Bus Ride to the Ohio Statehouse

The kids like to ride the bus, and I like to show them where their parents met. That means a COTA bus to the Ohio Statehouse is something Edith, Atticus and I can all agree on.

We made the trip a couple of summers ago, and I had it in the back of my head ever since school let out to do it again. I awoke last Monday knowing that was the day. No rain, just the right temperature, everyone in a good mood. We ate an early lunch and took off for the bus stop.

The route is easy. The closest bus stop is just a few blocks away. Catch the #2 and go straight down High Street for five miles. I people watch, while the kids look for construction vehicles and ask when they can pull the rope to get off at our stop. Plus, they learn how to take public transportation.

At the Statehouse, we went to the small (but well done) museum in the basement, then took the elevator to the Rotunda. Of course, we couldn't leave without peeking into the House Clerk's office, where Paul and I met.

We ate a snack on the Statehouse lawn, then it was time for the bus ride back. A perfect outing for a lovely afternoon.

A Bus Ride Downtown

Last week I made one of Edith's dreams come true: a ride on a COTA bus.

COTA is the public transportation system in Columbus, and there are several bus stops a short walk away from our house. We frequently see the buses fly past when we take walks in the neighborhood.

So last Monday morning, armed with my bus fare in quarters, we took the bus to downtown Columbus. The ride was only about a half hour, and Edith kept her eyes glued to the window the entire time. Even Atticus was content on my lap, watching the passing scenery.

Downtown, we walked through Columbus Commons -- pretty empty now that it's fall -- and to the Statehouse. We strolled around the grounds and then inside, to the basement museum, up to where I used to work on the House side, and finally to the rotunda. Then we ate a packed lunch on one of the many benches lining the Statehouse lawn.

The ride back was nearly as fun for the kids, and when I told Edith to pull the cord to request our stop, she didn't seem to notice that another passenger beat her to it. Best of all, we were back before nap time! It's definitely a field trip we'll soon repeat.

New York MTA: High Prices for Bad Service

Weather has always been a good small talk topic. Now New Yorkers are adding another item to the list: the upcoming MTA fair hikes and service cuts.

As the name implies, the Metropolitan Transit Authority is in charge of public transportation in New York City, including the subway and bus systems. And like so many quasi-government agencies, they aren't doing a very good job.

Right on the heels of fare increases last year come changes even more drastic. First of all, my 30-day unlimited ride Metrocard is increasing from $81 to $103, and the M train that I take part of the way to and from work is being discontinued. Even worse, prices for students and the disabled are skyrocketing-- some by more than 100%.

Needless to say, this has many New Yorkers up in arms. Two of my co-workers, Meghan and Mellisa, are even enlisting locals to Boycott the MTA for 23 days-- or at the very least, on June 1.

They aren't the only angry commuters. Mellisa was interviewed by one of the free local dailies, am New York, for an article Wednesday about fair hike revolts on Facebook.

So what's my take?

I'm annoyed by the increase to the unlimited ride Metrocard, but the price is still no more (and maybe less) than the 60 or so gallons of gas I would guzzle every month in Ohio.

I'm more irritated by the loss of M train service to the stations I use. It's the quickest, most convenient way for me to get to and from work, and I'll miss that.

But what makes me angriest are the draconian fare hikes to people with disabilities-- like it isn't inconvenient enough for them to take public transportation.

Fortunately, there's still time to stall these changes. The state government is supposed to be considering an MTA bailout plan. Unfortunately, I'm not holding my breath.

Christmas by Greyhound

We're back in New York after a lovely week in Ohio. And I do mean lovely. Although the week started out cold, it was 66 degrees on Saturday!

So much happened that I'll have to split my adventures into a few blogs. For now, I'll concentrate on the first 12 hours of my vacation: The Greyhound ride home.

I went straight to the Port Authority bus terminal near Times Square straight after work last Monday. No problem.

I had purchased my ticket online, but I knew I had to get a paper ticket at the terminal either at a kiosk or from a Greyhound employee. The first two kiosks I saw were broken, so I prepared myself for the long line.

I waited. And waited. I had plenty of time to look around-- and noticed that while one of the giant clocks on the wall displayed the correct time, the other was off by 16 minutes. Not very helpful for people trying to catch a bus.

Finally I got my ticket. "Which gate?" I asked. "Seventeen," I heard.

It was only then that I noticed more kiosks-- including a few that were, indeed, working.

No matter, I thought. I had about 90 minutes to spare, and Greyhound recommends the passengers arrive merely an hour before the bus departs. So I went off in search of Gate 17.

I found it, but I was confused. There was no mention of Greyhound anywhere. I looked at my ticket-- there was a 17 printed in the top left corner. But I looked at the envelope the lady at the counter handed me. Gate 70. Oops!

The room with Gate 70 was packed with Greyhound passengers all in separate lines. See, even if you buy a Greyhound ticket, you aren't guaranteed a seat. So evidently people get there early in order to have the best shot.

I was worried-- dozens of people were ahead of me. And to make things even more inconvenient (1) the room was cold because of the open doors allowing passengers to board the buses, (2) there were no seats in the room and (3) I couldn't go to the bathroom lest I lose my place in line.

Eventually an employee split all of us at Gate 70 into at least three lines for different buses, and I did get a seat toward the back of my bus. In fact, for awhile I thought I would have the entire seat to myself.

Alas, across the aisle was a woman with what appeared to be her teenage daughter. And this daughter had a giant stuffed dog the size of a 10-year-old. So the girl and her dog got a seat to themselves, while I shared a seat with the mom.

Nevertheless, the trip wasn't a bad experience. In fact, I really do look at it as an adventure. The people were nice, I got a bit of sleep, and the stops were on time. We even left New York 15 minutes early.

All in all, I'd do it again in a pinch.

Getting Around New York

I love the subway.

OK, I don't like the occasional pile of puke underneath a seat. Or waiting 20 minutes for the next train. Or being packed like sardines during the morning commute (it doesn't happen everyday- really!).

But overall it's a convenient, comparatively cheap form of transportation.

In Ohio, Paul and I each had about a 70 mile round-trip commute. When gas was $2/gallon, I estimate that together we spent $200/month filling up our tanks just to get to and from work.

Here, we each buy a 30-day unlimited ride Metrocard for $81 apiece, which grants us access to the subway system and almost all buses. The price of the card is supposed to rise above $100 next year. Sure, I'd rather not have the increase, but I think we'll still come out ahead on our transportation costs.

The one thing that puts a dent in my calculations is the one car we still own. That means we still have to pay car insurance. Now and again, it is nice to have a vehicle. We could visit Allison and Phil in Maryland last weekend on our own time, instead of depending on a bus. We can load up the car with cat litter instead of lugging it back by hand. And Paul does use it for work once in awhile.

One bad thing about driving around here? All of the tolls.

We spent almost $50 just to get to and from Baltimore, which seems a bit ridiculous for a three-hour trip. Granted, part of those tolls were for the turnpike. At least then I feel like I'm paying for lighter traffic and a higher speed limit. What really irks me are the bridge tolls. What am I supposed to do-- swim across?

I don't have to worry about tolls this week. I'm taking an overnight Greyhound bus from New York to Toledo on Monday night, so this will be my last post until after Christmas. Happy holidays!