IndyGo Happy Hour

If the bus is like a bar, then it must be happy hour. There are 35 people on a bus with 24 seats. Make that 36. Cheers.

IndyGo: The bus is like a bar

The bus is like a bar. I’ve witnessed bus-bar similarities repeatedly, and I am confident “the bus is like a bar” will be a reoccurring theme on Indy Gets Green.

Today’s “the bus is like a bar” observation: The pass back is back. That’s right, not just for underage bar goers anymore, the pass back is alive and well on IndyGo.

However, IndyGo’s system is much more efficient that the bouncers of the bar. Instead of the bouncer wondering if he just ID’d you or your twin sister, the IndyGo card reader announces pass back on the screen. Stops the offender on the spot.

I wish I had a great pass back story for the blog, like a slick pass back taking place around 54th Street, but I don’t. I just swiped my card twice.

Hiking on IndyGo, and the Double 8

I like to read Indystar.com on my phone on the way to work. Just as I reached for my cell, getting ready to log on to Indy Star and ready the city’s top headlines, I stopped in my tracks (not really, we stopped at the bus stop).

A young man boarded the IndyGo with more luggage than I’ve ever seen. The airline companies would have had a field day of charges with this guy. Not only did he have an extremely large hiking roll backpack strapped to him, he carried a black and tan regular backpack, a black reusable grocery sack, red rolling luggage and a guitar. He arranged his traveling gear for a few minutes, hiked up his cargo shorts (yes pun intended), and finally sat down. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He told a young lady next to him that he was in Indianapolis for about a month, then headed to Vancouver Island on the west coast.
She said she’d never been. He said its beautiful this time of year.

Another man, not nearly as interesting, sat across from him with a plastic grocery bag filled with napkins and toilet paper from the Double 8.

I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

Real IndyGo Women of Genius

Real IndyGo Women of Genius
Imagine this in the Bud Light talking/singing announcer guy voice…

Here’s to you Miss I am reading a paperback novel and sprawled out over two seats on the IndyGo girls. Don’t worry that other people are standing instead of sitting. Pretend to not see the old ladies wanting to sit in the front seats. Don’t make eye contact with anyone in hopes of keeping both seats to yourself. That’s right, Miss paperback novel reading spread out over two seats selfish IndyGo girl.

If you couldn’t tell, I am disappointed in the people who act like they own both seats on the bus. Share.

IndyGo Value Meals

I watched my bus driver stop the IndyGo on schedule at the stop ahead of mine. Then, as I eagerly awaited my pick up, I quickly became disappointed when I realized the driver pulled the bus over in front of McDonalds. Don’t get me wrong, "I'm lovin'" a good value meal every now and then. However, I have three observations.

1. There are mornings when I crave an Egg McMuffin meal. Those are mornings when I shouldn’t be driving, especially not a giant IndyGo bus. You know what I’m talking about.

2. If I would have known about the Mickey D’s stop, I would have had time to get a Starbucks. Tit for tat bus driver. You want to be supersized; I want to be caffeinated.

3. I didn’t notice it for about a minute and a half, but then, I smelled hash browns. All I wanted to do was dip some hash browns in little white paper containers of ketchup. I considered asking for a second McDonald’s stop at 16th and Meridian or National City Center, but I know better. IndyGo only stops at designated places along the scheduled route.

Pokemon, IndyGo links

Best IndyGo moment this mornig: a two-foot tall Pokemon on someone’s front porch at 39th Street. I couldn’t help but smile.

Worst thing on IndyGo this morning: no air conditioning.

Did you read the article about IndyGo in the Indy Star last week? http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080718/LOCAL18/807180458&source=nletter-business
Check it out, provide feedback. If you need a topic, I suggest bus tracking system. Check out www.ctabustracker.com

IndyGo Networking - Green Working

I missed the bus this morning. I felt like a little kid who missed the school bus, except I get a second chance in about 25 – 30 minutes, because another IndyGo makes the route.

