Public Transit Stikes Again!

I'm going to try my hardest not to rant about the inconvenience of New York public transportation. I understand that no transportation system is as convenient or as efficient as the one in Tokyo. I was spoiled beyond my wildest beliefs, and now everything else will just be second par...I get it!

The truth is that the trains in NY are quite convenient...at least compared to the ones in Boston. They come almost always in intervals of five minutes, and some stations even inform people when the next trains will come. I was very pleased with this.

BUT, one thing that I will never understand is the bus system. I get that buses are commonly a type of transportation for locals. Usually people who know an area well, or live in a more suburban location will take a bus. I understand this. So I wasn't too shocked when I stepped into a bus, and there were no electronic displays informing us passengers of the stations we pass. That was fine, as long as the driver, or some mystical voice announced the stations we approach.

Nope...none of that.

The first time i took a bus it was around midnight or one AM. There were three other passengers riding beside us...so I just thought the bus driver was being lazy. I was glaring out the window to see the dimly lit street signs as best as I could to ensure I wouldn't miss my stop. Mind you I'm not from here...I barely knew what my neighborhood looked like, let alone be capable of spotting it out while driving 30 mph at midnight. And street names? Ha, yeah right.

So whatever, it was a frustrating ride caused by a lazy bus driver. It was fine, and I was over it.

Today I took another bus, and guess what happened. Again no station display...and again no station announcements. I once again focused my eyes out the window, counting up the streets. 75th, 76th, 77th. At some point I glanced back into the bus, and noticed something funny. Nobody else was looking out a window. People were acting just as they would in a Boston bus...only with no hint of what station was coming up. How did they do it? Do all New Yorkers have a photographic memory of the bus routes?

I started to feel strange. Everyone else was reading a book, listening to an ipod, or shutting their eyes for a quick rest. I on the other hand was nervously bobbing my head back and fourth, eyes focused out the window. I was once again, the tourist gaijin.

Eventually I made a guess thinking "My stop must be somewhere around here." I pulled the yellow string with apprehension...if it was the wrong stop would I be Japanese about it and get out anyway out of politeness? Or would I admit my mistake and try the next stop. How many stops would I have to delay the bus for just to ensure I got off at the right street corner? So many worries were filling up my head. Missing my stop and then retracing the bus route seemed like the only polite thing to do.

No, it was time to be assertive. It was time to be a New Yorker. I pulled the string willing to accept any and all consequences which accompany that. To my utmost surprise, i guessed right my first try.

So what did we learn? Avoid buses at all cost unless we want a stressful 15 minutes filled with judging eyes and insecurities...or unless we have an iphone with some swanky gps application.

Overall though I do admit that New York has a pretty kick ass transit system. But for now, I'm stickin' to the trains.