I wasn't certain about taking mass transit for the first time but I didn't want to pay upwards of twenty bucks for parking and I really, really didn't want to experiment with driving in this city because that prospect terrifies me moreso than I can adequately describe. And I'm from LA-- a city not known for its user-friendly streets and highways. So after a few unsuccessful attempts at understanding the web site, I asked anyone I thought could help me. Flynne's boyfriend who lives in Marin gave me general directions. Prav gave me a more specific idea. The guy downstairs told me where to get to the Muni stop and which one I should probably get on. What I was really looking for was someone to take my by the hand and lead me directly to where I needed to go, starting at the door to my apartment. Failing this, I figured I would rely on my sense of direction and lack of shame in asking stupid questions to strangers.
I made it down to the Muni and a nice woman on the train helped me figure out where I was going. Apparently I didn't look like a "local" as I attempted to put money into the automated Muni scheduler thing so she took pity on me. She told me exactly what to do and I made it to school right on time. I made sure to get her phone number in case I ever got lost again (she is now listed in my phone as Cassandra Nice Train). So I've figured out my commute and so far it was not too hard. I'm sure it will be trickier in the rain and so forth but I accomplished my mission for today: take Muni to school.
Being from LA, I don't have a lot of experience with public transportation because I drove everywhere. If I had to buy more than two grocery bags full of stuff, I would drive to Trader Joe's, which was across the street. If I think hard, I can detail the experience I have had in other cities:
- London, with kids from my high school. Managed to negotiate the entire city. Generally by letting others take the lead.
- Boston. My sis took me all over town. She also sent me to her apartment for a nap and gave me extremely specific, landmark-oriented directions for meeting up again.
- New York. My parents and I tried to go to SoHo. Got completely lost.
- France. Flew into Paris. Stephanie picked me up at the airport, helped me buy my ticket and put me on the train to Rennes. Coming back to her house was trickier. She had relatives coming into town so she couldn't come meet me at the train station so she had told me to take a cab to her house. Michelle heard this and told me to forget about that and take the Metro since a cab would be around 30 Euros and the Metro would be no more than 3. Since I had lost a lot of my money simply by changing it from dollars to Euros, I decided to do it. I knew the general area where Stephanie lived and I thought I could probably recognize her house. So with Michelle's directions, I walked to the bus stop and took the bus to the train station in Saint Malo. I changed trains in Rennes. I arrived in Paris and took the 9 Metro and transferred to the 6 (it could be the other way around, twas a few years ago). I had been instructed to get off at one of the 3 last stops so I picked the very last stop and then wandered around until I found Stephanie's house.
Did I mention that I was carrying a medium-sized rolling suitcase, along with a coat and a large paper bag full of souvenirs that might as well have said "I'm a tourist. Rob me!" on it? Did I also mention that I don't speak any French? Well, actually, Michelle taught me to say "one ticket, please."
I suppose after that experience, it makes sense that I wasn't too worried about today. At least I speak the language....
Oh, and I guess I did have a little experience with public transportation in LA. Back in freshman year when I didn't have a car, I would take the bus to the Santa Monica mall (not realizing, I guess, that there are about seventeen thousand other acceptable shopping areas between South Central and Santa Monica). It would take 2 hours each way but I would do it. In fact, Jenny and I went on a little shopping excursion there and ended up getting on the wrong bus back to town. Since it was so late in the evening the Dash from downtown to USC wasn't operating anymore so instead of paying, oh nine or so dollars for a cab, Jenny and I walked. From downtown. To USC. At some points we had to shout to hear each other over the screaming of car alarms and sirens. For two seemingly reasonably intelligent people, this is one of those moments I look back and realize book smarts will only get you so far.
