14 Mar PT in SF

It’s funny how different I feel about public transport over here. Even after two months, everything is enough of a novelty that I don’t mind being on the train or bus at all. I hated the train back home. And buses? Forget about it. I think it’s a combination of factors that shaped my attitude. A resentment accumulated over the years, through negative experiences with ticket inspectors and less-than-civil passengers, unreliable service, and the soul-crushing boredom that comes from passing through the same, boring suburbs for upwards of an hour every morning and afternoon.

I’m painting a pretty biased picture of PT in Melbourne; it really isn’t that bad. I guess I’m trying to make a point of the contrast in my feelings, and trying to figure out why they’re different. Setting the novelty factor aside, public transport in San Francisco just makes sense. I haven’t lived in any other city apart from my own for long enough to get used to how it goes with their buses and trains, so my basis for comparison isn’t great. Still, PT in SF just makes sense.

For me, there are two main things that make it so great. Number one: all train lines lead to the subway, and from the subway, you can get anywhere. And number two: buses arrive every fifteen minutes (as opposed to every half an hour in Melbourne). Theses two factors combine to create an often seamless commute (in my experience at least).

Who knows, maybe I’ll grow bitter in time. Like I said, my attitude towards the system in Melbourne happened gradually. Maybe public transport over here isn’t actually that much better than back home, and once the small things start to get to me, a crescendo of frustration and disdain will be inevitable. For now, I’m pretty happy, so we’ll just have to wait and see.