Sep 30th, 2008
Route 26
I have lived and worked in silicon valley for decades. Except for a few train rides to Palo Alto, I have never taken public transportation to work. Unlike Tokyo, New York, or even Beijing, there is no good network of mass transporation here. There has never options other than driving. Then I started working for Juniper Networks.
My work location is right next to a bus hub. Route 26! Isn’t that the one that run through the street 10 minutes from home?
A simple Google later, I am ready. On a nice day, I left the house with my computer backpack and walked toward the bus stop. Walk! 10 minutes later, I stood waiting at the bus stop with exact change in my pocket. I felt nervous: would the bus show up, have I missed it already, what kind of people would I found onboard, could I deal with the bus?
I went onboard, paid the fare, and faced a sparsely occupied bus. I sat down at the back corner and surveyed. My fellow passengers are all minding their own business, catching Zs, absorbed into the MP3 player, or busy studying the air. They are all clean commuters. Just like myself.
Juniper is the last stop. So I leisurely disembark. For the journey, it covered about 10 miles, costed $1.75, I left home at 7:45, arrived the stop at 7:55, the bus came at 8:05, I walked into the office at 8:50. I enjoyed Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section all the way. iPod is a wonderful thing.
Later, I found the company will give out EcoPass: a sticker for free VTA buses and light-rail. Sweet.
that is what I did after left Sun, riding bike and taking light rail to work. what I intend to do, is to put my $$ for gas into public transportation’s pocket, NOT oil companies. I have my own iphone, so riding the light rail is not boring at all.
fixed time line