AFS Cinema
Many Reasons to Like Public Transportation
RECEIVED Tue., Dec. 1, 2009
Dear Editor,
People like public transportation for many reasons, not the least of which is because we don't all like to drive but we do like to read/listen to music/sleep while we get to where we're going. There is one good reason that I personally like public transit: the opportunity for kindness. People fell in love with cars in part because they keep us isolated from one another. We don't have to worry about the problems of others, and we can ignore the blights in society. Being on the bus reminds the more fortunate of us of our humanity. Personally, I am an extremely punctual person, I've got three jobs, and I'm currently working on a master's, which I say to demonstrate my wonderful organizational skills. However, yesterday I forgot my bus pass, and I would have been up a creek if not for a woman who recognized me from my apartment building and two other strangers who I may never see again.
We are entering a period of time in which many people will have much less than we thought possible. Jobs which were supposed to keep us secure are disappearing, and the families that many people hoped to start might be indefinitely put on hold. Public transportation expansion is one of many ways that we can move ourselves forward, wherever we are. Cars have been part of the picture for more than 50 years, but as we all become a bit poorer, it would be prudent to accept that we will not all be able to drive our cars affordably forever. Besides, it's much easier and affordable to offer or receive bus fare than it is to tow, repair, or provide gas for a car.
People like public transportation for many reasons, not the least of which is because we don't all like to drive but we do like to read/listen to music/sleep while we get to where we're going. There is one good reason that I personally like public transit: the opportunity for kindness. People fell in love with cars in part because they keep us isolated from one another. We don't have to worry about the problems of others, and we can ignore the blights in society. Being on the bus reminds the more fortunate of us of our humanity. Personally, I am an extremely punctual person, I've got three jobs, and I'm currently working on a master's, which I say to demonstrate my wonderful organizational skills. However, yesterday I forgot my bus pass, and I would have been up a creek if not for a woman who recognized me from my apartment building and two other strangers who I may never see again.
We are entering a period of time in which many people will have much less than we thought possible. Jobs which were supposed to keep us secure are disappearing, and the families that many people hoped to start might be indefinitely put on hold. Public transportation expansion is one of many ways that we can move ourselves forward, wherever we are. Cars have been part of the picture for more than 50 years, but as we all become a bit poorer, it would be prudent to accept that we will not all be able to drive our cars affordably forever. Besides, it's much easier and affordable to offer or receive bus fare than it is to tow, repair, or provide gas for a car.
Stephanie Webb