I just HAVE to tell you of our latest adventures. It may be hard to believe but I swear it is true--every word of it. You all know i don't drive at all (AMD). DH has agreed to stop driving. (Can you believe it?) We live just around the corner from the bus stop. I gathered bus schedules from the local library and have been mapping out routes for us. The times, prices, where to transfer, etc. Looks fairly straight forward. So, I got my little notebook out and proceeded to write down what I neeed to know.
Monday--took DH to the doctor. The doctor is on this same bus route. We picked up the bus around the corner, paid 50 cents apiece (senior rates) and arrived in time for our appointment. Went right in. BP, heart rate, etc. all ok. Dr. listened to DH vent about not being able to drive. We left his office, walked to the bottom of his driveway, waited 5 minutes, got on the bus and we were home in less than one hour. Now I ask you. Is that cool or what.
Yesterday--we took a trip to the library. That entailed transferring buses. We got there and back, but the timing was off and we didn't do quite as well as we did on Monday.
Today--Tried to get DH and myself to the church for our weekly card game. Didn't get out there in time and missed the dang thing. A friend came and got us so it ended up ok.
Now, then. On Saturday, we are taking the bus up north about 40 miles to our son's place. He's picking us up at the bus stop. On Sunday, he's driving us to my 60th HS reunion.
Just wanted to let you know that there are other modes of transportation besides driving an automobile. Also want you to know that I will get this figured out soon and we will get most of our independence back. Maybe not all, but most of it.
Life is good. And the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round. Life is an adventure. There is so much more to see from the bus windows than when you're driving. Besides that, the buses take different routes and you get to see so much more. We're having a good time. We'll see what happens when the winter rains start. (smile)
I love San Diego, but it's way too big for public transportation to be a feasible option. In fact, one day one of the local TV news teams decided that everyone on their staff should go to work by alternate transportation -- bus, trolley, "Coaster" (commuter train that runs along the coast), bicycle, walking, or any combination thereof. It took some people as long as 3.5 hours just to go one-way, even using public trans to plan the routes for them.
The nearest bus stop for us is two miles away (no place to park a car), trolley more like seven, Coaster ten. Or you'd better believe we'd be doing it.
I am fortunate to live in a community where most everything I need is no more than a 6 mile round trip walk. I bought a light weight back pack for carrying stuff. My big fear is that I will drive to a store, forget I drove and walk home. We are in a gated community. The guard told me that some busybody reported that "some person carrying a bag was seen sneaking into the community every day". I am now the official bag lady. When my kids check in at the gate they say they are here to see the bag lady.
We don't have public transportation here, very small town, one cab you wait hours on. So I still have to drive us every where. All my specialists are 25 miles away.
Unfortunately here the basic buses won't work for us. But there is a system for non-driving disabled or senior people. I haven't used it, but I know it is going to be useful at some point. We also, FINALLY, seem to have 2 or 3 new cab companies. I'm beginning so see them driving around, and yesterday saw one parked on a street I was driving on. For a while there you couldn't get a cab. There literally was only one.
For some time I used Access Paratransit for my DH in Los Angeles. It worked really well, was cheap, don't remember how it worked. Did have to make an appt the day before, but that still helped relieve me of a lot. It is govt funded, I think & has many different names but if you type it into 'search' with your city name, something should come up. The link below is to the govt. They discuss different alternatives. My elder sister lives in Culver City CA & they have a senior van that takes you places for about 50 cents, but only in Culver City. Again, you need to call the day before. She also hired a woman to drive her one afternoon a week to the market, bank, beauty salon, doc/dentist, etc. That also works out well.
Don't most places have Dial-A-Ride? They are cheap and you can use them to pick you up at your residence and take you to the doctors, or whatever. Astoria is about 10,000 and we used that when we lived here.
Sunshyne, the funny thing is that the Lehigh Valley isn't all that small. It was 3, now 4 small cities all grown together, including both Allentown and Bethlehem, PA. Not so small that even outsiders wouldn't recognize those two cities. The population is about 320,000 and growing fast because that new 4th city, the one I live in, is already bigger than the smallest of the older cities.
