Ok, so public transportation. Pretty great, right? Pretty basic? I’ve used them in Chicago and I’ve conquered the tubes in London (hyperbole), but these Denver ones: they’re a bit tricky. Probably because I find them incredibly slow and limited. Also, cardinal directions are not the most easy thing to just know. Especially at noon.
So my first day going to work I had to run after the bus at 6:44. I mean, I didn’t know then that buses aren’t on time (and I don’t mean this in a bitter way). So it came, I got on it.
“I need to go downtown how much does that cost?”
“Are you a student?”
“Yes”
I’ve clearly thrown him for a loop. We’re in Aurora, it’s 6:45 in the morning: why do I need to go downtown? Why was I on his bus looking so confused. He waved away the money I tried to put in the machine, telling me to hold on. Of course, I had gotten on the wrong bus and would have to make the entire loop before it finally dropped me off at the train station. Also, did I mention that I didn’t even really know I had to go to the train station? These were things told to me by him when he was like “What is wrong with you?” So, by the time I the bus finally starts chugging towards the train station, the entire Aurora commuter system has banded together to get me downtown. A lady named Dahlia graciously agrees to guide me down town.
Did I mention I had completely forget to write down the last transfer in my little directions sheet? I had. So I really needed these people.
She ended up ushering me to the train, and then to my next stop. I sit across from her and make her chuckle at how anxious I look. The bus was quite late, but still, it did the job and I was only late to work by 30 minutes.
I’ve used the bus two more times now, and I cannot seem to get it right. People just see me looking around and they are like “Where do you need to go?” And I’m like “blah blah blah” and they’re like “that’s impossible. That doesn’t make any sense. Those streets run parallel to each other. Don’t do that.” and then they tell me what I should do.
Also, I can’t seem to make a trip without giving my phone number to someone. I think it’s because I always try to be polite and gracious. There was an 18-year-old boy who was still in high school who got my number and asked “so, do you like going to the mall and stuff?” I smell a first date coming on…I didn’t even tell him what my name was.
And the other one is a man named Dave who is said he would try finding me a car. Wah wah.
Ok, Jacklynn. This is not how these things work.
(The title is something one of the 18-year-old’s friends said to me).