Back in the States, I’m from a suburban town where I was always driven or drove myself to places. There weren’t trains or buses, apart from the school buses I rode when I was younger. Even all the times I’ve gone into the city, I haven’t really used public transportation, and if I did, I followed whoever I was with blindly because I had no idea what I was doing.
First thing I realized when I got here- I need to use public transportation pretty much everywhere I go. This should be interesting.
First things first… Which buses go where? Where are the stops? How do I pay for it? This was basically a trial and error learning experience, as well as observing others and trying to follow what they did. I pretty much stepped onto buses and asked “Does this bus take me to DCU?” I was told no and to wait for a different bus several times. Once I finally was answered with yes, I asked how much the fare was, “2.85!” Oh no… I don’t know which coin is which or even if I have enough change for that. “Can I give you a 5?” The bus driver looked at me sideways, kind of giving me that “are you serious” look and said “no, exact change.” I started to panic a little, rummaging through my wallet, as a line is building up behind me. I grabbed two 2 euro coins and threw them into the slot. I figured overpaying a little bit was probably fine because it was still change, and honestly I just couldn’t bare to look for smaller change anymore. My ticket came out, and I grabbed it fast and sat down, sliding down into my seat embarrassed.
Once I relaxed a little, I realized I still had more to figure out. I listened to the stops that were being called out before the bus would pull over. I have no clue what any of these stops are…great. “It’ll go right to DCU right? Or will it just take me to the street nearby, or something completely different? I guess I’ll just wait and see.” I watched as people got off and, toward the end of the ride, noticed that they were hitting the little red button on the handle bars, which signalled to the bus driver that they needed to stop at the next stop. Seems pretty basic now, but how was I supposed to know that that’s how it was done!? I also watched out the window to look for familiar streets and buildings closer to school. Eventually, the voice on the bus said DCU, I hit the button, the bus stopped, and I got off! Wooo, success!
The next bunch of bus experiences were a similar story because I still hadn’t figured out exactly which buses go where. However, one thing that is definitely different from home is how nice and patient people are. The bus drivers, for the most part, are super willing to help me out, and the people don’t throw a fit when I hold the line up a little. I did see the occasional laugh or eye roll at my stupidity, but I deserved it!
People always say that it’s the best to learn through doing, and also through failure. Well, I definitely learned the bus system that way! And now I feel like a pro taking the buses around. I know exactly which buses to take to get back to DCU, which ones will take me downtown, and which ones will take me to other streets nearby! I also have a handy bus pass now, thank goodness! I no longer have to buy a coffee when I’m out just so I can get some small change to pay for the bus… I just tap my pass to the machine when I walk on and say where I’m going, and I’m done!
Now, I notice when new tourists come into town and try to use the bus for the first time, and it always makes me feel better about my initial lack of understanding. They try to hand the driver 10 euros, or they ask “where does this bus go?” and I chuckle a little in my head. I now know how it feels to be on both ends of the spectrum. I usually try to help these people out when I can, or give them a look that says “don’t worry, I know it’s confusing!”
Even though I thoroughly miss my car, I enjoy taking the bus now!
