First-Timer Bus Rider

[u/Due_Cloud9266]

Hi all! So, as the title suggests, I am a first-time user of public buses. I hope to start utilizing this method of transportation, as it will be more cost effective. I am based in the US, so I would really appreciate any tips anyone has for finding their way to the bus stop, choosing a route, knowing which bus to get on and when to get off, and navigating their way to the final destination. Thanks so much in advance!

[u/gammaChallenger]

I have road buses in all sorts of cities and one of the most important things is sometimes the announcements don’t work or they’re all messed up so for a bus you generally want to listen for announcements there is an app called Moovit I can announce the stops for you but also what I have been traditionally taught to do is to ask the bus driver when you get on the bus first ask him do you get to the stop just to make sure it’s the right bus and then when you are done with that you also ask him to tell you when you have arrived sometimes I don’t use the apps and I use the bus drivers. Also the front seats of a bus is reserved for disabled people and other people like that so ask the driver if there’s any seats in the front when you get off the bus I will check with the bus driver is this 35th and Bellflower let’s say OK yes it is so now you can get off and choose or not choose to thank the bus driver also sometimes if there’s a bus transfer, I don’t know what side of the street is on. That was my friend’s problem. We knew the other bus stop you transfer was somewhere around the four corners so what I do and it depends on the bus drivers in the city is ask where the other bus stop is I find in Los Angeles County they usually give you accurate information here in Chicago. I got bit a couple times and the bus driver was clueless where the other bus stop was and I ended up having to problem solve last minute and try not to panic and to figure out where the other bus stop is, and sometimes the bus transfer time is like five minutes so you have to try to get over there, which is fun sometimes also asking the driver where the return bus is worth the bus going the opposite way where that bus stop is is also very helpful

I know you didn’t ask about trains, but it’s very different and it depends on which type of train you’re taking light rails usually don’t have people so you’ll have to listen very closely to the stops. I have asked other people who are riding the trains. What stop is this if I can’t hear or it’s too loud or announcements isn’t loud enough and sometimes people will help and sometimes people won’t help in a commuter train I will try to find the conductor, but sometimes they can be hard to find but tell someone let your stop is and I learnt recently asked them what the previous stuff is so you don’t actually miss your stuff so one of my very good friends if not best friend who died and he was a wonderful disciple or mentor or whatever you wanna call him. He had heard that people get shoved down the tracks so what his practice was is to get one of the train station people tell them to help them on the train and tell them which stop he’s stopping at and to ask them to have someone meet you down at the other side because of Safety also don’t be afraid to ask for help. I know some blind people and I’ve been guilty of well. I’m good. I can do everything. I’m independent but part of independence is to learn to ask for help and I don’t mean be helpless but if you need to ask for directions, ask for directions if you don’t know where a bus stop is ask if you need to know what the announcement said and you couldn’t hear it. Ask if you don’t know if the bus is delayed or you couldn’t see the bus and there’s someone there ask