I'm sure many of you are waiting for stories about my amazing spring break in Florida, but I find it so difficult to put the whole vacation in words. So much happened and looks like I really need more time to figure out how to bring it to you. I wish I would have brought my laptop and explained all the details of each day, but I'll know better next time. I promise to write about it soon though. Before a little about our last weekend and public transport in Baton Rouge.
Ühistranspordiga tegime tutvust tegelikult juba päris alguses, kui esimest korda ostukeskusesse läksime. Koheselt oli selge, et kuigi teoreetiline graafik eksisteerib, ei jälgi seda mitte keegi. Lisaks oli meie esimene 40 minutiline reis üsna jube, kuna buss sõitis läbi vaesest piirkonnast ja enamus reisjatest oli mustad. Mitte et mul midagi nende vastu oleks kunagi olnud, aga sel korral oli tõesti natuke kõhe. Selgituseks ka see, et kahjuks moodustavad enamuse vaesematest kodanikest just mustad ja igaüks, kes vähegi autot saab lubada, bussiga ei sõida. Õnneks jõudsime ilusti sihtkohta ja koju tagasi ka. Mõned nädalad hiljem muudeti kogu sõidugraafikut ja ilmus mitu uut bussi. Laupäeval siis otsustasimegi teekonna uuesti ette võtta.
Muidugi algas kogu reis hilinenud bussiga, aga 10 minutit on ju siiski parem kui 20. Jubedast piirkonnast enam läbi ei sõitnud ja reis oli seega palju lühem. Mõtisklesime ainult, et kuidas nemad vaesekesed nüüd üldse liikuma saavad, aga ehk on neil uus liin. Pood, kuhu me sel korral tahtsime jõuda, asub kahe erineva bussisõidu kaugusel. Kohale jõudmine ei valmistanud mingeid probleeme ning leidsime poe viperusteta üles. Olen sinna juba ammu tahtnud minna, sest nad müüvad tuntud firma kaupu, mille eest eriti Euroopas hinge hinda välja peab käima, vägagi sõbraliku hinnaga. Nii saingi endale kauaotsitud käsipagasi kohvri Samsonitilt super hea hinnaga. Ostud tehtud, jalutasime mu uue kohvriga tagasi bussi peale, mis sel korral täitsa õigel ajal jõudis ning istusime rõõmsalt bussi, eesmärgiga jõuda tagasi suurde ostukeskusesse. Kui viie minuti pärast aru sain, et me päris õiges suunas ei liigu, oli selge et võtsime bussi vale suunaga. Läksime siis, mu uus valge kohver kaenlas, bussit välja, teadmata kus me täpselt olime. Õnneks oli Starbucks lähedal. Alguses vaatasin oma telefoni äppilt, et uus buss tuleb alles 50 minuti pärast, ehk siis see sama buss, mille pealt just maha astusime. Mõni minut hiljem kihutas meie buss mööda, samal ajal kui me pahuralt oma kohvi rüüpasime. Nüüd veelgi pahuram, sain aru kui jura mu äpp on, pea sama jura kui kogu ühistranspordi süsteem ise. Kohvi joodud ja kõhud täidetud, otsustasime edasi liikuda, sest endiselt oli vähemalt 35 minutit uue bussini aega. Kõnniteid siin muidugi ei eksisteeri, ning jalutasime meile juba tuttavalt sõidu tee ääres rohu sees. Peaks vist veel ka ära mainima, et päike kiirgas taevas ja õhutemperatuur oli umbes 29 kraadi. Aga nii me siis jalutasime, koos mu valge kohvriga, kuni lõpuks 15 minutit siiski peatuses ootasime. 90 protsenti peatustest asuvad samamoodi seal tee kõrval rohu sees. Päris jube on seal istuda ja mõelda, mida kõike ja kui meeletult palju sisse hingad. Uskumatu, et mu valge kohver endale halli kihti ei saanud. Kui kord bussi saime, sõitsime läbi sellest samas bussipeatusest, kust me varem olime vale suuna peale astunud, ja selgus, et me polekski eriti muud moodi teada saanud, kui küsides, et kas too buss läheb kaubanduskeskuse juurde või mitte. Number oli ju sama. Nüüd siis oleme targemad. Õnneks jäi meie kodu buss taas hiljaks vähemalt 10 minutit, mis päästis meid maha jäämast. Ning kõige tipuks tundub, et bussijuhid ise on vägagi teadlikud, et nad graafikust maas on, kihutades nagu pöörased. Oleksime vist kaks korda äärepealt avariisse sattunud.
