Public Transport (and networks)

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On the thread about driving I mentioned just how much of a klutz I was learning to drive. That reminded me that I use public transport (for me, buses) to get everywhere - and how deeply intrigued I am by my local bus network, in and around Edinburgh.

In my spare time, one of my hobbies is to travel on the buses just for fun. Edinburgh has such a dense, comprehensive, frequent network of buses that there can be dozens of ways to get from A to B, which is half the fun. It's such a comprehensive network that despite my focused interest in it, I still haven't worked it all out yet, which only keeps me intrigued.

Does anyone else harbour such an interest in transport networks anywhere? Long distance, I tend to prefer buses too (National Express, in the US the equivalent is Greyhound). You only need to see my Road Signs post to understand why I prefer bus travel.

This is a similar thing to what is called 'metrophily' in places like NYC with respect to the metro.

Yes! I have a huge interest in interstate maps, I like to drive routes just for the fun of it. The fact that I love maps and the fact that I am a visual thinker makes me real good at giving directions.



Also my dad who has undiagnosed AS has the same exact special interest, in fact he used to be a bus driver for the bus company around here, but 8 years ago he was promoted to dispathcer/supervisor.

When I was a kid I used to trace maps out of a large atlas that was my favorite thing to do trace them then add the citys and roads. I dont realy like riding the bus but am fastenated by the routes and just how far you could go just using local buses. For intance I live near New Haven CT the buses from there will take you to my town theres a bus that goes to Norwalk abot 30 miles away I sure the norwalk one will take you two towns over to Stamford you get the Idea I could probally talk just local buses and end up somewhere in NJ before the routes peter out.

I've always liked public transit systems be it busses, trains, even boats, usually for the machinery, and technology aspect of them. I'm fascinated my machinery and equipment. I think it's great that one can get on one and travel all around a city to all sorts of places using public transit systems.

When I was in school, I became aware of the different makes and models of school busses that the school used. The most obvious was the gasoline and diesel difference that one could easily hear. Other busses had different chassis like Fords, GMC, Navistar, Freightliner, etc. The bodies of the busses were different too, with subtle changes to the windows, roof curves, etc. It was interesting riding the various busses, and noting the changes in the interiors and such between the different makes & models.

I also noticed the same differences in the city busses too, as we had many of the old classic GMC busses (like in the movie "Speed") but have recently bought some hybrid busses from flxible. The DC metrorail has some things I find fascinating too. For instance, I like listening to the PWM controllers buzzing as the trains speed up and slow down

I'm a big map person too. I try to visualize what it's like to be in different locations by what I see on maps. I can study maps for significant amounts of time. Relatives always want me to go on trips with them so I can help navigate their journies.

I love maps!! ! Im also a walking street directory, as well as i know all the buses that go from most areas around me - if my friends want to know how to get from A-Z they ask me! I get the street directory out and love looking at all the different ways to get places, and i look at places ive been remember st names. I only have to go somewhere once and i remember how to get there every time after that. My parents have a Australian road book, and i pull it out to look at how far away things are, how to get from one state to another, and yeah....

I'm really into maps, rail and transit. Been able to draw a map of the US from memory since 4th grade, and now can draw maps of the US with most major cities, all Amtrak routes and stations, and the like from memory. Ridden about a dozen transit systems in their entirety, including the Washington Metro and, for a while, the New York City Subway System (they reopened a section of the N that was under rehab, so I lost that)...along with Virginia Railway Express, Altamont Commuter Express, PATH, Cleveland RTA, Denver RTD, New Orleans RTA Streetcars (2 weeks before Katrina, all except the cruise-passenger-only stretch of Riverfront Line), Portland Tri-Met (though they opened a new extension since then), among others. Have ridden about 2/3 of the Amtrak system too, but that'll be up to 3/4 of the system in a little over a week. Also have most of the New Jersey Transit, MARC and Metro-North systems ridden too. Being in college and having breaks--and being old enough to travel on my own, has its advantages .

My reasons for liking rail and transit...well, I've been interested in them since I was born, but as for why I like them now, well, the reasons vary. I am a very nervous driver, and am afraid of flying (though I do both when I have to), transit's always been readily available in the places I've lived, and I like being able to just kick back and do whatever when I go somewhere, as opposed to have to constantly worry about the soccer mom in the H2 Hummer that's about to cut me off at the next light, as I do when driving. I like riding Amtrak around the country because, for the same price as flying if not less (and sometimes a LOT less in coach on the long-distance routes), I get to SEE AMERICA. Also something about having twice the legroom of an airline seat on those Superliner long-distance trains. The schedules and maps, and how the system can be routed and scheduled to serve the needs of ridership, fascinates me--both on the Amtrak and commuter rail levels.

I guess you can say I just love transit systems and maps . Google Maps is my friend.

AV-geek said:

OOH OOHI LOVE THAT STUFF.. LOL I LOVE MAG-LEV TRAINS AND METRO TRAIN SYSTEMS AND UM BULLET SHINKANSENS AND I LOOOVE MAPS AND UM BUSES and um yah stuff like that... LOL