A New Experience

I used the Hamilton transit system for the first time today.

Now that we’re down to one car, and we need to get a seller’s kit from the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) to sell the dead car, I decided to go on an expedition to accomplish this task. However, I was not my usual diligent self in retrieving the necessary information before setting out.

I was sure the nearest MTO office was in a plaza straight down our street. I had meant to check, but didn’t. And it wasn’t. It’s over a block. In a car, no bigs. Just turn right and head over a block. I had looked up the bus schedule for those that run north and south on our street. I figured I’d get there before the noon rush and back home within an hour and a half – at the most. Had I realized right away that the MTO office wasn’t in that plaza, I could have taken a easterly bus to the next corner. However, by the time I figured out its proper location, I would have to wait an indeterminate amount of time for the next easterly bus. From conversations with neighbours who rode the bus, the Hamilton system is extremely inefficient. A trip downtown (north) in the car is 10 minutes. By bus, it can be well over an hour. And then if you have to head any distance either east or west, who knows! Apparently, the schedules are not very well coordinated for making timely connections.

It’s a cold day today, and it is drizzling lightly. When I left the house, although it was overcast, it wasn’t raining. I regretted not taking my umbrella. And, I soon realized I was not dressed for these temperatures. I was wearing my winter coat, but not enough layers underneath. With the humidity in this part of the country, layers are good for a cold day.

My right sacroiliac joint (SI) was painful today when I got out of bed. Sometimes walking can alleviate the pain, but other times, the joint just becomes more aggravated. Guess which situation played out today! And I hadn’t taken my cane. So, as I was standing and waiting for the bus heading east, I saw there was a crowd waiting for the south bus heading back home. Cold and in pain, I decided I would try again tomorrow. Walking was quite difficult by the time I got to my front door. Before I head out tomorrow (earlier this time), I will research better, have the bus times printed out, and actually wear my watch! :-)

Buses have changed a lot since I rode them in Toronto. They are wider and seem to have more space inside. They can now lower it to accommodate wheelchairs and those who have trouble with stairs. I noticed an area of six seats near the front that flip up when necessary to accommodate wheelchairs. And, although I don’t know for sure, I think there were extra retractable seat benches for when the bus is busier. Very different than the sardine cans I rode for many years. One thing has not changed – bus suspensions! Wow. I think the jarring aggravated my SI even more. And the way the driver stomps on the brakes doesn’t help either. The hubby is talking about buying another car – a used one this time. If it’s cheap enough, we can probably afford it. I’ve become accustomed to the flexibility and ease comfort of having a car at my disposal. However, I don’t really mind riding the bus either. We’ll see how this all works out, but I think I’m probably in for another bus ride tomorrow. Hopefully, I will be better prepared.

Until next time, love one another…