Hasti's Transportation History

Write your transportation history - Think about the various modes of transportation that you've used in your life at different times and places. How do your experiences with these modes affect your perception of the world, your community, etc.? Have you had pivotal moments on buses, bike rides, car trips, etc. that have changed how you see the world?

Sitting in the backseat as a child during my pre-drivers license days, I remember watching the world go by and observing the different people in their cars going all sorts of places. It fascinated me that there were so many cars filled with individuals in transit with their own destination in mind. Although I was observing the outside environment, I was unaware of the infrastructure encompassing all these vehicles. It wasn't until I obtained my driver’s license that I became conscious of the legalities and logistics of our roads. I looked at each vehicle in a whole new way and better understood the responsibilities of being a driver.

But before I earned my driver’s license, I was dependent on someone else to drop me off and pick me up from the places I wanted to go. Riding public transportation in the Bay Area for the first time forced me to figure out how the Caltrain and BART systems worked. From each stop, I learned more about the geography of the area. Public transportation in the Bay Area is that is fairly inefficient though. Most of the time, it requires more than one mode of transportation to get somewhere. Someone would have to drop you off at the Caltrain station and then you take the Caltrain all the way to the Millbrae Station to switch onto the BART. A major limitation of public transportation is that it is not always there right when you need it.

Bicycling helped me gain independence because I could hop on my bike and head to a local spot at any time. I could fuel the bicycle with my own energy and was on my own schedule. Currently, bicycling is my main method of transport in Santa Cruz. When I tell people that I don’t have my car in Santa Cruz they usually respond sympathetically as if I’m missing out. In a car, encased by metal, you are isolated from the world, whereas on a bike you are exploring and engaging with the environment. It’s actually relieving to not have my car here with me because I prefer biking around town. I don’t have to buy gas, I don’t get stuck in congested traffic, and I don’t have trouble finding parking. I love the scenic routes, the fresh air, and accelerating my heart rate.