what the hills y’all: public transportation

What the Hills Y’all: Adventures of a Texas girl living in San Francisco

Growing up in Texas, public transportation was not something you did by choice, but rather a task needing to be done as a last resort. Here in San Francisco, especially in the city, your car is a big fish in a tiny pond, there just isn’t room.

I know people who love public transportation. The idea of someone else essentially driving for you, no driving around for 45 minutes to find a parking spot or worries of your car being broken into is bliss in a package. My husband is one of those people. The minute he arrived in this new city, he started learning the different routes and now takes it to work. I have an entirely different idea when it comes to public transportation.

I am not a public transportation kind of gal. Anyone can get on the bus, with an acceptable method of payment, which can be a little unsettling. If you have money, it doesn’t matter if you’re drunk, on drugs, mentally unstable or flat-out creepy, you could be sitting next to me on the bus. To some, this idea can be exciting, unpredictable and kind of fun. Me? Not so much. We went to the 49er game this Sunday and took the bus over there. I met an old, mentally unstable man who looked like Santa and a guy who got on the bus without paying and ended up being escorted out by cops. So there’s that.

Aside from the germs and unpredictability of the public transportation system, I royally suck at directions. Admitting is the first step: “Hi, my name is Sandra and I am directionally challenged”. I don’t know how I got around before Google Maps (to whoever programmed this into my phone, I thank you from the bottom of my heart), but I am eternally grateful. I like being able to get in my car and rely on my Tom Tom to get me from point A to point B, with as many u-turns and wrong turns as needed. With a bus, I’m not the driver. Someone else is stopping and going and has their own route to follow. It’s your job to know where to stop. I’m not sure I want that job.

As Justin and I are looking for a place to live for the next year, the issue of public transportation has raised some eyebrows in deciding location. I like having my car with people who I know in it. I like being the sole driver and relying on Google Maps to get to my destination, even if I spend hours trying to find a parking spot.

In the end, this is a staple in the city that I’ll have to overcome, but I’m holding out for as long as I can, even if I do have a clipper card.

How about you? Do you like public transportation? I’d love to hear in the comments below!