On the bus, there’s always someone who will sit down and proceed to tell you his or her life story, even if you’re just riding for five minutes.
Yes, they tend to be a bit strange, but after you step off the bus you might realize that you’re, even just slightly, interested in the complicated quantum physics the chatty grad student was trying to explain, or the incredibly specific details of the elderly person’s latest shopping adventure.
There’s always the sick guy, armed with a bundle of used Kleenex, with the painful and hacking cough he doesn’t even bother to cover his mouth for. He’s the one who prefers to stand instead of sit, wiping his hands anywhere and everywhere. You won’t be able to take your eyes off of him while snickering when he starts fumbling around for cough drops.
In all seriousness, the bus is nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be. A treasure trove of interesting characters, public transit can be fantastic.
Ignoring the simple fact that it makes getting to class just that much faster, taking the bus once in a while actually, believe it or not, provides a fair amount of amusement through the simple act of people-watching.
Most importantly, it allows students to be a part of the greater Kingston community, should we choose to make use of the opportunity.
Even though we pay for transit use in our mandatory student fees, I would venture to guess that most Queen’s students don’t make use of public transit in Kingston.
During those weeks where all you can think about is the mound of assignments piling up, that grocery shopping you’ve been neglecting and the looming midterm dates, you should try to take the bus if only for a change of scenery.
Take a seat. Ride for as long as you like. Most students don’t have regular access to cars during the school year and don’t get to appreciate what Kingston has to offer. It’s not ground-breaking news to hear that there’s actually more to Kingston outside of the Queen’s bubble.
With the current state of Queen’s reputation, we should all make an attempt to break free of this mould. Get out there, even if just to familiarize yourself with the town you call home for eight months a year. Become an involved member of the community.
We can ultimately change the negative perceptions held by Kingston residents of our school even if it’s through simple acts, such as having a chat with the person sitting next to you on the bus or volunteering in the community.
After all, who knows what kind of significant trouble we’ll get ourselves into next weekend at Homecoming?
We should be doing all we can to improve our fragile reputation. One thing’s for sure—Don Rogers’ website will be featuring a few more spicy and racy photos we might not be too proud of.
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