By Nicole Walters, GreenisUniversal.com
It seems everything is rising these days - the national debt, gas prices, temperatures and tempers. Fortunately, I haven't been too badly affected by the gas prices because I drive a total of about 8 miles per day - to and from my local train station. Still, the $60 receipt when I filled up my tank last week did make me cringe. Just about two months ago it was usually $40 and I've begun to reminisce to anyone who will listen about when I was in college and could fill up my tank for $10. Ah, those were the days...
As gas prices soar over $5/gallon in some areas more Americans are viewing public transportation as a viable and convenient option for traveling. I couldn't agree more. I've been commuting to NYC by train for almost 2 years now and by my calculations, if I had been driving all that time, I would have spent an extra $10,000! I used this nifty trip gas price calculator from AAA, added tolls, parking costs and took into consideration gas price averages of last year.
It seems everything is rising these days - the national debt, gas prices, temperatures and tempers. Fortunately, I haven't been too badly affected by the gas prices because I drive a total of about 8 miles per day - to and from my local train station. Still, the $60 receipt when I filled up my tank last week did make me cringe. Just about two months ago it was usually $40 and I've begun to reminisce to anyone who will listen about when I was in college and could fill up my tank for $10. Ah, those were the days...As gas prices soar over $5/gallon in some areas more Americans are viewing public transportation as a viable and convenient option for traveling. I couldn't agree more. I've been commuting to NYC by train for almost 2 years now and by my calculations, if I had been driving all that time, I would have spent an extra $10,000! I used this nifty trip gas price calculator from AAA, added tolls, parking costs and took into consideration gas price averages of last year.
If you are a public transportation newbie, here are a few words of advice to make your trip (and the rest of your fellow passengers') a little more comfortable:
- Bring something to keep yourself entertained. Medication, for example. Personally, I always carry a journal and a book. I get to spend time that I would otherwise be idling in traffic making notes for work and reading. Technology is a good distraction as well. If the book I am reading isn't so appealing, some nights I will pull out my iPod and watch a favorite movie I've downloaded.
- Be prepared. If you can, go online and check the train routes and schedules. If your workplace is flexible or you are taking a day trip to sight see, opt for a later train. Commuter hour trains are always packed and the last thing we want to hear is you talking about how much fun you plan on having that day. Seriously though, you can trade an uncomfortably cramped ride for a more spacious one by just skipping the peak commuting hours.
- Keep your cool. Confined quarters can sometimes bring out the worst in people. The other day I had 2 passengers, obviously spent from a hard day of touring the city in some of its worst heat in decades tell me that they did mind if I sat across from them. It was very ugly and I could have easily screamed at them as they did me and felt justified, but instead I sat down and told them that this was an unfortunate drawback of public transportation - having to share your ride with the public. It kept my internal smirk powered long enough to bid them a pleasant farewell at their station stop.
- Standing is not so bad. Sometimes I see people squeezing into 3-seaters and I shudder to think of being squished up against a sweaty stranger for an hour and I ask myself if maybe they enjoy it. If you are like me, you'll probably be sitting in front of your computer most of the day anyway, so why not just make a few more people comfortable and opt to stand? I tell myself it's good for me.
We've all got horror stories, I've seen delays so lengthy that have made grown men cry, but public transportation really is a convenient way to save money this summer. Pitch in and tell us how you survive your public transportation commute!
Nicole Walters
GreenisUniversal.com
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