Buses are expensive? - Page 2

[mamamelia]

yep. my sister's brother (long story.. lol) is a bus driver and he is very nice bloke to deal with so i know they exist. we must have all the rude ones on my routes only.

i've had the odd very nice and courteous bus driver and i always say "thank you SO much and have a great day" because i can now see that they are the exception, not the rule and damn they deserve to be recognized. we used to have one driver who was really nice... he was on the route that goes three towns over. i don't see him anymore though.

my dd always says hello and goodbye to the bus drivers and they mostly don't even bother to respond. i can stand people being rude to me - i'm an adult - but gosh it irks me to see adults be rude to little ones. i almost want to throw something at them to get a response.

[oneKnight]

I wouldn't ride the city bus around here. When I have seen them driving around my town they were RUDE, Tailgated BIG TIME, had no idea where they were going, signaled left and then turned right, etc.
NO way in heck I'd get on one of those dethtraps!

[bigeyes]

Originally Posted by oneKnight

I wouldn't ride the city bus around here. When I have seen them driving around my town they were RUDE, Tailgated BIG TIME, had no idea where they were going, signaled left and then turned right, etc.
NO way in heck I'd get on one of those dethtraps!

I never understand how they get away with that. We had supervisors following us all the time and got written up for any traffic violation or wrong turns. I actually became a better driver all the time because of my bus training.

Tailgating is stupid because of the amount of space you need to stop a bus. The problem I always had was some UAV in a car cutting me off at a light as I was coming to a stop, putting all my passengers in danger because I no longer had my stopping space.

But I can recall being on some buses with drivers who scared the cr@p out of me, so I know what you're talking about. We were talking to one of our former coworkers and he told us about an awful wreck in another division that was caused by a driver texting while driving! And recently here on our local news a driver was busted playing a video game while driving. There's no excuse for putting everyone on the road in danger by doing something like that.

[llamalluv]

Originally Posted by laohaire

So people who don't own cars only take one trip a year? If that were the case, the math makes sense.

No one said that. What was being compared was the cost of A trip to the cost of car ownership.

[llamalluv]

Originally Posted by laohaire

So actually this does kind of beg the question - who DOES use commercial buses, and why? Given that they are so expensive. I guess us blind folk who don't have alternatives! But still, that can't account for the majority of commercial bus users... can it?

As I pointed out earlier - people who may need to take a trip out of town, but can't afford to maintain a car on the off chance that they will need to take a trip out of town.

[llamalluv]

Originally Posted by oneKnight

I wouldn't ride the city bus around here. When I have seen them driving around my town they were RUDE, Tailgated BIG TIME, had no idea where they were going, signaled left and then turned right, etc.
NO way in heck I'd get on one of those dethtraps!

Oh, that's nothing. Try taking a cab ride in downtown Chicago. And bring an extra change of underpants.

[Auntie Sapphire]

Originally Posted by laohaire

You didn't sound snarky, this made sense. It's Peter Pan, not Greyhound, but I believe that's still a private bus line so the observation is relevant.

Yes, Peter Pan is a commercial line. Their busses are usually much nicer than Greyhound!

Originally Posted by laohaire

So actually this does kind of beg the question - who DOES use commercial buses, and why? Given that they are so expensive.

People who don't have a valid driver's license, for one.

[WC_hapamama]

Originally Posted by bigeyes

This. In the SF Bay Area, between gas, upkeep and parking, it's much more expensive to take your car than it is to use public transportation.

Now, greyhound is another story entirely.

Depends on where you are in the Bay Area too. Out where I live, parking isn't as much of a problem as it is in San Francisco.

[flapjack]

I love my bus drivers We're a one car family, and I use buses to get EVERYWHERE. Low-level, so I can push two kids in a Phil and Teds on and leave them strapped in in a stroller, the drivers on my route see us so much they know all four of my kids by name, and I can get anywhere within a 5 mile radius in less than an hour, even with a change in buses.
Laohaire, I'm sorry to tell you this but over here those who are registered disabled also get free national bus travel. : Come be my neighbour, huh?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by bigeyes

This. In the SF Bay Area, between gas, upkeep and parking, it's much more expensive to take your car than it is to use public transportation.

