From Work - 12.1

Well, took me a little bit to get to this last post. Firstly, I want to thank everyone who supported me in this endeavor. I even want to thank those people who told me I was nuts. You all kept me dedicated to this. I also want to thank all the great bus drivers and employees of JTA who were exceptionally kind and helpful. I got a great call from the Director of JTA on Friday afternoon telling me he really appreciates what I've done and hopes it will work in raising the awareness of the bus to commuters.



Ok, on to the more mundane. It was just another routine bus ride home on Friday night. Although, It seemed there was a lot of traffic. I did doze of for much of the ride (it was a long week) as much as I could, despite the frigid air conditioning in the bus. So, I didn't get back until 7:20ish. Which is one of the later times I've gotten back.



Now, it did take me a while to get to this post because I have been feeling a little under the weather this weekend. This leads me onto a final point about public transport. Be cautious about airborne pathogens. Take your vitamins and wash your hands because you're on there with a lot of people and there's probably a ton of germs flying around.



Well, I hope everyone learned something and got a chuckle from some of my dry wit. I'm going to try and do a week after follow-up comparison with driving my car. So, once again, thanks and keep riding!

Jacksonville.com Feature

I'm being featured on the Jacksonville.com homepage right this very minute. To watch the video interview click here. Fun stuff!

To Work - 12.1

Last day of the adventure. What a bittersweet feeling. Now I know what Lewis and Clark must have felt when they reached the Pacific Ocean, or Neil Armstrong when they arrived back on Earth. OK, maybe it’s not that dramatic, but the same feeling of accomplishment is there.

My routine is getting less exciting, and more, well, routine. The bus is no longer a big mystery but an old friend. The R1 picked me up promptly again a little after 8AM from Atlantic Beach and we were off. The bus was even more full than yesterday. Most people looked like they were going to something work-related. Maybe my message is getting out?

In fact, I know it has. I received a call yesterday from the Times Union who will run a little blurb on the second page of the Lifestyle section next Monday. I was pretty excited about that, but then to add icing to the cake Tracy from Jacksonville.com, the Times Union’s web component, sent me an email requesting to do a video interview. She met me downtown and we rode the WS1 to my office while I gave her the rundown on what I was doing. I hope it came off well. I really wasn’t prepared to give a speech. Hopefully, she’s a better editor than I am impromptu speaker. I should have the video up here by this afternoon. So, Stay tuned.



I did also want to mention a couple of other things I forgot to in previous posts. First, there are two “Fare Zones” that I travel through. The border between them is at Atlantic and Kernen. At this stop the bus driver gets up and walks along the aisle making sure everyone has paid the correct fare to take this extra-long ride. If you think you’ll be going this far it’s good just to get on the bus and ask the driver who will then procure you the right tickets to get you where you’re going. If there’s anything I’ve learned on these trips, it’s “ask the driver.” They’re all very friendly and helpful.

Secondly, you can take your bike on the bus. There’s this nifty rack on the front where you can place your bike if you need some extra wheels to get you to/from your bus stop of choice or final destination. A man that rides the morning R1 brings his bike everyday and gets off at Regency Mall to continue on two wheels.




Finally, to make the bus stop to pick you up, just wave at it. And once you're on, to make the bus stop, push the yellow or black strip on the wall or ceiling. Easy as cake.

TGICF. Thank God It's Casual Friday.