just plain sad

the newest gallup poll is in.

"nearly two in three americans say they would never use mass transit as their main source of transportation, no matter how high gas prices get."

i find this statistic to be over the top rediculous. nearly 66.6% of americans polled said they would never, NEVER, use mass transportation as their main source of transportation. i guess it looks like i won't be seeing any improvements in the current bussing system. it won't be growing or becoming more efficient with statistics like this out. it really stinks that here in the states, i may not know the awesomeness of the bussing systems i experienced in germany. man! i loved paying the equivalent of $1.25 to ride the bus ALL day long as many times as i needed. and at any stop i waited no more than 10 to 15 minutes.

and you know what else? i feel bad for trains. they may just eventually fade into history as well as the idea of actually riding one. my grandparents rode trains. i've only ridden on once and it was just for leisure. will my younger siblings ever ride a train? will my children? it's too sad a thought for me.

there isn't a really huge push for alternative fuels right now. the majority of americans are out of shape and exercise little so walking or cycling to a destination probably won't be increasing in great numbers. maybe carpools will increase? heaven knows you could fit a ton of people in the vehicles that are coming out which are getting bigger and bigger all the time. but i see more single driven suv's than ones with multiple people in them, so the carpool idea probably is out. hmmm... that means people will just continue driving.

but what is it that keeps people continuing to drive? is it fear? are they scared of mass transit? do they see utilizing mass transit as a sign of weakness? perhaps it is somewhat of a humility issue. maybe people don't want to slow down or have someone else do the work of getting them where they need to go. or maybe too, americans just don't want to be with people. if you cycle, you're by yourself. chances are if you're driving, you're by yourself. but if you're on a bus or train, there are other people there. i guess it's a combination of many things.

but in the mean time, it's nice knowing that i'm on to something pretty sweet. if i take the bus to school or work, i get to talk to a real person. or persons! and i don't have to use cell phone minutes or worry about watching the road. i can read too. i can also take a nap. or simply take some time to meditate or pray. there sure are a lot of possibilites. my favorite is just taking it slow, thinking about this or that, eating a sandwich, and knowing i'm being chauffeured somewhere.

cheers . . ..