c/commuter-chat

My bus route changed and I had to pick a side

The city split the old 7:15 express into two new lines, one that goes straight downtown and another that snakes through the suburbs. I picked the straight shot, thinking speed was everything. It got me to work 8 minutes faster, but I lost my usual seat and now I'm packed in like a sardine. Anyone else on the new Route 22 finding it way too crowded?

Honestly, I just found out the 7:15 express bus from Maplewood saves 22 minutes by skipping three stops, not one.

Can we talk about the difference between taking the 7:15 bus and the 8:05 bus on my route?

I mean, I had to switch my schedule around last month and it's like two totally different worlds. The 7:15 is mostly quiet, with people just staring out the window or at their phones. I can actually get a seat most days. But the 8:05? It's packed, like you're a sardine, and the driver has to skip stops sometimes because it's too full. The vibe is just more stressed, people are rushing and it feels way hotter in there. I had to take the later one for a solid two weeks and it honestly made my whole morning worse. The extra 50 minutes of sleep isn't worth it when you're standing up for 30 minutes getting jostled. Has anyone else found that a tiny time shift on their route changes everything?

My bus driver called me out for rushing the doors and I'm glad he did

I used to be that person who would sprint for the bus and try to squeeze through the closing doors. I figured if I made it, I saved myself a 15 minute wait for the next one on my route to downtown. Last month, the driver on the 7:42 route actually spoke up and said, 'Hey, I see you every morning. It's not safe for you or the other riders when you do that. I have to watch the mirrors and it throws off my whole pull-out.' That specific feedback hit me because I never thought about how my little dash affected his job. I've started leaving my apartment five minutes earlier now, which feels like nothing in the grand scheme. I still catch the same bus, but I walk up calmly and wait if the doors are shutting. It's less stressful for everyone. Has anyone else had a driver or another rider give them a tip that actually changed their commute habit?

Was sure the 'bus tracker app is 5 mins fast' thing was a myth, but my 7:15 bus left at 7:10 sharp this morning. Don't get left behind.

My bus route used to be a 25 minute ride, now it's a 45 minute crawl

Two years ago, I could get from my apartment to downtown Denver in under half an hour on the 15L. Now, with all the new condo construction and lane closures, the same trip takes almost twice as long. It changed around last summer when they started that big project on Colfax. I've had to start leaving my house at 6:45 AM just to get to work on time, which is brutal. I'm stuck watching the same billboards every single morning. Has anyone else on this line found a better way to get downtown without driving?

My neighbor changed how I see the bus stop line

I was waiting for the 7:15 bus yesterday morning, same as always, and got into a chat with an older guy who rides the same route. He pointed out how everyone stands about three feet back from the curb, even when the bus isn't there yet. He said, "We all make our own little invisible line, don't we? The bus pulls up to the same spot whether we're on the curb or not." It hit different because I never thought about it. I just copied what everyone else did on my first day. Now I'm wondering why we do that. Is it a safety thing, or just a habit we all picked up? What's the deal with your bus stop?

I swore off the bus for years after a bad experience, but a flat tire last Tuesday made me give the 7:15 a shot again.

My car got a flat on the way to work. I was stuck near the downtown station, so I bought a ticket for the express line to the business park. The driver was really friendly, the bus was clean and quiet, and we got there in 25 minutes, which is faster than my usual drive with traffic. I've taken it every morning since. What's one thing that surprised you about a commute you thought you'd hate?

Tried the 7:45 express bus versus the regular 7:30 route to downtown

Honestly, the express bus gets me there in 25 minutes flat because it skips like ten stops. The regular one takes almost 50 minutes on a good day. Has anyone else found a specific route that saves a huge chunk of time?

The 7:15 bus used to be packed with the same faces every morning

Last week, I got a seat right away and didn't recognize a single person... feels like the whole routine shifted when the new office park opened 3 years ago. Anyone else notice their regular crowd just vanish?

Finally beat the 7:15 AM bus crowd by leaving 8 minutes earlier

I was always stuck in a packed bus from my stop in Riverdale, barely able to find a seat. This Monday I tried leaving at 7:07 instead of 7:15 and caught the bus just before the main rush. Who knew such a small change could make the ride so much better?

Showerthought: A flat tire on the 5:15 express bus taught me to always carry a power bank.

My phone died while waiting for the tow in the rain near the Maple Street stop, so I couldn't call for a ride. Anyone have a good, small one that fits in a coat pocket?

