I wouldn't mind driving an urban bus. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of perks that come with the fantastic factory pay. There is the power, for instance, that comes with driving the biggest vehicle in town. There is also networking with people of all kinds, from the street rat weirdo, to the hardworking adult, to the young hung over college student who is writing a paper about this year’s Beer Festival. There is also the added benefit of being out all day, growing muscles in places which I had no idea could grow. Yet, the most thrilling benefit of them all is the character building that comes with those remarkable life experiences that only a bus driver could say he has lived them all.
Driving a bus would make me grow. It would make me grow full of power with the dominion over the road. Imagine for one second handling the wheel of this enormous device, one so large that it could fit fifty people aboard and still manage to travel faster than the posted speed limits. Imagine what it would be like to see from above all the angry warriors of the road, so pitiful in their meaningless race for an extra second of time. Meanwhile, this gigantic machine moves through the streets breaking the sidewalks with its fringe armor, jumping through potholes like a true rollercoaster, and even running through red lights while the miserable cars below can do nothing but watch with apathy. Or is it respect? Maybe the blue, black, shiny red and silver bugs that drive below look up to the bus like a mighty being, or a king of the road. Maybe they stay out of its way because the stories they hear of cars and bikes being wrecked by a bus, while the bus suffers merely a scratch, give them warm, fuzzy feeling of comfort and relief when they manage to stay out of the way of a ten-ton bullet.
Driving a bus would enhance my social skills. The dreaded low-ridership routes are apparently designed to force excitement, and even a smile, when greeting new riders. That's because with only a few passengers a day, all of whom choose to seat on the opposite end of the bus, that one moment for greetings becomes the only moment for socializing -- that is, of course, other than the random spurts of well-earned violent language in the presence of stupid drivers on the road. After perfecting my greeting skills and road etiquette, I could move on to the extreme opposite in a route that cuts through all levels of this city's segregated society, thus providing limitless opportunities for uncensored chatter. The ride through downtown and the inner city would prove extremely beneficial, as the constant yelling and turmoil of high school students and the agony of stopping at every bus stop, topped by the constant pressure of being on time, would certainly lift my spirit in a cloud of character-building anxiety (or smug, can't really tell). The ubiquitous pot heads and hung over students that roam the city would certainly engage in inspirational conversations throughout the bus ride, covering such important topics as the Beer Festival's “Most beers in one hour” contest, last night's strip poker tournament, the collage inspired by hallucinogens and my favorite of all: skipping class for one of two reasons, to recover much needed sleep, or to make out and then recover much needed sleep. The hard working people inside of the city limits could share their horror stories of foreclosure, gangster fights, political chatter at Starbucks, a lifeless life in the city's cocoon, or just general bus near-missing adventures. In contrast, the few people from the suburbs riding the bus would mostly keep to themselves, thus preaching the value of silence at the end of an unharmonious ride.
Driving a bus would alter my ego. The amount of muscles that a shocking seat can build is amazing, especially in the lower back area. That is not to say that all muscles would grow in proportion, so an achy side effect could take precedence, one that ergonomics can only dream to eliminate. The stress caused by these ever-breaking muscles would have an unexpected benefit, though: they would cause so much stress that neck muscles would tighten, solidify like pure quartz stone, and even notch up a little in a fashionable way. What a side benefit! Buttocks would build up so quickly that the cushion on the driver's seat would contour around them permanently. The best part of all though would be the huge gain in belly mass due to the exposure to seat radiation and an increased consumption of cooked-in-a-minute, eaten-in-ten-seconds food and snacks. There is nothing like belly muscle to mood-alter a person's ego.
Adding all the drama and associated benefits, the factory pay for a bus driver is an amazing deal. Not only are there perks such as new spending habits and medical bills, but also to top it off, a driver's salary would be more than enough for a comfortable carton house near central station. Oh, right there, that is another great benefit: a short commute. It really would not matter anyway considering the longest commute would seem trivial when compared to an eleven-hour shift in a monstrous bus. So, the pay is great, the benefits are countless, and the opportunities for growth and character building are astonishing. I guess I really wouldn't mind driving a bus one bit.]]>
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I should totally apply for a job at The Rapid using this as my cover letter... I wonder what they would think when they read it! ;)]]>
ed hardy clothing louboutin shoes jordan shoes wholesale nfl jerseys cheap nfl jerseys]]>
I wouldn't mind driving an urban bus. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of perks that come with the fantastic factory pay. There is the power, for instance, that comes with driving the biggest vehicle in town. There is also networking with people of all kinds, from the street rat weirdo, to the hardworking adult, to the young hung over college student who is writing a paper about this year’s Beer Festival. There is also the added benefit of being out all day, growing muscles in places which I had no idea could grow. Yet, the most thrilling benefit of them all is the character building that comes with those remarkable life experiences that only a bus driver could say he has lived them all.