That depends where you live in the Bay Area. In the East Bay, parking is much less of a problem, but a single bus ride costs $1.75 one way. I was working 3 miles from home... and I could take a bus for $3.50/day or I could drive for half that (parking at work was free). The bus passes are the same cost as 1 round-trip/day, so no help there. Since walking/biking wasn't an option (not the best of neighborhoods to walk through and I almost got killed the one time I tried biking it), that meant I drove 6 miles round trip per day. Sucks, but it's the cheaper option.

Now if you're comparing BUYING a car to public transport, then public transport is cheaper, but if you already own a car, the only time it's cheaper is if you'll have to sit in traffic for long periods (like over the bridge or through the tunnel).

[llamalluv]

Originally Posted by cristeen

That depends where you live in the Bay Area. In the East Bay, parking is much less of a problem, but a single bus ride costs $1.75 one way. I was working 3 miles from home... and I could take a bus for $3.50/day or I could drive for half that (parking at work was free). The bus passes are the same cost as 1 round-trip/day, so no help there. Since walking/biking wasn't an option (not the best of neighborhoods to walk through and I almost got killed the one time I tried biking it), that meant I drove 6 miles round trip per day. Sucks, but it's the cheaper option.

Now if you're comparing BUYING a car to public transport, then public transport is cheaper, but if you already own a car, the only time it's cheaper is if you'll have to sit in traffic for long periods (like over the bridge or through the tunnel).

I was under the impression that the comparison was of the price of car OWNERSHIP (with the cost of the car, plus: depreciation, gasoline, maintenance, license/tags/permits, and insurance) vs. riding a bus. Not the cost of gas only. Absolutely the cost of gas will usually be less than the cost of riding a bus. But not of car ownership. My husband and I pay $2,500/year just for insurance.

an article on the cost of ownership is here:

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/20...car-ownership/

And if you toss in opportunity cost, then it gets to be a real puzzle.

fairly good article on wikipedia here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost

[wannabe]

Originally Posted by laohaire

So people who don't own cars only take one trip a year? If that were the case, the math makes sense.

That sounds like a greyhound bus to me. Normal buses are as much as trains or subways.

yes buses are expensive.. at least where i live. a 3 min trip in the bus (yes, a whole 180 seconds) costs me $3.00 ONE WAY. now i'm not sure if these buses are private or govt owned but $3.00 for a 3 minute drive is outrageous. that's $6.00 for a trip that doesn't even cost $1.00 to do in the car. i cannot possibly understand how taking public transport is more frugal.

That's a ridiculous comparison. Instead compare a trip into the city by bus (so $3 or $6 for the day with parking, tolls, etc. That's assuming you're suburban and parking at your house costs nothing.

[Village Mama]

I don't drive at all. The prices to take the bus are reasonable enough for one person I suppose. It costs 80 bucks round trip for 1 adult to get down island ... over 200 bucks round trip for a family of four. It costs more than that to rent a car for the weekend but gives more freedome when you are there.

For the public transit locally it costs 8 bucks for the kids and I to go ten min into town round trip. 11 bucks when we were car free and took it with my hubby. So for example if I want to take my kids to the swimming pool for 1 hr it would cost 18 bucks including the cost of swimming!( besides the fact that it takes three busses and around 5 hrs round trip!) For a low income family this is just crazy! We rarely take the bus. We are too poor for the bus!lol If we take the vehicle in once a week( besides my hubby going to work daily) and get all of our errands done at once , it is much more frugal.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by llamalluv

I was under the impression that the comparison was of the price of car OWNERSHIP (with the cost of the car, plus: depreciation, gasoline, maintenance, license/tags/permits, and insurance) vs. riding a bus.

