I am grateful for the influence of Mass Transit in my life.
In the early 1950's my parents found themselves in the Pomona, Claremont, Montclair, Chino, and Ontario, area, centered along the east end of Los Angeles County, the west end of San Bernardino County, and north of Riverside and Orange Counties, and neither of them drove cars.
Before and after they met, dated, then married (1955-57) thru 1964, they relied on the Red Line trolley, and the precursor to LA’s RTD, as well as the local transit in Pomona into the early 70’s when RTD took it over, to get around.
As a kid in the 60’s, before the Old Train/Bus Depot closed for 20 years (Foothill Transit refurbished the station and site, as a transit hub) I have vague memories of us eating at the lunch counter inside the station, where people also bought train tickets, and then catching busses outside.
The café was run by a lady my parents knew, though I only remember her name as being Rosie.
The 60G, and 60F, among other busses, that traveled between LA and San Bernardino and Riverside, would line up in rows and passengers would walk to and from the busses.
The old Continental Trailways Station was across the street.
I remember having nightmares about that parking lot, and oozing, quicksand-like blacktop I had to navigate to get safely to or from the bus.
The weird thoughts of a 7-9 yr. old, with an over-active imagination. :-D
My parents used the bus and trolley to go to Newport Beach on their honeymoon in the late 50’s.
We went everywhere on the bus, for pleasure, and shopping, to visit family.
The yellow triangle RTD bus stop signs were everywhere you looked, well into the late 80's.
From 1967 until 1982, RTD operated a main downtown terminal in the basement of the Greyhound bus terminal at 6th and Los Angeles Streets, and I loved going down into this place! :-D
In the 70’s and 80’s we took the bus to various mental hospitals to visit my father once he became ill.
In the 70’s I remember my sisters and I sitting on opposite side of the aisle, next to windows so we could count passing cars, and see who counted the most by the time we got off. :-D
I also remember my practice of reading books and magazines on the bus got its start back then.
Foothill Transit, with its busses from Montclair to Pasadena and El Monte, came along, as did OmniTrans from Montclair to San Bernardino, and Transit systems in Riverside and Orange Counties.
In my teens, and 20’s I began to go everywhere on the busses even using the old 3 hours one way bus ride, from Montclair to Yucaipa, to get in 6 hrs. of weekend studying in during 4 yrs. of college. :-D
My sisters couldn't wait to get their first junker cars, but I stuck with the bus.
I took the bus all over to go to the movies, and to Lakers, and Kings, games, and in the 90’s, when bike racks were added to the front of busses, I would travel hours to go on a bike ride, and used the, from 1984 onward, to get to and from work.
Mass Transit is your friend, if you carefully learn to master the transit systems you use, understand how to read a schedule, and read a route map. :-D
Next up: 30 Days of Gratitude Writing Challenge #15: Oh, Brother
This blog post sheds more light on your inclination to use mass transit. Perhaps now is not a great time to invest in a car, either, given your current medical status. But, I do like how you've been able to rely on mass transit so well!
Posted by: Amanda Socci | December 02, 2012 at 05:40 PM