Not having my own car sucks. I have to rely on buses, bikes, friends who have cars and my own two legs to get me where I need to go. However, all of those ways of getting around can easily fail anyone who relies on them, especially when they least expect it.
A few weeks ago I was riding my bike to run some errands in the Target shopping area, as well as go to church, since the buses don’t run on Sundays. While I was at church, my bike got a flat tire. I was way beyond disappointed when I saw the flat, because it meant having to walk home, which would have taken me roughly an hour and a half to two hours. Thankfully a good Samaritan ended up giving me and my broken bike a ride home, but I won’t always be so lucky.
If this experience taught me anything, it’s to expect disaster when traveling around town without a car. If you’re like me and you don’t have four wheels, here are some tips to help you get around easier:
1. Before you leave your apartment, make sure to Google some bike shops near your destination in case of a bike emergency. When riding a bike, the most common failure is a flat tire. Always make sure to have a backup plan in case this happens.
2. Always check the bus schedule whenever you plan on taking the bus. I cannot stress this enough. Especially because some buses only run once every hour, others run two times an hour and others every 20 minutes. There are a couple of buses that run every two hours, but I doubt you’d be taking those regularly since they go to places outside Chico. If you check the bus schedule before you leave, you can gauge how much time you have to get there. Also, make sure to get to the bus stop five to 10 minutes before the bus is supposed to leave.
And even getting to the bus stop on time doesn’t save you from malfunctions. One time when I was taking the bus, the driver had to turn it off and then turn it over because there was something wrong with the transmission. Thankfully everything was OK in the end, but it took about 20 minutes before we were finally up and running again.
3. Having friends with cars can be a huge lifesaver, especially in times of need. They can take you grocery shopping, clothes shopping and even on weekend trips — if you provide a little gas money every once in a while. There are definitely some downsides if you rely on this method of transportation, though. For one, you and your friends have different schedules, so you constantly have to plan around different people so that hanging out works for everyone. Another downside is that your friends might bail on you at the last minute. This is the worst one yet because then you have to reschedule, which can cause a huge mess.
4. Your own two legs are probably your best form of transportation. Even though walking takes more time and energy to get to places, at least you can always depend on your feet to get you where you need to go. Even if one leg is broken, at least you’ll have help from some crutches.
Tara Miller can be reached at [email protected] or @chicojournalist on Twitter.
