I thought of this post on an impromptu early morning bus trip to New York last week, and it finally materialized on my notepad. Much as I tried to catch some sleep during the monotonous 4 hour journey, I couldn't help thinking about the influx of public transportation in my 24 year journey so far.
My earliest recollection of buses was when dad took M and me to check out the buses at Sanskrit college after dinner. I still remember the 12Bs, 45Bs, the 12s and the occasional 41 series at the bend. School was closer to home and we did not bank on buses to get us there. We walked and then eventually graduated to cycles. I used buses to get everywhere in town and was a master of most of the cities bus routes. 21 went all the way from Parry's to Mandaveli, 29C all the way from Perambur to Adayar, 12G from Anna Square to KK nagar, 12B from Foreshore estate to Vadapalani and 1 from thriruvotriyur to thiruvanmiyur. We used to take the express buses from Broadway to Vellore, the equivalent of a Boston-New York journey. The buses stopped enroute for breaks, and we made use of opportunity to have "Elaneer" on hot summer days. These point to point buses were outrageously fast, but had limited stops on the way. I remember travelling in UP, Haryana and Rajasthan in their famous tourist buses.
Manipal was bus haven. The trains used to go all the way to Mangalore and Manipal was an hour away from there. It was on the notoriously famous Mangalore-Manipal buses on NH17 that I used to reach college. These buses had their fifteen minutes of fame on the highway by travelling at unimaginable speeds. There have been many an accident on NH-17 courtesy these buses but the need for speed flourishes. An alternative way to reach Chennai was by taking the buses to bangalore and take the train from there.
In the US, my college was in a place where public transport wasnt necessary. I traveled from Chicago to Lexington in DEC 2004 which was my first long distance bus trip. That trip was a blast ( I have blogged about it earlier). After relocating to Boston, Buses were my staple mode of commutation till late.
My trips to New York have been courtesy the Fungwah buses, these buses are a boon to students and the like who want to get to New York fast and without burning a hole in your pocket. The tickets costs you 15 bucks and you are in NYC in 4 hours. Buses leave every hour and they are invariably filled.
As I look back, how much ever I love to bike or drive, my first crush is always public transport. I have met interesting people, debated on contemporary issues, made friends and in general, had great times during my bus and train travels. Madras, Manipal, New Orleans, Boston, Chicago or Vellore, nothing beats a good ole bus ride!
May the trips keep rolling.
