This is a short diary of my adventures taking the bus in Lynchburg for one whole week.  I hope folks who take the bus don't consider our special series condescending.  I took the bus and METRO on a daily basis when I lived in Washington, DC and didn't have a car.  But, as the stories show, public transportation in the Lynchburg area is understandably not as comprehensive.  One can live here without a car but it can be challenging.

DAY 1

I didn't really start thinking about my Monday morning bus ride until Sunday evening.  I checked the bus routes online and figured I had to either take the 1A or 1B bus to get from the Rivermont Area to the Lynchburg General Hospital area.  In the morning, I went to what I thought was the right stop but it turned out to be the wrong one.  I remembered another stop on Bedford Avenue and decided to try that one out.  It was the 1A stop and I decided to take my chances on that one.  I relied on luck and it worked.  The bus picked me up at around 9:10 and dropped me off at work roughly 20 minutes later.

My first ride ever on GLTC was a very positive one.  The bus was not crowded, it was clean and the people were nice.  Of course, it was one of the brand new hybrid buses.

The way back home from work was much more of a hassle.  I worked late and didn't look at the bus schedule beforehand.  I got to the stop way too early and waited about an hour for the next bus to come.  I should have remembered that Lynchburg buses don't come as often as the ones in Washington, DC.  At least I had a quality phone conversation with my mom.

DAY 2

I usually have Tuesday's off and I did not take the bus all day.  The truth is that I didn't really have to.  I walked about twenty minutes to my doctor's appointment and then to lunch.

DAY 3

I wanted to do something more than just go to work on the bus. That's why I decided to do some groceries at the Kroger even though I have a Food Lion right next to my house. I wanted to ride the bus with grocery bags just like I did back in DC.

Once again, I didn't look at the bus schedule and waited one whole hour at the stop for the next one to come. Don't blame it on GLTC. The bus was on time and I would have been too if I just looked at the schedule.

Oh! I also didn't look at the route map. Well, I glanced over it but didn't study it closely. Once again I didn't really know what bus I was supposed to take! I called the phone number on the bus stop sign and a gentleman told me what bus to take. I assumed any of the two buses that stopped there would be fine. But the worker told me one of them would take me far from where I wanted to go. That's why advance planning is essential when taking the bus in Lynchburg.

After buying my groceries, I waited a while at the stop right in front of the Kroger. When I got home I discovered I had forgotten to buy some things I really needed (talk about advance planning!) I didn't want to get on the bus again so I walked to the Food Lion.

DAY 4

Took the bus at 9:10 in the morning and got to work almost right on time. My boss asked why I didn't take an earlier bus so I would actually get there on time. I said that would require getting to the stop an hour earlier.

Took the bus home at 7:30 in the evening.

DAY 5

I liked taking the bus in part because it was a chance to read, think and listen to music. I also discovered how social the bus can be. Someone started a conversation and soon I was telling everyone on the bus about this project. The conversation didn't stop until I got to work and people told me they were glad we were doing story about the buses. It was never that social in Washington.

I took the bus home after having dinner at La Carreta. It was raining a bit while I was waiting but it felt nice to get a little wet. By the way, I must thank the nice driver for always trying to stop as close to my apartment as possible.

SOME MORE COMMENTS

I know taking the bus for a week is nothing compared to what people who take it every day have to go through. That's why for Part Two of this project, I spoke with several people who take the bus on a regular basis. Many of these people travel long distances within the city on the bus. Most of them told me they liked riding the bus and considered it a limited but useful mode of transportation in Lynchburg. One gentleman, however, expressed what I have heard many others tell me in the past. He was frustrated by mechanical problems, late buses and how the system is managed. We spoke with GLTC about that. The director was candid about the system's limitations, strengths and outlook for the future. Part two airs on ABC 13 News at 6 on Friday.