Driving a bus would make me grow. It would make me grow full of power with the dominion over the road. Imagine for one second handling the wheel of this enormous device, one so large that it could fit fifty people aboard and still manage to travel faster than the posted speed limits. Imagine what it would be like to see from above all the angry warriors of the road, so pitiful in their meaningless race for an extra second of time. Meanwhile, this gigantic machine moves through the streets breaking the sidewalks with its fringe armor, jumping through potholes like a true rollercoaster, and even running through red lights while the miserable cars below can do nothing but watch with apathy. Or is it respect? Maybe the blue, black, shiny red and silver bugs that drive below look up to the bus like a mighty being, or a king of the road. Maybe they stay out of its way because the stories they hear of cars and bikes being wrecked by a bus, while the bus suffers merely a scratch, give them warm, fuzzy feeling of comfort and relief when they manage to stay out of the way of a ten-ton bullet.
Driving a bus would enhance my social skills. The dreaded low-ridership routes are apparently designed to force excitement, and even a smile, when greeting new riders. That's because with only a few passengers a day, all of whom choose to seat on the opposite end of the bus, that one moment for greetings becomes the only moment for socializing -- that is, of course, other than the random spurts of well-earned violent language in the presence of stupid drivers on the road. After perfecting my greeting skills and road etiquette, I could move on to the extreme opposite in a route that cuts through all levels of this city's segregated society, thus providing limitless opportunities for uncensored chatter. The ride through downtown and the inner city would prove extremely beneficial, as the constant yelling and turmoil of high school students and the agony of stopping at every bus stop, topped by the constant pressure of being on time, would certainly lift my spirit in a cloud of character-building anxiety (or smug, can't really tell). The ubiquitous pot heads and hung over students that roam the city would certainly engage in inspirational conversations throughout the bus ride, covering such important topics as the Beer Festival's “Most beers in one hour” contest, last night's strip poker tournament, the collage inspired by hallucinogens and my favorite of all: skipping class for one of two reasons, to recover much needed sleep, or to make out and then recover much needed sleep. The hard working people inside of the city limits could share their horror stories of foreclosure, gangster fights, political chatter at Starbucks, a lifeless life in the city's cocoon, or just general bus near-missing adventures. In contrast, the few people from the suburbs riding the bus would mostly keep to themselves, thus preaching the value of silence at the end of an unharmonious ride.
Driving a bus would alter my ego. The amount of muscles that a shocking seat can build is amazing, especially in the lower back area. That is not to say that all muscles would grow in proportion, so an achy side effect could take precedence, one that ergonomics can only dream to eliminate. The stress caused by these ever-breaking muscles would have an unexpected benefit, though: they would cause so much stress that neck muscles would tighten, solidify like pure quartz stone, and even notch up a little in a fashionable way. What a side benefit! Buttocks would build up so quickly that the cushion on the driver's seat would contour around them permanently. The best part of all though would be the huge gain in belly mass due to the exposure to seat radiation and an increased consumption of cooked-in-a-minute, eaten-in-ten-seconds food and snacks. There is nothing like belly muscle to mood-alter a person's ego.
Adding all the drama and associated benefits, the factory pay for a bus driver is an amazing deal. Not only are there perks such as new spending habits and medical bills, but also to top it off, a driver's salary would be more than enough for a comfortable carton house near central station. Oh, right there, that is another great benefit: a short commute. It really would not matter anyway considering the longest commute would seem trivial when compared to an eleven-hour shift in a monstrous bus. So, the pay is great, the benefits are countless, and the opportunities for growth and character building are astonishing. I guess I really wouldn't mind driving a bus one bit.]]>
]]>
I should totally apply for a job at The Rapid using this as my cover letter... I wonder what they would think when they read it! ;)]]>
ed hardy clothing louboutin shoes jordan shoes wholesale nfl jerseys cheap nfl jerseys]]>
[Transferred from http://blog-gabriel.mongefranco.com; originally published on July 29, 2008]
Who knew I would ever have the scoop on something! But haha, I do! As it turns out, The Rapid is getting ready to roll out some very cool real-time transit tools this fall. As if it was not enough to be one of the highest quality public transit systems in the nation, now The Rapid is about to become on of the most technologically advanced too.
Just imagine what this will do for its riders. Not only will they be able to plan trips online, but quite possibly even find out if their bus is late! Along with the tools in development, real-time data will also be integrated with Google Transit. This will allow customers to visit the popular Google Maps site, enter a start and end address, and have Google plan out their entire bus route! Not only that -- but through Google Transit Mobile, they can plan routes using their cell phones too.
Together with this fall's frequency improvements and new bus routes, these transit tools show The Rapid's commitment to its riders.
]]>
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A public beta is now available at: http://beta.ridetherapid.org/account. The new apps seem to be in need of more integration and bug testing, so please help test them out!