Starling, I used to live in Schylkill County (probably forgot how to spell it) In Lake Wynonah about 6 miles south of Pottsville. My good friend lives in Macungie. What's the new 4th city? Kutztown? I'm figuring on Easton, Bethlehem & Allentown. In our area, Westchester county, NY, we have a service called FISH for those who can't get around. In addition, our Condo development runs busses to the RR and to the grocery store. If you can get to the Sr. Citizen bldg, they have busses to shopping at the mall etc. so we are really fortunate. Happily I'm still driving, and i'd rather do that than any of the other stuff and I would never be able to get to my children's homes without a car.
The new 4th city is Lower Macungie. Population is as big as Easton, or maybe a bit bigger. Kutztown is also pretty big, and not so far away, but in a different county.
There was embezzlement of funds in Lower Macungie and the voters rebelled. We became a city government last November instead of a rural township. There are better checks and balances in a city government. It is the first time in 40 years that a township decided to do this in Pennsylvania.
I think we are just about ready for a major shopping explosion, which would be nice. Something major is going on not so far away, but at this point there are no signs. It could be more housing, but from the looks of where it is and what the entrences look like, I don't think so. We are definately due for both a Lowes and a Sam's Club, but it is the wrong place for the Sam's Club and I think too big for just a Lowes.
I want a big book store and a craft store please. <grin>
Mawzy, I'm so proud of you for getting the information, plotting the times and your routes and settling in for new adventures! That is so neat!
Bluedaze, I envy you your 6 mile walks! I wish I didn't live in such a hilly town! I'm proud of myself for making the 5k family walk for Susan G. Koman once a year! <grin>
Bljuedaze! 6 miles round trip. You just have to be in great shape! I'm hoping to build myself up to 3 miles a day.
DHs dr. said he would qualify for the Access bus and with this @#$ AGM, I do as well. Get this. I have already filled out an application to get an application...Is that weird or is it just me.
So, when we get back from our big adventure to my 60th HS reunion this weekend, I'm going to look into it for him. I have a feeling he would get permission before I will. I can still see to get on and off the bus. i can read large print. Can't sew, can't drive safely because the vision keeps moving around. I can't depend on it, if you know what I mean. Really a pain in the 'gluteous maximus.'
I really enjoyed reading all of the transportation situations you folks are in. Now I know we aren't the ONLY ones and that is very good information. :)
Here's an update on our big bus adventure. It was 95 here yesterday. I don't know what the humidity was. I had the itinerary all figured out--did a trip plan with the bus co., had everything all sincronized. Left the house at 9 am. waited to catch our 2nd bus and everything went as smooth as clockwork. I couldn't believe it and was really very pleased with myself.
This bus had to go through the airport and I swear every person that landed wanted on that bus. It was one of those big articulated buses. I don't know how many passengers it carried. Every seat was filled. People were carrying huge pieces of luggage, standing in the aisle and hanging onto those straps. It got to our next stop 5 minutes after our bus had left so we missed that one and had to wait for 30 min. When we arrived at our final desination our son was not there. I had written his phone number down incorrectly so I had to call someone and get the correct number. Finally got ahold of his cell phone. He misunderstood and was waiting someplace else for us.
We walked into his house at 1 PM--4 hours after we'd left home. Needless to say we were pretty tired--hot and sweaty. My DH wasn't doing too well so I got a cool cloth for his face and a cold drink.
All's well that ends well. The reunion went off without a hitch. Had a lovely time. The honly glitch was that Dh didn't decide to go to the reunion until 5 minutes before I was leaving. He hadn't shaved, showered, etc. He said he had just shaved and, well you know that story. He finally did shave and I was nervous about taking him at this point, but he settled down and seemed to have a good time. He had a nice lunch and we did leave early.
The folks were all good. Very friendly and the place was decorated so nicely. It was fun. Im glad we got to go. I was asked if I wanted to help spearhead the 70th. I suggested we do a 75th instead. They laughed and said I was lazy because everyone would be dead by then and I wouldn't have any work to do. I told them I might be dead myself in which case they should probably get someone else. Good times.