So I walked to Starbucks for a caffeinated attitude adjustment, and as I walked out reviewing the route schedule, a lady asked me if I was waiting for the bus. Yes, I said. She told me she just started taking the bus again and didn’t know if she had time to get coffee or exactly where the bus stop was located. I told her she had time, and the bus stop was under the light post.

We reconvened at the bus stop, shared some IndyGo improvement thoughts, and she agreed the online bus tracker would be a great improvement. I encouraged her write IndyGo, and she told me to do the same, and then we started talking about Indianapolis, improvements, ways to be involved, etc. Networking while reducing my carbon footprint - and a new term is coined – “green working.” Kind of like social networking, but networking while saving the environment. It’s a stretch I know, but we’ll see if it catches on.

So a missed bus turned into a networking opportunity. You never know who you might meet…

IndyGo and your car, Dancing with the Stars

The IndyGo is bigger than most cars. If you are driving your vehicle near an IndyGo bus, give the bus some room. A little black coupe half-way ran a red light (meaning he was half-way in the intersection, not that the light was half red). A white SUV didn’t stop at the painted white line and as we drove by, we nearly clipped his front headlights. Craziness.

We had one of the soy buses this morning. It may run cleaner, which is great, and I would like share that it provides a much smoother ride than the other IndyGos.

I talked more with the bus stop friend and the professional dancer today. The professional dancer knows the Dancing with the Stars people - the dancers, not the stars.

Slowly but surely, I imagine my bus becoming the “fun” bus. Give it time, give me time. I'm thinking something along the lines of Cheers and/or tailgating, in a law-abiding, no-alcohol-on-the-bus kind of way…stay tuned.

Friends on IndyGo, Helpful IndyGo Hints

This week has been about making friends on IndyGo. I met a lady who rides about twice a week. Her kids encourage her and the family to go green. The professional dancer who lived in New York for years is used to taking public transportation. I’ve sat next to another lady for two days now, and we just say hello, good morning and have a great day, but I would consider us friends. And my bus stop friend. He gets on the bus at my stop in the morning. He has laughed at me trying to multi-task the bus stop, coffee, breakfast bars, bus pass, lunch box, purse, cell phone and anything else I happen to carry that day. I thought he was really quite, but I asked him one question, and that started the ball rolling. Now we talk.

And for those riders who aren’t my friends (yet), I’ve got some follow up. “Poutfit” lady was in navy yesterday and did not have disc man. “No sleeves, muscle shirt” has started wearing sleeves.

And if you want to make friends on the bus, here is a helpful hint. The front seats are for seniors and people with disabilities. If you are new to the bus (I did this, too), you get on and just sit down as fast as possible because the bus is moving. You sit in the first seats, and unless you are a senior or a person with disabilities, you really should sit in the middle or in the back. I think the back is more fun because the seats are higher and you have a better view of Indianapolis.

More friends and helpful hints to come…

Packed IndyGo, Professional Dancer

The bus was packed this morning. I am proud of the IndyGoers.

I sat next to a professional dancer today. No, not that kind. I didn't even know our fine city had professional dancers. Good job Indy culture!

The air conditioning was on and working great. Thank you!

A Nun, a Mullet and a Bachelor on IndyGo

I saw a sister at the bus stop today. Not my sister, not a “hey sista.” A “how do you solve a problem like Maria” sister. A little nun in full habit black and white gear was at my bus stop. Then a guy with a mullet, gold chain and a “joutfit” started talking to her.

Bus was about 15 minutes late again. And now we are speeding, or at least it feels like we are. I must admit I am not in view of the odometer.

A few stops after mine, an Indy version of “The Bachelorette” runner up Jason and his three-old-son Ty got on the bus. He looked just like realty TV Jason and his cutie son from the ABC show. He told the bus driver he worked in the Key Bank building. He didn’t say where little Ty was all day.

A man just sneezed and the driver announced “bless you” over the intercom. People inside and outside the bus can hear the intercom. This was very funny. The “polo and shorts” guy in front of me and I laughed out loud. I don’t think other riders even noticed.

Unlike this morning’s ride, the air conditioning is on. My vote is always for air conditioning, not windows, and the emergency exit overhead open.