Serious question, has anyone else found the 'quiet car' on the 8:05 train to be louder than the regular ones?

I was sure it was just a gimmick, but after three weeks of counting at least five loud phone calls per trip, I'm convinced the sign is just a suggestion.

Overheard a kid on the 7:15 bus ask his mom what a 'transfer' was

It hit me that with apps and tap cards, a whole piece of bus culture is just gone. Anyone else miss the paper slips?

I tried the bus for a month after years on the train and it's not even close

Everyone on my route says the 7:15 train is the only way to get downtown, but I gave the number 42 bus a real shot for 30 days. The bus costs $2.50 a trip versus the train's $5.75, but the train is 22 minutes faster and I never got stuck in traffic. The bus was late three times last week alone, once by a full 15 minutes. I saved money but lost over an hour of my week just waiting around. For a reliable schedule, the train wins every time. Has anyone else switched back after trying to save cash?

My bus pass just hit 1,000 trips logged

I was checking my transit app this morning and the counter said 1,000 rides. I got this pass when I started my job downtown three years ago. It made me realize I've basically lived on the number 42 bus line. Has anyone else been surprised by a number like that from their daily travel?

My bus stop switch cut 12 minutes off my morning trip

For months, my 8:15 AM bus was always packed by the time it reached my usual stop in the suburbs. I'd be standing the whole 40-minute ride into the city center. Last week, I checked the route map and saw it passes a stop just three blocks earlier, near a smaller apartment complex. I tried walking there instead, and for the last five days, I've gotten a seat every single time. The bus is practically empty when it picks up there. I leave my house at the same time and just walk a bit further. Has anyone else found a better stop by checking the route start point?

Can we talk about the guy on the 8:05 bus who brought a full keyboard to practice on

I mean, the whole lower deck was just this weird, gentle clacking sound for like 20 minutes straight, and idk, maybe it's just me but it was honestly way better than someone's loud phone call.

Why does everyone crowd the doors on the 7:15 express train?

I've been taking the 7:15 express from Oakdale to the city for years, and people always block the doors even when the middle of the car is empty. This makes it hard for people to get on and off at the Maple Street stop. I timed it once, and it added a full minute to our station time. Has anyone else found a polite way to suggest people move down the aisle?

My coworker told me to take the 7:15 bus instead of the 7:30 to avoid the school rush

She said the 7:15 from Maple Street is always quieter because it gets ahead of the high school kids. I tried it last Tuesday and the bus was packed with a different school's soccer team heading to a tournament. I sat on the floor by the back door for the whole 40 minute ride to downtown. Has anyone else found a secret 'good' bus time that actually backfired?

My bus pass just logged its 10,000th ride and the driver gave me a high five

I tapped my card on the reader this morning and the screen flashed '10,000' in green numbers. I just stood there staring at it for a second. The driver, Frank, saw it and actually reached over the fare box to give me a high five. I've been taking the same 7:15 am bus from Maple Street for eight years now, so I guess it adds up. Has anyone else's transit card ever hit a weird milestone like that?

A flat tire on the 405 freeway made me rethink my whole morning routine

I was about halfway to a job site in Irvine when my truck's back right tire blew out. Had to pull over onto that narrow shoulder with semis flying by at 70 miles an hour. The whole ordeal, waiting for the tow and getting a spare on, ate up 90 minutes. Now I leave 30 minutes earlier and actually check my tires every Monday. Anyone else had a commute disaster that forced a big change in their habits?

Showerthought: The guy on the 7:15 train went from reading a huge book to just staring at his phone in like two months.

He was halfway through 'War and Peace' in January, and now he just scrolls through cat videos the whole trip, which makes me wonder if anyone else has seen a commuter's whole routine flip that fast.

I've been standing on the wrong side of the escalator at the 14th Street station for years, and a tourist with a huge suitcase finally made me see it.

I always stood on the left to let people walk past on the right, but yesterday a guy with a rolling bag blocked the whole left side going up, forcing everyone to walk around him on the right, and that's when I realized the posted sign actually says 'stand right, walk left' and I've had it backwards this whole time.

I used to hate my bus ride until I changed one small thing

For years, my 45 minute bus trip into the city was just dead time I spent staring out the window. About six months ago, I started putting one specific podcast on my phone for the ride. Now I look forward to the trip because I get through a whole episode each way. It turned a boring part of my day into something I actually enjoy. The change was so simple but it made a huge difference. Does anyone else have a trick like this to make a long commute better?