I know not everyone had positive experiences with public transportation during the recent Arctic Blast, but I’m indebted to TriMet for saving me and my daughter from cabin fever one day last week.
My husband was working from home and Sadie wanted to go to Powell’s to buy something with her Hanukkah gift card. Desperately wanting to get out of the house myself, I agreed, happy to leave my son home with Daddy.
Sadie and I got bundled up and walked to the nearest bus stop in our northeast neighborhood. We waited less than 10 minutes before two buses showed up. The first driver didn’t open his doors for us, but the second bus driver greeted us cheerfully.
We made it down Sandy Boulevard and across the Burnside Bridge without incident. On the west side of the bridge, the driver stopped for a man who said, “I heard that the bus and MAX are free today because of the weather.”
“I haven’t heard that, but you can get on,” the driver said.
“I’m not going anywhere, I was just wondering,” the man said.
The driver ripped off a transfer receipt and offered it to him. “Here you go, for later,” she said before driving off.
Sadie and I got off at the next stop and walked up to Powell’s, where she got a stack of books for herself and I bought some last-minute gifts.
When it was time to head home, I looked at our bus receipts and saw that the driver had given us all-day tickets, even though we had only paid regular fare. And when we boarded the bus, we realized that we had the same friendly driver.
She confidently guided us back over the bridge and up the steep section of Burnside Street where three other buses were stalled. As we crested the hill, I couldn’t help but give the driver, my new hero, a little cheer, prompting the other riders to laugh and my daughter to hide her face.
We got off the bus just a few blocks from our house and trudged through the snowy streets, eager to curl up on the couch with hot cocoa and our new books.
Thanks, TriMet, and your fearless drivers, for getting us safely where we wanted to go!
Posted by Anne

December 28th, 2008 | Category: Metro Parent