walking to the bus stop after a long day at work, on a sunny evening when the mountain is out and your schmipod is playing a song so good you don’t care who sees you groovin’ down the sidewalk. Happiness turns to pure bliss when you also happen to be on your way home to watch game three of the Eastern Conference semifinals. (Go Pistons!)
Westbound 545, 7:25 PM
Speaking of superheroes…
A couple of Wednesdays ago, I met Tom Bakker, also known as the Human Bus Schedule. If you’ve watched Evening Magazine anytime in the past decade, you probably already know who the Human Bus Schedule is. (Apparently, they taped a show with him in 1996 and have repeated it 23 times since.) Me? I hadn’t heard of him until Charlie Tiebout (of February Golden Transfer fame) introduced us over e-mail.
It all started back in the day, when Metro was still Seattle Transit, and six-year old Tom wanted to try riding the bus. First, he asked his parents if he could take it from their Capitol Hill home to his elementary school. (Hey! That’s how my bus obsession got started.) Being the cool (and highly intelligent) parents that they were, they said yes.
After Tom had proved himself able to get to and from school without incident, he expanded his bus repertoire, buying all-day passes on the weekends so he could explore the city. It wasn’t long before he started memorizing schedules. (Some kids put together puzzles or model trains; budding transit geeks study bus schedules.) And memorize he did. He quickly mastered all the routes in the Seattle Transit system.
These days, Tom still lives on Capitol Hill, only now he rides the bus to work and has memorized the schedule for every Metro and Sound Transit route in existence. (Seriously. I tested him.) He has never owned a car, and, like most transit geeks, can get almost anywhere in the Pacific Northwest on the bus. Unlike most transit geeks, he can tell you how to do it (including which routes to catch, transfer locations, and wait times) without consulting a single reference. (Maybe we should call him the “Human Trip Planner.”)
But it doesn’t stop there. Tom knows the routes so well that he helps new drivers (or experienced drivers trying to qualify to drive more routes) learn them. Once, he applied for a job to be a rider information specialist, but he was told he was overqualified. (Folks at Metro: I’d certainly like to talk to someone like Tom the next time I call 553-3000.) Instead, he helps the guests at the hotel where he works and volunteers his time at the Washington State Convention and Visitors Bureau.
When Tom visits a new city, studies the transit system ahead of time so he doesn’t have to rent a car. His favorite US city for transit? Why New York, of course. And speaking of Tom’s favorites…
His all-time favorite bus route is the 209 to North Bend because of the great views. (I’ve never ridden that route, but I will now–especially since my bus-driver-class classmate, Alan Brooks, agrees about the views.) Tom’s favorite in-city route is the 2. Not a bad choice. I have a soft spot in my heart for that route, since it’s the bus I used to ride to school, and–while we’re on the subject of superheroes–Busfather used to drive it.
HBS at The Crumpet Shop: one Seattle institution, kickin’ it at another
Saw it. Loved it.
My favorite part (besides meeting the man himself): Transitman’s version of the bus chick bag:
Why didn’t I think of including a flask?
(You will note that our hero is a Real Change reader.)
I also loved the photographs and the comic panels, but I don’t have good pictures of either. Plus, if I show you everything, you won’t have an incentive to see the exhibit–and you need to. It’s worth the trip. It was even worth missing the first half of the Mavericks-Warriors game.
Speaking of the 14…
On its way from downtown to Mount Baker, this well-used route happens to pass SOIL gallery. And SOIL gallery just so happens to be hosting an exhibit by former Sound Transit artist-in-residence Christian French, also known as Transitman.
Here’s how Transitman describes his project:
A meditation on the power of choice, and the ramifications of its exercise, this project expresses some of my assumptions about the hidden capacities we all have to make a difference in the world. Every act has infinite consequence. Even a simple choice like how you commute. We have the power to shape the world through our thought, speech or actions. Awakening to this potential is both liberating and unnerving. If you truly believed that you could save the world, would you do what it would take? Even if it meant walking around town in brightly colored Spandex? Careful how you answer…
And here’s Transitman:
Photo credit: Julie Ross
Finally, a superhero a bus chick can get behind! (No Batmobiles necessary.) Seriously, judging from his website, this is a thoughtful and interesting (not to mention talented) person. The exhibit opens tonight (First Thursday) and runs through June 3rd. Go see this, people!
