Mark and Sarah, seniors at a local high school who didn’t want to share their last names, were at the bus stop waiting for friends. They take the bus on Fridays to the mall to go have a bite to eat and shop around. Neither has a driver’s license, but they do have the second half of the day off from school, and the bus provides the best way for them to get around.
This particular day they were waiting for their friends Jon and Michelle to catch the bus with them. As I look out I can see two people semi-jogging. I can also see the bus coming up at the stop before ours. Jon is also a senior with the afternoon off. His girlfriend, Michelle, is skipping class, which she doesn’t mention but makes apparent by saying, “I hope the truancy officer doesn’t see me, I don’t want to get in trouble again.”
The B Bus is a convenient means of transportation for those who need to get to their destination but lack their own vehicles.
As the bus arrives and we all board the kids choose seats near the front and I opt for the back. There is a young woman holding a baby, maybe 2 months old. There is a man next to her who may or may not be with the young woman. They both can tell I’ve never been on the bus before. As the bus stops and goes they can see I am trying to figure out how everything works.
After two stops the young woman tells me, “You pull this right here to tell them where you need to stop, but you have to be quick or you will miss your stop!” We both laugh a little. As it turns out the gentleman sitting next to her is her husband. After chatting a little they tell me that they take the bus regularly rather than drive; it’s an economical choice. A little embarrassed, and not wanting to share their names, they told me they both take on seasonal and temporary jobs as they can, so they choose the bus to save money.
Getting on the city bus was a hard sell as a first-time bus rider, even though everyone said it’s“not so bad.”The Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority bus line runs pretty smooth and it’s really not so bad. Rain or shine the buses run providing transportation to all those in need in a timely manner.
The buses provide an air- conditioned ride with free Wi-Fi at a reasonable cost, which for Del Mar students is free. What more could you ask for?