My mission: To replace 3 of my roommate’s glasses — cuz I broke ‘em — with new identical ones from IKEA.
Eco-add-on: Without getting in the car. (right: an MTA ad: “Free yourself. Go Metro.”)
No biggie, except that the closest IKEA’s in Burbank, 26.7 miles from my apartment in Santa Monica. Google’s estimated time of travel by car: 29 mins. MTA’s estimate by bus: 120-180 mins.
I decided to think of it as a day-long field trip.
So today, I woke up at the crack of dawn — aka noon — and embarked on the mission, armed with an iPod, camera, lil green notebook, and a copy of Starbucks CEO’s book — Pour Your Heart into It — that the mermaid kindly sent me a long while ago but that I haven’t read yet. The adventure went thusly:
12:36 pm: The #7 Big Blue Bus gets to the stop just as I do. I get on and turn on my “Controlled Detachment” playlist. Travel cost: $.75.
12:48 pm: Get off at Bundy to wait for my 2nd bus.
Here I read about 15 pgs of Pour Your Heart, finding out that Howard Schultz grew up in the projects in Brooklyn and that he thinks Starbucks is “living proof that a company can lead with its heart.” He says “Starbucks strikes an emotional chord with people.” Ha! But what emotion, I think, dog-earing the page.
01:02 pm: The #10 BBB arrives. The driver’s awesome and hilarious — before getting on the 10, he turns on a microphone that makes him sound uncannily like an airplane pilot: “We have been cleared for departure,” he says.
16 mins later, we’re in downtown, and he’s giving backpackers safety advice on getting to the greyhound station. Travel cost: Free transfer pass from the 1st bus plus $1, cuz it’s a freeway rapid bus and costs extra.
1:38 pm: Get off at Temple and Spring, and the #10 bus driver flags me down to make sure I have a transfer. Sweet guy!
1:45 pm: Get on the Metro 094, which takes me into what’s untravelled territory for me. We go a lil ways into Chinatown, then really briefly get on the 110, then go through Glendale for a long, long time before getting to Burbank. Travel cost: Free with transfer.
2:35 pm: Destination! I get to IKEA in just under 2 hours.
So I got the damn glasses and a couple other things, then at 3:34 got back on the bus and bus and bus.
I got home at 5:30, wolfed down 2 bowls of puffins, and started writing this.
To the left, one of the acquired glasses, containing a red, age-old remedy that cures post-travel-stress-syndrome… A recap of my lessons learned through this mission to come after I sober up –
Were they Peanut Butter Puffins? Those are the best. Nice work dude. You’re my heroine, for many things — but especially for today’s adventures.
Comment by Summer — June 9, 2006 @ 9:34 pm
Wow, that beats my latest ventures, which consist of alternating days between bike riding to work and bus-ing it. Luckily my bus ride to work is no transfers, and gets me there in a sweet 15 minutes. But I have learned that not too many office workers take the bus in San Diego (big shock, huh?) I too am trying to find ways to use the bus when I can, and have been spending time online familiarizing myself with the routes around the areas I frequent. Even though the bus is not most people’s preferred method of transport, I find myself drawn to it as of late. There’s something rather freeing about being away from home without a car at your convenience. But a two hour trip, way to go!
Comment by Russ — June 9, 2006 @ 11:20 pm
Next time call me and I will give you a ride. :p
Comment by Anthony — June 10, 2006 @ 10:23 am
Ikea is one of the few places I have to use to car for. The 94 is a few blocks from me and I sometimes take it when traveling within downtown, but never relized that it goes all the way to Ikea in 50 minutes.
Comment by Jason — June 11, 2006 @ 12:44 pm
Regular puffins. I really used to love the PB puffins, but am going plain jane lately –
I have to say that this IKEA trip was a 1-time thing, the main reason being that once I got there, I found a lotta stuff I’ve been needing (i.e. the pic frames). Carrying all of it made the trip back a lil painful…
Comment by Siel — June 11, 2006 @ 2:17 pm
Mmm…puffins.
Comment by NC — June 12, 2006 @ 8:13 pm
What a trek. I admire your patience. I’m finally starting to lose my patience being without a car, even in San Francisco where it’s pretty easy to get around.
And sorry, I accidentally deleted your last comment on my site while I was wiping out spammy comments! :( oops
Comment by elsamary — June 13, 2006 @ 8:46 am
Impressive! I thought I was tough for taking the bus from Los Feliz to Culver City for work every day. I find most of the bus drivers to be quite friendly and helpful–though you get the occassional grump.
Comment by erin — June 24, 2006 @ 2:55 pm
I agree — most bus drivers are sweet! And I’m super impressed to hear that you take the bus every day — Is this the MTA or the Culver City bus?
Comment by Siel — June 24, 2006 @ 6:49 pm
Ha, me and some friends took the train/bus to the Burbank Ikea this past weekend. I’m sure you are aware that it was 100+ degreez in the Valley. We took the Red Line from Hollywood/Western to Universal City and then hopped on a 96 Bus to San Fernando/8th right near the Ikea. Probably about a 40 minute ride total had we not missed the first bus on the way their and had to sit out in the sweltering valley heat for 30 minutes!
Comment by Fred Camino — July 25, 2006 @ 5:24 pm
Wow! The 30 min wait’s the main reason I tend not to take the bus during the weekends — Glad you survived to tell about it!
Comment by Siel — July 26, 2006 @ 5:55 pm