Ah, but that's my point. If I already own a car, then I'm paying the cost of ownership already. In which case public transport only makes sense if it's cheaper in time or gas or parking costs. Why on earth would I pay the cost of car ownership, leave my car sitting in the garage and pay extra for public transport, if it wasn't a better deal?

And since around here at least buses are not reliable, certain parts of towns are only reached by long round-about routes, or not at all... it's mostly not worth the expense. I've done the math on the bus passes here. A 1-month pass costs exactly the same as 40 one-way trips. That's one round-trip every week day for one month, at which time you're having to buy a new pass... that doesn't make it worthwhile for a commuter who doesn't have parking problems, and already owns a car.

But, if I want to go into San Francisco, then I hop on the train, because it's so not worth sitting in the traffic, and fighting for expensive parking.

[LittleBirdy]

Just a hint on booking Greyhound online:

If you just go in and book a trip normally, you pay full price. (When I would go from Baltimore to NYC, this was about $75-$80 rt.)

If you go in and book a trip through the "Specials" or "Sale" page or whatever it's called, you get a much cheaper rate. (Baltimore to NYC for $40 rt.)

I think taking a bus depends a lot on where you're going and what you're doing once you get there. For me, going to NYC for the weekend it still would have been more economical to take an $80 bus ride because had I driven I would have had to pay gas, tolls, and parking (outrageous in NYC).

[llamalluv]

Originally Posted by cristeen

Ah, but that's my point. If I already own a car, then I'm paying the cost of ownership already. In which case public transport only makes sense if it's cheaper in time or gas or parking costs. Why on earth would I pay the cost of car ownership, leave my car sitting in the garage and pay extra for public transport, if it wasn't a better deal?

But that's not the comparison. The original comparison was between "owning a car for transportation" and "not owning a car and using PT". Throwing in "owning a car but using PT anyway" changes the debate.

However, if you want to argue that, then compare the cost of driving into downtown Chicago and paying $20 (or more) for parking (plus the value of the risk of getting into an accident and the cost to repair your car) versus walking to the train station and paying $7.50 to take the Metra to Union Station - or I can take a bus to Midway and hook up to the el for less than $4.00.

You also have to remember that it's not just about saving money and time in many cases, but hassle factor. Once I'm downtown, I can go to many, many places by public transport, either on a free trolley or via the One Day Pass without paying additional parking fees or without having to find a parking place.

This is going to be highly variable based upon what major city you live in. In Phoenix, I would drive EVERYWHERE - even into downtown. The PT system is laughable. They are currently testing the new light rail system, and 25 days before it even went online, they had a car/trolley collision.

In the Chicago area, I only drive in the suburbs, and take the train or a bus into downtown because it's easier.

[ellee]

Originally Posted by laohaire

So I guess the moral of the story is that metro buses may be cheap (this I still do not know!) but commercial bus lines are... NOT.

This sucks, I can't drive due to a disability, and live in a very remote part of the state. The commission for the blind suggested the bus, and I was excited about the opportunity to gain more independence, but it seems like I'm back at square one.

So actually this does kind of beg the question - who DOES use commercial buses, and why? Given that they are so expensive. I guess us blind folk who don't have alternatives! But still, that can't account for the majority of commercial bus users... can it?

Yup - think of commercial bus lines like airplanes - they serve people NOT on an everyday commuting schedule, and that makes prices higher. Who uses 'em? City dwellers who don't have cars, people who don't have licenses/car, people who do have licenses/cars but want to travel a long distance without driving (think same reason people use airplanes), college students going home on breaks, etc.

I wonder if there are more options for you - social services, a discount rate, a commuter bus nearby, etc. Are there no city buses in your area?

[oetien]

Originally Posted by laohaire

You didn't sound snarky, this made sense. It's Peter Pan, not Greyhound, but I believe that's still a private bus line so the observation is relevant.

So I guess the moral of the story is that metro buses may be cheap (this I still do not know!) but commercial bus lines are... NOT.

This sucks, I can't drive due to a disability, and live in a very remote part of the state. The commission for the blind suggested the bus, and I was excited about the opportunity to gain more independence, but it seems like I'm back at square one.

