The Beginning!
So over the past couple weeks I've been thinking a lot about documenting my experiences in public transit in the city of Seattle. And after the experience I had tonight, I decided now is the best time (I'll go into that in a moment).
So an overview of myself. My name is Jean. I am 22 years old. I have lived in Seattle since September 2009. I currently live in a neighborhood of West Seattle called Fauntlee Hills with my partners. I go to night school at the University of Washington as well as work as a student library clerk in the Suzzallo-Allen Library. I do not have a car and cannot afford a car, though both of the people I live with do. I ride the bus two to four times a day, five days a week, and often every day of the week.
My preferred buses are the 21, 22 and 54 buses to and from West Seattle and Downtown and the 70, 71, 72, 73, and 74 buses to and from Downtown and the U-District. I often ride the 55, 43, 48, and 49 as well. The 55 brings me to a reasonable transfer point in West Seattle and the other buses bring me to Capitol Hill from the U-District and Downtown where a majority of my social/bar life exists.
The reasons for this blog
I obvz wouldn't be writing this blog unless I had a reason to. In my experience, and I assume most other people's, the buses in Seattle are rarely on time. I know there are a lot of reasons public transit is and always will be late. I feel that writing this blog will allow me to vent some of my frustrations and qualms with the public transit system in Seattle without having to get angry at the drivers who are just doing their jobs.
I also have had two very negative experience in the past six months involving Seattle public transit. In October 2010, I was sexually assaulted while riding home from school one night and just tonight, January 23, 2011, I was followed home by someone from the bus. I don't think it is necessary to go into detail on how I knew this person was following me, but I know.
I did not report either of these occasions, and that may puzzle some of you. I personally don't think that getting the police involved in anything that I do is justified unless I know for certain that my life is in danger. The person who sexually assaulted me did not appear to me to be within the boundaries of what people conceive to be "sane." I thought that reporting them would just lead to more struggle and strife in what may already be a hard life to live. The person that followed me home tonight appeared to be houseless or "down on their luck," whatever you prefer, and if they had robbed me would've gotten an ipod full of bad music and $4.
My goals for this blog
I intend for this blog to document on a daily basis: the buses I ride, when they arrive in relation to when they are supposed to, and any interactions I may have with fellow bus riders on or off the bus that seems fun or interesting. I also hope to relieve some of the anxiety I feel when things just aren't going my way during my daily commute. Feel free to comment, critique, or converse with me about your daily commute.
So over the past couple weeks I've been thinking a lot about documenting my experiences in public transit in the city of Seattle. And after the experience I had tonight, I decided now is the best time (I'll go into that in a moment).
So an overview of myself. My name is Jean. I am 22 years old. I have lived in Seattle since September 2009. I currently live in a neighborhood of West Seattle called Fauntlee Hills with my partners. I go to night school at the University of Washington as well as work as a student library clerk in the Suzzallo-Allen Library. I do not have a car and cannot afford a car, though both of the people I live with do. I ride the bus two to four times a day, five days a week, and often every day of the week.
My preferred buses are the 21, 22 and 54 buses to and from West Seattle and Downtown and the 70, 71, 72, 73, and 74 buses to and from Downtown and the U-District. I often ride the 55, 43, 48, and 49 as well. The 55 brings me to a reasonable transfer point in West Seattle and the other buses bring me to Capitol Hill from the U-District and Downtown where a majority of my social/bar life exists.
The reasons for this blog
I obvz wouldn't be writing this blog unless I had a reason to. In my experience, and I assume most other people's, the buses in Seattle are rarely on time. I know there are a lot of reasons public transit is and always will be late. I feel that writing this blog will allow me to vent some of my frustrations and qualms with the public transit system in Seattle without having to get angry at the drivers who are just doing their jobs.
I also have had two very negative experience in the past six months involving Seattle public transit. In October 2010, I was sexually assaulted while riding home from school one night and just tonight, January 23, 2011, I was followed home by someone from the bus. I don't think it is necessary to go into detail on how I knew this person was following me, but I know.
I did not report either of these occasions, and that may puzzle some of you. I personally don't think that getting the police involved in anything that I do is justified unless I know for certain that my life is in danger. The person who sexually assaulted me did not appear to me to be within the boundaries of what people conceive to be "sane." I thought that reporting them would just lead to more struggle and strife in what may already be a hard life to live. The person that followed me home tonight appeared to be houseless or "down on their luck," whatever you prefer, and if they had robbed me would've gotten an ipod full of bad music and $4.
My goals for this blog
I intend for this blog to document on a daily basis: the buses I ride, when they arrive in relation to when they are supposed to, and any interactions I may have with fellow bus riders on or off the bus that seems fun or interesting. I also hope to relieve some of the anxiety I feel when things just aren't going my way during my daily commute. Feel free to comment, critique, or converse with me about your daily commute.
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