on public transit. When our office relocated from downtown to the suburbs we lost 50% of our staff. I leanred to use two transit systems.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If there's a bus schedule we can find it...that's our motto.

      Delete
  4. This is so good! I was totally intimidated by public transportation when I first moved to the city. I wish I had been exposed to it as a child.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had an aunt who took me on the bus when I was really young, then I had to take the bus back and forth from my high school that required going downtown and transferring every day. I feel I benefitted from this (not the least getting to know the downtown library during layovers.)

      Delete
  5. I grew up in a big city and never learned how to drive until I was 18 and had moved to a more rural area. I was sort of forced to at that point. But I used public transit all through my teens, and walked a lot.

    -The Insomniacs Dream

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The walking is another advantage of public transit. I don't care to walk just for the exercise, I need motivation. Every morning rain or shine its 2 blocks from the house to the bus stop and from the bus stop to work, and the same at night. Not sure I would get exercise squeezed in otherwise.

      Delete
  6. I learned public transportation growing up outside of Chicago. It made figuring out transportation in Phoenix very easy. I'd use our lightrail system more to get to work if I didn't have to drop Baby Rhino to daycare before going.

    I definitely want my kiddo to learn our system so that he is comfortable getting around

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Once you learn how transit works in one city its pretty easy to do anywhere else. I'm sure Baby Rhino will take right to it. Most kids think the bus is a great adventure.

      Delete
  7. I live in rural Iowa,but have worked in a college town with lots of public transportation available. If I lived there, I'd certainly take advantage of the bus!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now the downside is that I never did learn to drive and if my husband and I end up out in the boonies I will have to bribe him to go anywhere. But for now its all good.

      Delete