I-way Blog

In celebration of May in Motion, I’ve left my keys at home and committed to riding my bike, taking the bus and carpooling to commute to work.

In the first week I’ve tried all modes of transportation except the Zip Car, I hope to give that a try in coming weeks and will share that experience with you.

I’ll say I was quite intimidated to give up my car for a whole month and rely on alternative modes to get around. On the other hand I was excited to challenge myself to see how creative I can get.

I have ridden my bike three times this week, taking a new route each time as I noticed day one that my preferred route along the greenbelt was flooded. Day three I jumped on the bus for the first time and momentarily bounced back and forth between two signs on each side of the street until a quick call to 345-RIDE to identify exactly which sign to stand under. A lovely lady helped me as I tried to navigate the schedule.

The true humbling moment came when it was time to get off. I kept hearing the beep but couldn’t see what people where pushing. I didn’t see the normal pull rope and I couldn’t see a sign that said “pull” or “push” here to request a stop. Of course I was adamant to figure it out on my own and would wait to the next stop quickly look around to see what people where pushing and again! The beep went off and I didn’t see them in action. Come on really, I am in the transportation field and I can’t seem to figure out how to request a stop? I came to grips with my situation as I was pretty sure my stop was coming up and I didn’t want to miss it. So I put my ego aside and asked a friendly frequent rider how to get off. It was pretty simple, the yellow strip on the side inner panel is the “pull rope” equivalent.

Would I ride again, of course! The whole experience gave me a good reason to laugh at myself as I learned that asking for help is perfectly ok. For one dollar I was able to get a cheap ride to work, read all my email before I sat at my desk and finish off my cup of coffee. I’d consider that a great start to my morning.

Follow me along as I continue my adventure, and feel free to send me your lessons learned on your many commutes to work.

A special thank you goes out to all those who have pledged to try a new way to get around. If you haven’t checked out the great stories or pictures log on to facebook.com/CTAIdaho. By pledging once you are entered into a drawing for some local prizes. The drawing will take place June 1st.

Throughout my Challenge I will share with you three lessons each week I’ve learned while participating in my challenge. 

    Lesson #1: It is necessary to plan; little did I know my route was going to be flooded on day one of my excursion. 

    Lesson #2: This applies more to the women; if you are intending to spend a lot of time walking, don’t expect your high heels to gracefully get you where you need to go. Pack a pair of flats. 

    Lesson#3: When riding the bus it is ok to ask for help or better yet, call your public transportation provider!