Eastbound 14, 3:45 PM
Even car dealers want better transit
Sound Transit Andrew spotted this at 80th & Lake City Way:
For some help understanding what, in fact, is up with that, check out History Link’s Seattle Transportation Timeline.
April Golden Transfer
This month’s Golden Transfer goes to Bob Ferguson, King County Councilmember for District 1 and all-around bus booster. Ordinarily, I don’t play favorites with council members (except that I’m partial to my own), but in this case, I’ve decided to make an exception.
You might recall that Councilmember Ferguson (aka Bob) took the time to send us the scoop about the new reader boards and additional shelters. He understands the importance of changes like these, and not just because bus-riding voters appreciate them. Bob believes in transit, and he demonstrates that belief by riding the bus (the 41 from Northgate) to work every day. (I’m guessing that if he chose to drive, he’d get a pretty sweet deal on parking.)
Bob also demonstrates his interest in transit by his membership on the Council’s Transportation Committee, which, as you might imagine, reviews and makes recommendations about County transit policies.
And speaking of committees…
Earlier this month, Bob sent a member of his staff to sit in on the monthly meeting of the Transit Advisory Committee, a group of regular, bus-riding citizens who advise the Council and Metro staff on “transit issues and policies.” As one of the regular, bus riding citizens on the committee, I was pleased to see that he was interested not only in our formal recommendations, but also in our discussion and our individual perspectives.
And then there was the picture on one of his recent e-newsletters:
Who wouldn’t vote for a man who rides the bus?
Thanks, Bob, for demonstrating a true commitment to the transit system you govern–by listening to the voices of the people who use it, and, especially, by using it yourself.
Celebrating Seattle’s floating bus
Today, bus nerd and I attended the big Water Taxi celebration. Apparently, so did everyone else in Seattle.
12:30 ride from Pier 55:
Celebration at Seacrest:
2:00 Seacrest boarding:
Coolest parts of the day:
• The view from the deck of the taxi. (Our city is sexy, no?)
• The view from inside the taxi. We even saw a sea lion:
• Free drinks on the ride west. Both were non-alcoholic, juice-and-syrup concoctions: a Seacrest Sunrise and a Dow Constantini. (Apparently, Dow Constantine is a big Water Taxi booster. Last summer, he had ads all over the boat.)
• Prizes! I won an Argosy lakes cruise for two. (That’s two in a row. When’s the next transit fest?)
• Hanging out with my dad and my brother Joel. They both came to the park, ate fish and chips (not provided by the transit fest), and hung out in the warm(ish) weather. My dad even accompanied us on our boat ride back downtown, taking the opportunity to regale us with stories of his 30 years as a Coast Guard reservist.
Uncoolest parts of the day:
• Free balloons at Seacrest. Every kid in the vicinity (and there were many) had at least one, and there was a clown making balloon animals on demand. Have I mentioned my fear of balloons?
• Crowds. There was a great turnout for the opening day celebration, and the EBWT was a victim of its own success. The boat we rode to Seacrest was completely full–so full that some people couldn’t find seats. By the time we got to Seacrest (at around 12:45), all of the refreshments–even the coffee–had been consumed. On the way back, there wasn’t enough room on the boat we wanted to take, so we had to stand in line for an hour to wait for the next one. (We couldn’t leave to go do something else, or we would have lost our place.)
My dad had the same problem trying to get back from downtown. All in all, we spent a lot of time waiting. I’m hoping that folks who were trying to the Water Taxi for the first time don’t think it’s usually like that. It’s not.
• Missing Mom. It was the first time I’d ridden my favorite boat without the promise of seeing her on the other side.
The thing about bus characters
…is that they tend to get around.
Today, I took the 48 to Greenlake to meet some friends–Donna and Tama for a walk, and then Tosha for brunch. Despite all the 48 bashing I’ve been doing of late, there’s no other bus that can get me to so many places I need (OK, mostly want) to go: south, to Casuelita’s, to the dentist, to Lowe’s; north to Scarecrow, to Star Life, to Ballard jewelry parties, and of course, to Greenlake. But, as I am wont to do, I digress.
After the walk, as I was headed to meet Tosha, who did I see in front of Greenlake Community Center, with the very same pinstriped suit and the very same shtick, plus a tambourine and a collection cup? Church Man–from last Sunday’s 2.
I guess he rides the 48, too.