[Sotilas Jane]

Just recently, I’ve seriously started to consider getting a drivers license, even though it costs near 2000€ here.

Public transportation, as it is here today, is a pure joke.

Even trying to stop the bus is a form of art itself. Do you show the stop mark too early, or too late? What even is the right timing? How do you get the right bus to stop, as they tend to go in one big formation? In the worst scenario the other busses stop, but the one you want to get in just continues to drive, no matter how hard you try to make it stop. You can almost see the driver smirking to you behind that safety glass. When you actually get the right bus stop, the entrance is never near you. If you stand still while the bus stops, you can be sure that the driver isn’t in a hurry to press break, and if you try to walk in the position where you expect the bus to stop, the driver presses the breaks so hard, that all standing customers are sure to fall; after all, getting the customers run into the bus before it leaves again, is one of the driver’s favorite passtime.

After all the fuzz, when you are finally inside the bus, other problems start to occur.

When you’re paying from the ticket, the driver expects you to pay with exact change. If you’re “cocky” enough to pay with, lets say 20€ bill, the driver is sure to give you bucket full of change; also, whether you give the money straight to the driver, or put it on to the little counter there, the bastard will always have something bad to say about it. No wonder that instead of my ticket, I always want to stamp that bastard driver into face with a crowbar. If the bus is empty, you automatically become a bum-magnet. The bus drivers have bad habit of picking up the worst-smelling bums that there is, and they all want to sing, just for you. Nothing helps really, they are sure to stick into you like they would be fucking glued, or something. If you keep your mouth shut, you’re an asshole, but if you open it, the changes are that the bum will vomit in there.

However, if the bus is full you have to fight your way to the back of the bus, and if you are really lucky you just might have a change to go sit next to the bitchiest old granny there is. When you sit next to her, she will be looking you behind her glasses, nose pointing to sky like she had some right to judge you by the appearance. Also if you try to read the newspaper, you’re sure to grow at least two additional (often bad-smelling) heads. When the bus stops (if it even does, those fucking stop buttons never seem to function) you need to rush out there really, really fast. Often you don’t get out there in time. If you somehow manage to get out, the driver is sure to step on the pedal and spray all that muddy shit from side of the road on your clothes.

I’ am not even going to the weekend night shifts, where oh so merrily drunk people throw empty beer bottles at you, if they are not busy pissing on the backseats.

EDIT: drivers license price.

[SoLiDUS]

I'm going on a limb here: you REALLY like public transportation, don't you biggrin:

[quote:01269]Just recently, I’ve seriously started to considering getting a drivers license, even though it costs near $10k here. [/quote:01269]

ed: 10 000 !?!? WTF ????

[Sotilas Jane]

Originally Posted by SoLiDUS

I'm going on a limb here: you REALLY like public transportation, don't you biggrin:

[quote:e0b99]Just recently, I’ve seriously started to considering getting a drivers license, even though it costs near $10k here.

ed: 10 000 !?!? WTF ????[/quote:e0b99]

Sorry about that, had old Finnish currency in my mind, 10.000 MK = 2000€ (almost same in $$$)

[pest]

Damn, America is great. Thanks for reminding me.

[Bane]

2,000.00 EUR = $1,967.22 (US)

Why is it so expensive? It costs $50.00 or less here in the States.

[Sotilas Jane]

Originally Posted by Bane

2,000.00 EUR = $1,967.22 (US)

Why is it so expensive? It costs $50.00 or less here in the States.

Govermental scheme? I dont know, it just is. In opposite though, we have free dental and health care.

[Totenkopf]

Are braces covered in that dental care? Just curious.

[Bane]

Hehe...I see where your free healthcare comes from. biggrin:

We should make it that expensive here as well. It might keep more of the morons off the road. No, wait. Then there would just be rich morons on the road.

American Transportation is HARDLY any better. We do have more frequent bus service in SOME areas (San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles), but still have some of the same problems -

Here, in Sacramento - there is appearantly a Driver shortage, so either we get some TRAINEE who stops at every railroad crossing and opens the god damned doors to hear if a train is coming and checks EVERY god damn ticket, transfer, and daily pass making sure noone tries to put one over on SACRT, - OR the Bus Driver is new and is taking it REALLY slow on their own, or we have some seasoned vet who just doesn't give a shit - either way I'm always praying that I can make it to my Bus-transfer on time.

And at LEAST it seem you get change back. There have been times where I have put a 5 dollar bill in for a 1.50 ticket, had noone on the bus who had 5 ones, and get raped massively.

Or, arriving 5 minutes early for a bus that turns out to be 15 minutes late, or banging on the side of a bus as it pulls out of its stop cause TECHNICALLY it is NOW in traffic and it's illegal to let you on "in traffic" - nevermind there isn't another god damn soul out there.

Or how LEGITIMATELY wanting to know what time it was, and the bus you are on happens to be late, so the driver takes it as you being some sort of wise ass.

And yes, we have the quick break adrivers here. There was a crippled guy in a wheel-chair, and the driver quick breaked sending the cripple out of his chair and into the seat in front of him - he's screaming "Help me, help me - OH GOD HELP ME!"

(Ok that WAS pretty funny to see actually)

Either way, look at the poster buy for bus drivers Ralph Cramden, he was fat and threatened to assault his wife at every turn - this is the model for a driver. So dont be TOO suprised by their actions.

[ninty]

Don't you have bus passes, Teuvo? That would eliminate haveing to get change all the time. Here the busses don't even supply change so you either have to have exact change, or pay with what you have and receive no change. Public transportation is pretty good here. The busses are only crowded at the rush hour times. Most people drive as it only costs $43 to get a licence. Busses stop at the bus stops that you want by pulling the bell string.

I took the bus for about 3 years and never had a problem. Except when it snows it somes like an hour late.

But now I drive because getting places by bus is very limited and time consuming. To get downtown I would ahve to take a bus to the LRT, then catch the LRT to downtown and then either walk or get on another bus to get where i'm going. 3 years of that was good enough for me. Driving is so much better. Except for the speeding tickets of course.

[Captain Bunny]

Buses in my area are a joke, infact public transport on whole is a joke in the UK.
The buses i get (after having written off my car in a crash- gutting) are really bad. Admittadly, the drivers do stop, most of them are nice, but there are a few who think youre stupid if you have to ask if the bus goes a certain route - we are automatically expected to know every rouote of everybus and every time schedule when at every bus stop they have been stolen or burnt or vandalised by little bastards with nothing better to do.
Drivers dont normally have a problem with change, but nearly all will object and sometimes refuse £5 notes onwards. they only want coins.
the bus fairs arent cheap, and the buses themselves are shite, they rattle, squeak, and bounce you around like youre at sea - this is in combination of the state of our roads, as it would appear that road tax doesnt actually go towards roads. - more like holidays to barbados for the local MPs.

I miss my car, its been 4 months now, nearly 5. now trying to get insured for one - thats just a pure joke. hake:

The public transportation where I live is like paradise. A bus would come every three minutes. They have TV in the buses. Everything is great about them here.

[Innoxx]

and where do you live? cause i'm moving there. I hate the transit system here, i usually just bike, walk or take a cab to where i have to go..... but thank god im getting my N (novice) license in november.

I'm living in Hong Kong right now. So if ur moving ur got a long way to go......