Indy’s version of Jason just moved from the front of the bus, where the seats are lower, to the back of the bus, so Ty could sit up high and see out the window. Ty is super excited about the buildings, and the cars, and anything he sees out the window. He keeps laughing in a little kid laugh. He has a cute Disney Cars backpack, too.

Ty is so confused as to why the bus keeps stopping and why people keep getting off. It is really cute. Jason explained that the bus driver stops when the people pull the cord. Then the people get off IndyGo. Ty decided he should wave and say good bye to everyone as they got off the bus. I smiled at them, and commented that Ty made the bus ride fun. Jason said he is very proud to be Ty’s dad because he makes a lot of people smile.

I think this may have been my favorite bus ride so far.

"Too Much Stuff" Lady on IndyGo

For the ride home today, the bus was more than 15 minutes late. I understand 15 is not that long of a wait, and at the same time, 15 minutes can seem like an eternity when standing, waiting, watching for a bus to appear. I could have really used the map and bus tracker system today.

I talked to one lady about aerobics, pilates and yoga for about 20 minutes today, 10 at the stop, 10 on the bus. She was going to be late for her class, or possibly on time if she didn’t stop by her house to get her workout mat. She said she really didn’t want to use one of the community mats at the workout center. I don’t blame her.

Today, “Too much stuff” lady dropped her cell phone two times, spilled her purse one time, dropped her empty cup and spilled the last few drops of coffee on her leg, accidentally hit the man in front of her with her purse strap, rose to let the inside rider exit, and fell forward two rows of seats, and tried to answer a cell phone call while juggling all her stuff. Embarrassing enough – I am “too much stuff” lady. I was the most entertaining person on the bus today, and I hope I made the other riders laugh a little.

Re-Usable Cigarettes, IndyGo Online Tracking

Thursday after work, I sat at the bus stop for about 40 minutes. I missed the 6 o’clock bus (don’t get me started. It was really frustrating). So I waited for the 6:30 bus. I waited while a man with a 2-liter of Coke, a Steak-n-Shake bag featuring skinny fries and cheese dip, and a desperate need for orthodontic attention tried to tell me that my bus changed numbers mid-route. For the record, some buses change from one route to another mid-day, or at certain stops or times, but mine does not. Mine was early on the 6 o’clock route and late on the 6:30 route.

So all weekend, I’ve been talking to anyone who would listen about how I wish IndyGo had some kind of text/email/online tracking system to inform riders if the bus was running ahead, on time, or behind schedule. For example, the Metro in D.C. (train system, not bus) has electronic signs at each station telling riders how many minutes remain until the train arrives. I understand that won’t work at the bus stops around the city, however, there has to be a way to track the buses.

Then I talked to my friend Jenna who lives in Chicago and rides CTA, the Chicago bus system. Jenna said the buses are tracked on Google maps, and people can look online and see if the bus is coming around the corner, a few blocks away or already passed. To check out the system, go to www.ctabustracker.com. The online system allows you to select your bus and your stop and view how many minutes until your bus is scheduled to arrive, or you can select map view to see where your bus is along its route. There is even a text/mobile version for cell phones. This is a great service, and I wish IndyGo would adopt it.

One of the challenges of riding IndyGo is the uncertainty of the bus stops and timing. Yes, the routes, the stops and the times are published. However, not all stops are published, and not all stops have designated times. This creates uncertainty for riders, not knowing if the bus is early, on time or late. Uncertainty is inconvenient, which encourages people to avoid IndyGo and drive instead. I would like IndyGo to consider the CTA-Google-bus tracking system, or some other system to provide more information and easier access to the bus system to current and potential riders. If the system is more convenient, then more people will feel comfortable using it.

And for those who want a funny rider story – “Re-usable Cigarette Man.” That’s right. On Thursday, I watched a man put out his cigarette, put it back into his mouth, get on the bus, ride IndyGo with an extinguished cigarette hanging out of his mouth, get off the bus, and re-light his cigarette. Who knows what I will see this week…