So actually this does kind of beg the question - who DOES use commercial buses, and why? Given that they are so expensive. I guess us blind folk who don't have alternatives! But still, that can't account for the majority of commercial bus users... can it?

Move to Boston! You can ride the public transit for free if you're blind.

[bmcneal]

Originally Posted by laohaire

So actually this does kind of beg the question - who DOES use commercial buses, and why? Given that they are so expensive. I guess us blind folk who don't have alternatives! But still, that can't account for the majority of commercial bus users... can it?

My mom and dad used commercial buses, back when they had a stop in town. They can't drive (my mom is blind, my dad legally blind.), so that is/was how they would get to conventions and stuff. I used it a bunch before I had my driver's license/got a vehicle. The first time I ever rode the Greyhound (that I remember. I rode with my parents when I was a babe.), it was a 12 hour trip to see my parents for Christmas. I think it was $140 round trip? (Four years ago). I went to SC from IN a few days after I got back to IN from visiting my parents, to go meet DH, it was a 14.5 hour trip, that one cost $100 something one way. From experience, it is cheaper than driving, at least for distance trips. (For the 12 hour trip from where we live (same town as my parents) to the same place I rode from for $140 round trip, it cost us between $500 and $600 to drive the same trip.)

Originally Posted by mamamelia

$80 for one bus trip is too much.

yes buses are expensive.. at least where i live. a 3 min trip in the bus (yes, a whole 180 seconds) costs me $3.00 ONE WAY. now i'm not sure if these buses are private or govt owned but $3.00 for a 3 minute drive is outrageous. that's $6.00 for a trip that doesn't even cost $1.00 to do in the car. i cannot possibly understand how taking public transport is more frugal. it has never been for us. owning a SUV, paying registration/insurance and the cost of gas STILL leaves it cheaper for us in the end. plus we have the added benefit of safety harnesses for the kids, the convenience of coming/going when we please and the ability to put the potty and other essentials in the back so that we don't need to use public toilets for the kids and we always have first aid, blankets, water on hand etc.

i'll keep my car, and the ability to put the kids and pram in safely and at my speed (why do bus drivers not help AND expect you to juggle two kids, a pram and pay all on your own within 15 seconds or less). the last bus i got on, the bus started moving before we even had a chance to sit down - i had just paid him and he let go of the break and started to accelerate.. my 2yo almost smashed her face on the floor if it wasn't for patrons helping us out (thankgoodness for people who still have courtesy). so many bus drivers are plain rude, unhelpful and drive like crazy and i'll take my car anyday over taking a bus. i used to be a big public transport person, not anymore. just not worth the cost, not worth the hassle and the safety leaves much to be desired.

i am seriously becoming a part of the group "please don't take my car away, we don't want to do without it" which is quite sad really. i had hoped to be the opposite.

When I took the bus, it was $.75 anywhere it town, one way. (and if you were fast, you could actually get by with paying $.75 round trip, if you got a transfer card and were back to the bus you needed to get back on within an hour. I did that a couple of times when I was job hunting.) I've not really had any bad experiences with bus drivers, except once. I was walking across Fort Wayne on my way home from the orthopedics office I went to because I was having problems with my ankle. My foster mom didn't give me money for the bus ride home, so I had to walk. I was 1.5 or 2 miles from home, and my ankle was hurting *so* bad, so I stopped and asked a couple of people at a gas station if they had $.75 for me to get a bus ride home. (Bad idea, I know) Someone gave me the $.75, and I started walking towards the bus stop. My ankle was so bad I was leaning against the buildings to support me. About 15-20 feet from the bus stop, my ankle gave out, and I fell down. I sat there, knowing the bus would be by soon, and when I saw him coming, I stood up. I saw he wasn't stopping, so I kind of waved my arm so he would know I was wanting to get on. As I was paying, he said to me really rudely "You should have been standing at the bus stop. Next time, I won't be stopping." Other than that, I've never had bad experiences. *shrug*