Cedar Rapids Bus Party

Pardon me while I brag a moment, but I am one lucky bus rider. I get to ride the bus for free! No, I’m not compensated for promoting the bus system or maintaining this blog. I just happen to have an employer that lets us choose between a parking pass for Lot 44 in downtown Cedar Rapids, or free bus passes including the 10 ride and 31 day passes. Ideally, we could have a middle ground option to get a parking pass and a 10 ride bus pass to cover people who can’t always ride the bus, but the either or option is a good starting point.

Now why would I wave this in your face? The truth is I’m hoping that you’d support a similar perk from your employer if it isn’t available already. And if you do already have the option, I’d love to document which companies provide it and why you do or don’t take advantage of it.

I’ll briefly put myself in the crossfire of the downtown parking controversy and say that I think the parking problem is an issue of perception. Although I think the space is there, I can understand why people may not want to pay to park close to their destination. Insert the buses for a potential solution. I have said many times that one of my favorite perks to riding the bus is that I get dropped off right outside of work and don’t have to walk to and from my car. I don’t have to scrape my car in the winter, nor wait for the air to cool in the heat of the summer. Not everyone can have a bus stop as close as I do, but they can still benefit from the time they save by not looking for a parking spot and the money they save by not paying to park.

As for other employers in the metro, there may be better use of space if vast areas of parking lots weren’t needed to accommodate our cars during the day. Employees might also be more productive if they can use the time to and from work to work on their laptops or decompress from the day by reading a book.

So what do you think about employers providing bus passes? Would you try it? What benefits do you see? What pitfalls would there be? I’d love to get some other perspectives on this, and remember to share if you’re already lucky enough to work for a company that does this!

I’m not always super excited to get up and go to work, but great motivators are the generally cheerful attitudes of my bus drivers. A warm greeting when I board, a couple of choice jokes, and an encouraging send off when I leave all brighten my day just a bit more.

The route drivers occasionally change, so I’ve noticed that most drivers are fit to fill the position beyond just driving.  One of my drivers enjoys calling out clever names for some of the stops to keep us awake on the ride in. My route goes by a BioLife location where people can donate blood, so we will sometimes hear, “next stop, Transylvania, or BioLife”.

The drivers are also great sources of information about what is happening in transit, interesting things going on in the area, and sometimes even an exciting report about a robber they saw caught near their route. Of course they are also helpful in answering questions about the transit system. It may not be the most time efficient way to provide information, but I have yet to see a bus driver refuse to help a rider.

Coming down from Cloud 9 now, this wonderful treatment is really only a reflection of how you treat your driver. Blaming them for not stopping when you rang the bell at the bus stop instead of allowing enough time for them to stop, is not the way to get a smile in the future. So, next time you ride, say “hello” as you pay your fare, show interest in the service they’re providing, and most importantly, tell them “thank you” when you leave. Without them, you couldn’t finish a novel while commuting, catch up on podcasts on your way to the mall, or have quality time with your child as you take her to school.

And for any grumpy bus drivers that might be out there, take note and give a little more to make your passengers more pleasant toward you!