I had the chance to see through a child's eyes what it is like to ride the city bus for the first time. We have a dear family friend who is 6 years old and agreed to come with me to the grocery store, on the bus of course. So we grabbed our 'granny cart' and headed toward the bus stop with our bus passes in hand. She was a little unsure of how to swipe her pass correctly the first time, but by the end of our trip she was a pro!
At first, she was more intrigued by the other passengers than the actual ride. As we rode through downtown, she enjoyed looking out of the window at the buildings that we could see up close. As we passed the Andrew Jackson state building downtown, she asked, 'Is that the Hermitage?' because she had been to the Hermitage and associated it with Andrew Jackson; so smart! I pointed out other landmarks as we rode along, and a man sitting behind us remarked that we reminded him of when he took his little girl on the city bus for the first time. He reflected on what seems like a routine commute for us (he was headed to work), but seems so fascinating to children. Seeing it through their eyes gives the route a new perspective; he stated that hearing her excitement made his day.
I loved hearing her remarks on our situation: as we walked to the bus stop with our cart full of groceries, she said, 'People might think we are homeless!' After I assured her that no one would try to take us home or offer us money, she felt better. Then we saw a woman, also waiting for the bus, having a very animated conversation with herself. The look on my little friend's face was priceless! Again I explained that we meet some very interesting people on the bus, that's what makes riding such an adventure. I knew she became comfortable when she fell fast asleep on the way home. Later she asked me, 'Why don't you have a car again?' I started to explain the details of the money we save, the implications to the environment and health; instead I just asked, 'Did you have fun?' Her affirmative answer was all the convincing we both needed that being carless has its perks.
