I hate riding the damn bus. No matter what the schedule says, it seem the bus is either going to arrive early or stop by 20 minutes late. It takes an hour by bus to get somewhere I can get to by car in 10 minutes. The busses are dirty and sometimes your fellow passengers can be downright scary. Despite all this, deep down somewhere in my masochistic tendencies I love the bus. For an aspiring artist and author like myself, there is no better way to get stories and inspiration and get a feel for the area than to ride the bus, and so for these reasons and so many more, Metro Transit found its way at the top of my list.

My first introduction to Metro Transit came on my first weekend here. I needed to find a way to the St. Paul campus for a Whole show and the Connector wasn't running yet. I ended up hopping on the 6, which didn't even take me all the way to the St. Paul campus, but it got me close enough that I could walk the rest of the way. Most of my riding after that amounted to taking the 16 downtown or to Midway until I moved out of the dorms. That was when the real fun started.

Without a car, I had to ride the bus every day of my junior year between campus and my apartment. During that year I met so many interesting people and got so many stories. Everyone from Calvin and Blackman to the guy who wanted me to write my thesis on life on the street and the minister who warned me about the dangers of carpal tunnel syndrome inspired me in one way or another. I also learned that busses can be pulled over for speeding. I'm sure that public transportation in any large city could give me this same sort of enjoyment and entertainment, but Metro Transit just happens to be ours.

Speaking of that, I rode Valley Transit in Appleton this last January to get downtown. I was one of about 4 people on the bus. The others were kids or elderly - the only one's who ride busses in Appleton. It'll just never be the same.

So that's the end of my list. If you've actually read along then you've followed me basically through the story of my 4 years here. Tomorrow I move back to Appleton and the chapter is closed. Thanks.