Before I lived on the East Coast, I hated hopping on a sweltering bus with dozens of other sweaty students as much as anyone. But after using the Washington Metro and the Philadelphia subway system, I’ve found there’s a lot about the buses to appreciate.
Born and raised in Michigan, I always thought I loved driving. I applied for my driver’s license right after my 16th birthday and took advantage of the freedom by visiting friends, taking road trips to northern Michigan or clearing my head on the open road whenever I needed.
But ditching my car for seven months throughout the course of two internships proved to me that public transportation can be just as fulfilling, and sometimes better.
Sure, step off campus and the effectiveness of Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA, buses quickly dwindles, and grocery shopping is less than thrilling when you have to tote a gallon of milk and a bag of apples to and fro. Additional bus routes could make East Lansing infinitely more accessible.
Other than that, there are few reasons not to take advantage of the bus system.
Some of my friends have told me they refuse to pay $50 for a CATA bus pass out of principle. It’s frustrating so many other Michigan universities, including the University of Michigan, provide students with free transportation.
But compared to other public transit systems, $50 a semester for a bus pass is pretty cheap. I used to pay about $25 a week commuting in Philadelphia on the subway system, and upwards of $40 a week in Washington, D.C.
For students, the investment is well worth avoiding a few $15 parking tickets and carrying around bags of change.
If you’re irritated waiting an extra five minutes for the bus, imagine what it’s like to wait up to 45 minutes for the Metro.
I planned to arrive at least an hour early no matter where I was going in case the Metro flooded (it’s happened before).
Unlike drivers in D.C. and Philly, the CATA bus drivers are, for the most part, extremely pleasant. I never truly appreciated Midwestern courtesy until I lived in brash Philadelphia. They meant well, but a good morning greeting beats a snippy “Move back!” from your bus driver.
On top of that, I feel much safer riding buses in East Lansing.
It’s a cause for celebration when there are not violent crimes on the Philly subway.
I once watched a man barter a suspicious plastic baggy for a bus ride in D.C.
When I almost left my ChapStick on a CATA bus a few weeks ago, someone jumped up to give it back to me.
More than anything else, my favorite part about riding the bus is the people, no matter what city I’m in.
Driving in a car, or even walking or biking alone, can be isolating.
On buses, you catch bits of conversation that open windows into fellow students’ and community members’ lives.
I doubt I would have gotten the same experience in New York City if I took cabs the whole time. Listening to someone blasting music on the subway in Philly and seeing what metro riders were reading about in the District was drastically more intimate than driving could ever be.
There’s something about coming together with a group of people and riding in a shared space. It makes me feel closer to my community, even if I’m surrounded by strangers.
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Living in other cities helped me recognize the value of a simple conversation with someone new on the bus to work or class.
Yes, there are problems with CATA. But overall, we have it made at MSU.
Summer Ballentine is the State News opinion editor. Reach her at sballentine@statenews.com.
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