]]>
ed hardy clothing louboutin shoes jordan shoes wholesale nfl jerseys cheap nfl jerseys]]>
[Transferred from http://blog-gabriel.mongefranco.com; originally published on July 29, 2008]
Who knew I would ever have the scoop on something! But haha, I do! As it turns out, The Rapid is getting ready to roll out some very cool real-time transit tools this fall. As if it was not enough to be one of the highest quality public transit systems in the nation, now The Rapid is about to become on of the most technologically advanced too.
Just imagine what this will do for its riders. Not only will they be able to plan trips online, but quite possibly even find out if their bus is late! Along with the tools in development, real-time data will also be integrated with Google Transit. This will allow customers to visit the popular Google Maps site, enter a start and end address, and have Google plan out their entire bus route! Not only that -- but through Google Transit Mobile, they can plan routes using their cell phones too.
Together with this fall's frequency improvements and new bus routes, these transit tools show The Rapid's commitment to its riders.
]]>
]]>
A public beta is now available at: http://beta.ridetherapid.org/account. The new apps seem to be in need of more integration and bug testing, so please help test them out!
]]>
ed hardy clothing louboutin shoes jordan shoes wholesale nfl jerseys cheap nfl jerseys]]>
[Transferred from http://blog-gabriel.mongefranco.com; originally published on July 26, 2008]
Yesterday, I took the bus to work. When I lived in downtown, I used the bus more often. I always had some issues with it -- namely some routes not running after 5:45pm, or having to wait 45 minutes for the next bus. But overall, it worked out fine -- especially for a college student with no car. :)
I stopped riding the bus some time ago when I got a job outside of the city. A few months back, The Rapid put a bus stop near work so I had the change to start using public transportation again. Yet I didn't, because it would take me too long to get back from work in the bus. Yesterday, I took the bus just to help a co-worker figure out how to ride it. It took me 25 minutes to get to work -- just five more than driving through traffic. Yet it took me almost an hour to get back. Not only that, but I got to work five minutes late, and had to leave 20 minutes early. If I didn't catch the 4:15pm bus, I would have to wait for the next one two hours later!!!
My co-worker was very excited about the idea of saving money by riding the bus. But after he tried it yesterday, he was not as thrilled any more. His trip took an hour and a half -- including 25 minutes of waiting time. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that mean the buses suck? Big time.
The problem is that their ridership is not very high. Without more riders, they just can't afford to put up more routes, increase their buses frequency, or open sub-stations. So do people not ride the bus? Well, in my opinion, it's a combination of multiple, powerful factors:
- There is a cultural barrier that people cannot easily get over. In this city's eyes, only hobbos, students and weird people ride the bus. Being a Michigan city, conquered by Detroit's car manufacturers and their push towards highways and personal cars, this view is not easy to change. Yet, environmental concerns and high gas prices are pushing more and more people into taking the bus. This unfortunately is a slow process, and it will not be successful until The Rapid can people from all socioeconomic levels to ride the bus.
- The Rapid does not have a good enough service. It has an excellent service for limited parts of the city, but overall, the service is poor. There are not enough routes, a high enough frequency, or early/late service. Unfortunately, unless ridership increases, service cannot improve. But if service does not improve, ridership will only increase slowly.
- The city is not people-friendly. By that I mean that everything is car-centric. For example, 28th street, which is a major commerce hub, lacks sidewalks for cars and bikes. Most buildings along 28th are distant from one another, which means that even if sidewalks were available, people would have to walk long distances just to get from one business to the next. The few places that are easily accessible by foot are mostly in dangerous neighborhoods, or in Downtown. This brings me to my next example: Downtown Grand Rapids, unlike in other cities, has no value for people. There are only a few restaurants, a couple of very expensive hotels, and tons of bars. Unless you go there at night to drink, or have an office job during the day, there is not a whole lot to do. Other centres such as Eastown, Plainfield, Cascade and Wyoming have much more to offer than Downtown Grand Rapids.
- There are no express services or sub-stations. Besides college express routes, there are no buses that will take you from one side of the city to the opposite side in a matter of minutes. There is no subway either. There is talk now of streetcars in Downtown, but with nothing to see there, I don't see what's the point. It just sounds like a very big waste of money -- money that could be better spent on express routes along East Belt Line, US-131, 28th St, 44th St, and a few sub stations. Did I mention that to go anywhere in the city, you almost always have to head towards Central Station in downtown first? Just imagine a 45-minute ride to Central Station plus another 45-minute ride to your final destination, plus waiting time. Does that sound like a good service? Absolutely not.
- The service is still too expensive. At $1.30 for an adult ticket, with transfers limited to a different route within 2 hours, the service is too expensive. Monthly passes are now $35, which make a bit more sense. However, since there is limited service on weekends, one must still spend extra money on gas which makes the $35 a commodity.
