SRJC student Marco Camacho commutes one hour each way four days a week from his home in Roseland. Camacho has relied on the bus to get him to SRJC since he first started taking classes three years ago. “It’s better than walking and cheaper than buying a car. But it’s frustrating that my life has to revolve around the bus schedule. I have to really plan things out or else it doesn’t happen,” Camacho said.
Night classes are out of the question because buses don’t run late enough. Basic 9 a.m. classes require getting to campus either at 7:30 a.m. – an hour and half early – or 9:10 a.m., making students late and teachers perturbed.
In 2011, nearly 6 percent of SRJC students like Comacho took the bus. Riding public transit has its ups and downs. Students relying on the bus to get to and from school can learn important lessons about time management,
personal responsibility and, maybe the most difficult for some students, how to the people smell bad. It’s crowded,” she said. “One day, a man sat next to me who hadn’t showered in at least two months. He had this really strong, caked-on body odor; it was disgusting.”
Bjorkquist’s experiences haven’t been all bad. “Sometimes I’d get into some really neat conversations with other students on the bus,” she said. “I’m a music major and would sometimes be carting around three instruments at a time. We’d talk about music, composers we like. It was like having a little community where you would least expect it.”
George is taking 14 units this semester, works 20 hours a week and has a 30-minute commute four days a week from Sebastopol. “It’s been nice to not worry about all the things associated with having a car. The bus can be an inconvenience, when it’s running late and you’re late for class, but it hasn’t been a big enough one for me to stress out about getting money for a car together,” he said.
Students see a bright side to their often long commutes. “I don’t have to pay attention and instead can just regularly wake up early in the morning. Additionally, using public transportation has financial benefits for cash-strapped students. Avoiding the costs of parking, gas, insurance, monthly payments and vehicle maintenance can free student’s budgets up to pursue hobbies, attend music festivals or simply enjoy a night on the town with friends . Not to mention releiving stress by giving the responsibility of transportation to an expert, a bus driver. When was the last time you heard of a bus getting in an accident? But with these positives come the negatives of having to rely on a public transportation system that’s faced increasing cut backs and whose frequency and route breadth has decreased substantially over the last few years.
One of the primary grievances students have about taking the bus is its melting pot of riders. Anna Bjorkquist, 19, was taking the bus until her dad gave her his old car. Her one-hour bus commute decreased to 20 minutes in the car. “The bus smells bad, listen to music, look out the window and daydream,” said Katherine, 21, a full time student with two jobs. “To be honest though, the worst part about riding the bus is the people on it.”
Part-time SRJC student Bronwynn Millisor said, “I generally hate public transportation, it’s nice to have but it can be sketchy at times. It’s nothing the drivers or company can do about it. I just feel uncomfortable sometimes. But it’s convenient and if you’re blind or under 16, it’s great. Without it, a lot of people wouldn’t get where they need to go.”
Students said they felt good about the pollution they prevented by taking public transportation instead of driving. Last October, SRJC suspended the discounted monthly pass for students. Reasoning it was a steep expense that helped too few students, current riders are left to pay the $47 for a monthly pass.
Bikes are allowed on all buses, which would help get those students where they need to go if the bus didn’t frequent their needed area.