The fist time we used public transport was actually several weeks ago, when we wanted to check out the big Louisiana mall. Already then it was very clear that even though there is a bus schedule, the buses never go according to it. Our first trip of 40 minutes was quite different. The bus was old, very old, most of the passengers were African-American, and on top, we drove by a neighborhood that is in a very bad shape. You really wouldn't want the bus to break down there. I really didn't feel comfortable. Turns out most of the poorer citizens are African-American, and whoever can afford a car, will never take a bus. Fortunately we made it to the mall without any problems. Few weeks ago routes and schedules were changed so last Saturday we decided to try it once again.
Of course our bus was ten minutes late, but it's still better than 20 minutes. Also, we skipped the poor neighborhood and thus the trip was also a lot shorter. I could only wonder how the people who actually live there get around now, but let's hope they have a new bus route there too. The store we wished to go this time required taking two different buses. We didn't face any problems on our way there and easily found the store too. I wanted to go there already for a long time since they sell goods for known brands that are extremely overpriced especially in Europe, with very good deals. I was happy to find a suitcase suitable for handluggage from Samsonite for a great price. Done with shopping, we headed back to the bus stop and were happy to see a bus arrive on time. Although five minutes later I realized that we are headed to a totally wrong direction. Correct line, just wrong direction. So we stepped out in the middle of nowhere, hoping to find a bus stop near by across the street. And we did, and also a Starbucks for lunch. I also checked my new app when the bus would come, which indicated 50 minutes. That meant the same bus we just stepped out from. When we had our coffee and food and all settled down, we saw our bus 'flying' by. I was pretty miserable when I realized that my new app is as horrible as the whole public transport system. Once we finished our lunch, we just started to walk back, since we still had about 35 minutes until the next bus. Of course there are no walking paths so we simply walked on the grass right next to the road, as we are used to already. Just to add, the sun was bright in the sky and the temperature was at least 29 C. So we walked, with my new white suitcase, until we reach a bus stop that somehow looked okay, and waited for another 15 minutes. 90% of the stops are situated just there, on the grass, half a meter from the road. It's quite terrifying to sit there and think of all the poison you're breathing in. Finally in the bus, it stopped at the exact same stop where we took the wrong bus earlier, which was really confusing. Turns out you have to ask the driver where the bus is going, so we really couldn't have known earlier. Fortunately our home bus was again 10 minutes late, so we didn't miss it. It does however look like the bus drivers are fully aware of being behind schedule, since they drive way too fast. During the 20 minute ride we almost crashed twice.
VANA PILT, AGA ENAMUS BUSSIPEATUSED ON ENDISELT SAMASUGUSED/
OLD PICTURE, BUT MOST OF THE BUS STOPS ARE STILL THE SAME
Varem tahtsime tegelikult koju jõuda sellepärast, et plaanisime minna rahvuvahelise õpilasesinduse kultuuriüritusele. Kui varem seal imelikus bussipeatuses istusime ja ootasime, lootsime, et keegi tuttavatest meid seal ei näe. Imelike pilkudega oleme aga juba ammu harjunud, sest kohalikud ju jala ei käi. Õhtul aga alustas üks paar meiega vestlust nii "Me vist oleme teid varem näinud, kas te ei olnud just paar tundi tagasi valge kohvriga tee ääres bussi ootamas?" Nalja kui palju.
Our plan to be home earlier to be on time to a cultural event by the international student union was totally ruined. We still made it though. Earlier when sitting at that bus stop we kind of hoped that nobody from who we know, would not see us, although we are used to all the weird looks from strangers. So we had a hard time trying to stop laughing later in the evening, when a couple approached us with this ''I think we have seen you before. Didn't you guys just sit at a bus stop few hours ago with a white suitcase?"
xoxo
Õnne
