They've finally broken me. I am broken. Not heart-broken, not house-broken (that's a whole 'nother story), but traffic broken. I am only so patient and my patience has worn through the proverbial toe in my sock of life.
Bad analogies aside, I really am resigned to do something, or rather attempt something I've been avoiding for some time: namely, ride the bus to work. It wasn't the cost of gas that broke me, although it's utterly outrageous. It wasn't my devout environmentalism at play. It wasn't even the time involved. Quite simply, it's the fact that I am too "delicate" for my commute. I get carsick so easily that more of my drive is spent concentrating on not puking out the window than actually focusing on steering my car. The stop-and-go, go-and-stop jerking combined with the ever-present Seattle drizzle makes me literally sick. And the copious amount of dead raccoons along the side of 5-20 doesn't help.
I've avoided the bus thus far because, let's face it, I'm lazy and I hate being bound to other people's schedules, even if those "people" are Metro transit. Cars are the ultimate symbol of independence, at least as far as I'm concerned. I didn't learn to drive until I was almost 21 and I spent much of my youth either on the bus or being ferried around by my patient friends. I hate relying on others. I hate being a burden on others. And I hate asking for favors. So I essentially spent my teen years embroiled in constant guilt and discomfort whenever I had to go anywhere. Call me crazy, but the bus carries some negative connotations as a result.
But tomorrow morning I will set out to trek the .4 miles to my bus stop at 7:39 a.m. and arrive at 8:48 a.m. in Bellevue, a full 48 minutes past when I should technically arrive and at least 18 minutes past when I used to arrive. Long and annoying? Yes. But after spending nearly an hour this morning in my car, struggling with nausea and feeling rage seeth up into every crevice of my body, I am willing to try.
4 comments:
This is a conversation the lady and I have been having lately too. My commute is slight, but the bus appeals still. Maybe a bike ride / bus ride or something. Bad for rainy days I suppose. The lady wants to start as sort of a protest. And really, this conversation started because of the possible move your way. If I'm successful in landing that gig, we'll definitely be accommodating our mass transit desires.
How'd it go? I succumbed to the same reasoning--I think it's somewhat preferable to not actually have to fight the traffic personally.
If you are running late, I think you should start singing "I missed the bus" by Kris Kross and maybe wear backward overalls to really drive the message home.
Just put some sweet ass tunes on your ipod and get a book. As for the traffic, it's the bus driver's problem now. And if your late, you can always, always, always, blame the bus.
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