The simple pleasures of taking the bus

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This article was published 12/10/2018 (2585 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Waiting for a bus that never seems to come, at -35 C.

Standing in a crowded, non-air-conditioned bus on a hot summer day.

Wondering why some passengers think we need to hear their conversations and music at full volume.

Sigh. I’m going to miss those things.

Late last month, I ended my role as director of communications, marketing and public engagement at Canadian Foodgrains Bank. After 37 years of work for various employers, I no longer have a full-time job to go to each weekday morning.

Except for three years when I lived in Europe and the U.S., all of my working years were spent in Winnipeg. And, for almost all of those years, I took the bus to work. Sometimes my commute took an hour, from North Kildonan to Fort Garry or Tuxedo. Most of the time, it was about 25 to 30 minutes to downtown.

For all of that time, I enjoyed taking the bus. It was never a hardship. I know that many don’t feel that way; they consider it an inferior mode of transportation, a poor person’s limousine. Not me. Taking the bus was a way to relax, read, prepare for the day and get to work in a safe and unfrazzled state.

Those few times when I drove, I was always thankful I didn’t have to do it regularly, fighting traffic and paying downtown parking fees. How do people drive their cars to work day after day?

As for me, I was always grateful to let the bus driver worry about road conditions and other drivers, especially on snowy days when the commute was challenging.

Over the years of taking the bus, I noticed some changes. The fares increased, of course — $2.95 a ride seems expensive, but it’s still cheaper than gas, parking and wear and tear on a vehicle. Buses became more comfortable, including many with air conditioning.

And today there’s no guesswork about when a bus will come, no existential loneliness reminding one of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. (“Let’s go. We can’t. Why not? The bus might come.”)

Today, that’s all changed with signs downtown and smartphones to let you know when the next bus will arrive. Speaking of smartphones, over the years I witnessed the disappearance of newspapers on buses. There once was a time when many riders had a newspaper in hand, awkwardly trying to open and fold broadsheets in a bus seat. (The main advantage of the Sun was ease of use on a bus.)

Today, almost everyone on the bus is looking at a phone or other kind of device. It’s rare to see a newspaper, and notable to see someone reading an actual book.

I know the bus gets a bad rap from many. They complain that the buses don’t go where they live or work, and not when they want them. That’s a fair critique. But those concerns need to be addressed to politicians at the municipal and provincial levels. If voters want, we can press governments to provide more funding so more buses can reach more places more frequently.

That was never a problem for me. Our family intentionally decided to locate in a place which had good access to bus routes, for work and for school. Where I live, in northeast Winnipeg, there are three nearby routes that go downtown, including one express bus. But expense, convenience and a relaxed commute to work aren’t the only reasons I liked taking the bus. I also liked how it enabled me to limit my contribution to greenhouse gases — doing my little bit to address climate change.

If there’s anything I regret about my time spent riding buses, it’s that Winnipeggers, unlike passengers in some other cities, don’t thank the drivers. It’s not an easy job; drivers provide a great service, taking the stress of driving off passengers and putting it on themselves. At the same time, they put themselves at risk from unruly or dangerous riders. Some have been injured or even lost their lives.

For all of that, we owe them our gratitude. I did my bit by saying “thanks” when I exited the bus. But I never heard anyone else say it.

But now all that will be in the past. Starting this month, I will be working mostly from home. My “commute” will be from the kitchen to my home office. I will rarely take the bus. And I will miss it.

Even on days that are -35 C.

John Longhurst is a consultant specializing in non-profit communications and marketing, and a regular contributor to the Faith Page of the Winnipeg Free Press.