Public buses make for stressful trips
TrojanTransportation needs to increase its services on weekends to fill the gap left by public transportation's inadequacies.
Larissa Puro
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: Opinion
From the drunk man with a grill who wanted to touch my feet to the guy who wanted me to "take a shortcut" with him - there was a plastic bag stuffed down his pants - the charming graffiti-etched Los Angeles County public transportation system has boosted my degree of tolerance to many bizarre and alarming experiences.
While they make for amusing stories, encounters such as these are major turnoffs for young students who want to take advantage of local public transportation.
The complicated routes, dilapidated buses and dangerous neighborhoods make it nearly impossible to feel both safe and comfortable while traveling around Los Angeles.
USC fortunately offers a tram service between its campuses and Union Station, a huge relief to commuters and students who often go home or visit friends nearby. There is, however, a catch: The trams don't run on weekends.
As many students return from weekend trips Sundays before their Monday classes, travelers have to scrounge for rides or shell out $20 for a taxi. It's simply not worth the stress and inconvenience to take a public bus back to campus - especially on Sundays.
Coming from a small town, public transportation was a complete mystery to me.
The first time I took a Sunday bus back to campus, I caught the right bus line, but it was going in the wrong direction. After ending up at California State University, Los Angeles, it took two hours to get back to school. The next time I tried to take the same bus, I went to the right stop, but the bus never came - my fellow bench mates said that Sunday buses are unreliable.
Two buses, three blisters and a few dead cockroaches later, I finally made it back to my dorm, still clutching my pepper spray.
As weekend public buses are both unreliable and unable to accommodate luggage, USC should provide trams to and from campus on the weekends in addition to the weekdays.
To cut down on cost, the trams won't need to run as frequently as they do during the week, and they could even charge a (very) minimal fee. Also, campus organizations such as the USC Parents Fund could be sought out for financial backing.
While they make for amusing stories, encounters such as these are major turnoffs for young students who want to take advantage of local public transportation.
The complicated routes, dilapidated buses and dangerous neighborhoods make it nearly impossible to feel both safe and comfortable while traveling around Los Angeles.
USC fortunately offers a tram service between its campuses and Union Station, a huge relief to commuters and students who often go home or visit friends nearby. There is, however, a catch: The trams don't run on weekends.
As many students return from weekend trips Sundays before their Monday classes, travelers have to scrounge for rides or shell out $20 for a taxi. It's simply not worth the stress and inconvenience to take a public bus back to campus - especially on Sundays.
Coming from a small town, public transportation was a complete mystery to me.
The first time I took a Sunday bus back to campus, I caught the right bus line, but it was going in the wrong direction. After ending up at California State University, Los Angeles, it took two hours to get back to school. The next time I tried to take the same bus, I went to the right stop, but the bus never came - my fellow bench mates said that Sunday buses are unreliable.
Two buses, three blisters and a few dead cockroaches later, I finally made it back to my dorm, still clutching my pepper spray.
As weekend public buses are both unreliable and unable to accommodate luggage, USC should provide trams to and from campus on the weekends in addition to the weekdays.
To cut down on cost, the trams won't need to run as frequently as they do during the week, and they could even charge a (very) minimal fee. Also, campus organizations such as the USC Parents Fund could be sought out for financial backing.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 17
Will Campbell
posted 2/20/08 @ 9:34 AM PST
Larissa Puro's column runs the risk of making far more experienced readers and those of us outside the campus bubble either snarkily laugh or cry crocodile tears over her pepper-spray-clutching "woe is us" assertions that the city and county public transportation systems are "discouraging" and that "simple tasks such as shopping, buying groceries or going out to eat are almost impossible to accomplish by bicycle or foot" for USC students like herself. (Continued…)
mark Panitz
posted 2/20/08 @ 10:40 AM PST
metro has a trip planner at metro.net
they could have used that to find which bus
would take you to USC
aand metro has at leat 6 lines that operate
from or near union station to USC
any of the 400 (444, 445, 447 etc or the 40 and 42
also service USC area
then is also LADOT Dash
also when that person got on the bus why didnt they
ask the operator if he was going to USC?
Mark Panitz
public transit expert for the Los Angeles
bryan
posted 2/20/08 @ 11:35 AM PST
"This school already has the necessary buses and money, so what's holding it back?"
A little thing called demand.
Christine K.
posted 2/20/08 @ 12:52 PM PST
I'm sure it's really hard to walk all the way over to the 37th street busway - where you can catch any of some 10+ buses - to get around the city. It's like, 1/2 a mile from the center of campus. (Continued…)
Maulie
posted 2/20/08 @ 6:22 PM PST
I went to USC and took public transit all the time.
No matter what city you live in, there are crazies on the bus or subway. Luckily, riding the metro is much safer than riding a car in this city. (Continued…)
Scott Mercer
posted 2/21/08 @ 3:33 PM PST
I am going to give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume that she is just not familiar enough with Los Angeles' public transportation system. (Continued…)
Browne
posted 2/23/08 @ 6:16 AM PST
For shopping may I suggest, Food 4 Less. You're in college, you're broke anyways.
I didn't discover Food 4 Less until my junior year. I didn't realize that you could buy bread for less than a dollar. (Continued…)
Eva
posted 2/25/08 @ 10:39 PM PST
While I definitely think that dealing with more, shall we say 'eccentric' passengers is a basic part of public transit, I ALSO agree completely that it's time for 'SC to up the service when it comes to transit. (Continued…)
Aaron
posted 2/25/08 @ 10:42 PM PST
"The dangerous qualities of the neighborhoods the system traverses is a separate issue."
Actually, it's the main issue. Puro's article highlights some of the many flaws of the USC tram system-- mainly, the fact that it exists as an alternative to the admittedly flawed LA public transit. (Continued…)
Sara Justin
posted 2/27/08 @ 7:12 PM PST
Check this out:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-busstop28feb28,0,5807426.story
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