I am a great defender and proponent of public transportation. I want to give my city access to a good public transportation service. However, I just don't know how to make the service better in Grand Rapids. I'm not sure how to change the public transportation culture either. I'm not sure how to make the bus work for my co-worker who has an hour and half ride ahead of him. Or my friends who can't take the bus to work because it doesn't run early enough. Or my friends who can't ride the bus to school at night because they'll have no way to get back home after class. I understand that public transportation is vital for the progress of the city. So the question is, how do we improve The Rapid and make people want to ride it?
]]>
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ed hardy clothing louboutin shoes jordan shoes wholesale nfl jerseys cheap nfl jerseys]]>
[Transferred from http://blog-gabriel.mongefranco.com; originally published on July 26, 2008]
Yesterday, I took the bus to work. When I lived in downtown, I used the bus more often. I always had some issues with it -- namely some routes not running after 5:45pm, or having to wait 45 minutes for the next bus. But overall, it worked out fine -- especially for a college student with no car. :)
I stopped riding the bus some time ago when I got a job outside of the city. A few months back, The Rapid put a bus stop near work so I had the change to start using public transportation again. Yet I didn't, because it would take me too long to get back from work in the bus. Yesterday, I took the bus just to help a co-worker figure out how to ride it. It took me 25 minutes to get to work -- just five more than driving through traffic. Yet it took me almost an hour to get back. Not only that, but I got to work five minutes late, and had to leave 20 minutes early. If I didn't catch the 4:15pm bus, I would have to wait for the next one two hours later!!!
My co-worker was very excited about the idea of saving money by riding the bus. But after he tried it yesterday, he was not as thrilled any more. His trip took an hour and a half -- including 25 minutes of waiting time. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that mean the buses suck? Big time.
The problem is that their ridership is not very high. Without more riders, they just can't afford to put up more routes, increase their buses frequency, or open sub-stations. So do people not ride the bus? Well, in my opinion, it's a combination of multiple, powerful factors:
- There is a cultural barrier that people cannot easily get over. In this city's eyes, only hobbos, students and weird people ride the bus. Being a Michigan city, conquered by Detroit's car manufacturers and their push towards highways and personal cars, this view is not easy to change. Yet, environmental concerns and high gas prices are pushing more and more people into taking the bus. This unfortunately is a slow process, and it will not be successful until The Rapid can people from all socioeconomic levels to ride the bus.
- The Rapid does not have a good enough service. It has an excellent service for limited parts of the city, but overall, the service is poor. There are not enough routes, a high enough frequency, or early/late service. Unfortunately, unless ridership increases, service cannot improve. But if service does not improve, ridership will only increase slowly.
- The city is not people-friendly. By that I mean that everything is car-centric. For example, 28th street, which is a major commerce hub, lacks sidewalks for cars and bikes. Most buildings along 28th are distant from one another, which means that even if sidewalks were available, people would have to walk long distances just to get from one business to the next. The few places that are easily accessible by foot are mostly in dangerous neighborhoods, or in Downtown. This brings me to my next example: Downtown Grand Rapids, unlike in other cities, has no value for people. There are only a few restaurants, a couple of very expensive hotels, and tons of bars. Unless you go there at night to drink, or have an office job during the day, there is not a whole lot to do. Other centres such as Eastown, Plainfield, Cascade and Wyoming have much more to offer than Downtown Grand Rapids.
- There are no express services or sub-stations. Besides college express routes, there are no buses that will take you from one side of the city to the opposite side in a matter of minutes. There is no subway either. There is talk now of streetcars in Downtown, but with nothing to see there, I don't see what's the point. It just sounds like a very big waste of money -- money that could be better spent on express routes along East Belt Line, US-131, 28th St, 44th St, and a few sub stations. Did I mention that to go anywhere in the city, you almost always have to head towards Central Station in downtown first? Just imagine a 45-minute ride to Central Station plus another 45-minute ride to your final destination, plus waiting time. Does that sound like a good service? Absolutely not.
- The service is still too expensive. At $1.30 for an adult ticket, with transfers limited to a different route within 2 hours, the service is too expensive. Monthly passes are now $35, which make a bit more sense. However, since there is limited service on weekends, one must still spend extra money on gas which makes the $35 a commodity.
I am a great defender and proponent of public transportation. I want to give my city access to a good public transportation service. However, I just don't know how to make the service better in Grand Rapids. I'm not sure how to change the public transportation culture either. I'm not sure how to make the bus work for my co-worker who has an hour and half ride ahead of him. Or my friends who can't take the bus to work because it doesn't run early enough. Or my friends who can't ride the bus to school at night because they'll have no way to get back home after class. I understand that public transportation is vital for the progress of the city. So the question is, how do we improve The Rapid and make people want to ride it?
]]>
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