Take public transit or drive?
As a driving instructor with Young Drivers of Canada with the passion for road safety you would think I support driving all the time. Well, for the most part I do, but there are times that driving just doesn’t make sense. Now don’t get me wrong, I believe in my driving ability just like many drivers do, but sometimes we need to identify the risk and decide not to drive.
My family and I were on a short vacation during a recent snow storm. Part of our annual trip was to visit the local attractions. This was part of the package we had paid for. Unfortunately, the local weather wasn’t in our favour and a blizzard was in the works. We now had choices to make; do we cancel our trip, go on the trip and stay in the hotel but not visit the local attractions or do we trudge on during the storm and do the things we planned? Since we’re all troopers, we decided to continue with our plan to visit the local attractions we paid for. But how do we get there when the weather is so terrible?
We had the opportunity to take public transit instead of drive. This essentially meant I wouldn’t be in control and would just “be along for the ride”, so to speak. We decided to take the bus and continue. As we traveled to each of our destinations I noticed how very few vehicles were on the road. There were a lot of people taking public transport though as there seemed to be standing room only on the bus. That made sense – to most people.
As we exited the bus we spotted a driver attempting to travel up a snow covered hill. The driver decided to hit the gas and just keep going. Their wheels were spinning and they were traveling very slowing. As a matter of fact, our walking speed was quicker than their driving speed. Why didn’t they park and either walk or take public transit? It would have been a lot easier and less stressful. I know that driving can be more convenient, but it’s not always practical.
What I did notice was that although our bus was full of passengers, most drivers stayed off the road. This made it easier for the buses to get around and for the snow plows to do their job. That made a lot of sense for many people and it helped the community continue with their daily activities. Public transit also helps the environment and greenhouse gases.
So, for someone who thrives on road safety and who teaches people to drive, there are times that driving doesn’t make sense. Take the opportunities when you have them to use public transit. Then you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the view, perhaps even in a blizzard.