Top Ten Tips for Surviving Public Transport
By Janet Mullany

It's embarrassing to admit that I have a brain stuffed full of trivia. I know a little about a lot of things, and when I was assigned this month's Top Ten Tips, I was put on the spot. So, I reasoned, what do I do on a regular basis that I'm not embarrassed to admit to? Within those narrow parameters, it came down to this: I commute by public transport. Every weekday. I've done so for years. I can't even remember when I last drove to a job. Buses, the Metro (the Washington, D.C., subway system) and railroad. I am, sort of, an expert.
 

My most memorable commuting experience was probably when I went to sleep on a bus and woke up to find a yellow Post-it stuck to my arm with Winston's phone number on it. I have no idea who Winston was, and I sometimes wonder how my life would have turned out if I had called him; but of course he might have been some sort of perv who liked drooling women. Sadly, another road not followed. But here are the fruits of my experience:

1. Your feet. Do not wear anything you can't walk in fast and comfortably or that you don't want people to tread on. One side benefit of public transport is that you end up walking a lot, and that's healthy. So investing in a pair of good commuter/walking shoes is a very smart thing to do. I leave my "good" shoes at the office.
2. Your clothes. Outside clothes, that is. In winter, you'll need to bundle up, and then once you're safely aboard, remove hat, gloves, scarf, etc., and store them in such a way that you won't leave them behind (I wish I could follow my own advice). In the summer, after a sweaty time outside, you will enter into fearsome air-conditioning, prompting goosebumps and full nipple alert. I recommend a shawl.
3. Stuff you should have with you. Extra change, a bottle of water, emergency reading material, sunglasses, and a large bag to keep all your bits and pieces in.
4. Cell phones. The bane of the commuter (me, to be precise). Why is it that conversations overheard on public transport usually go as follows: "Hi. It's me. I'm on the train..." and the conversation continues with loud mediocrity, ending in a declaration of ETA? Always. That's if you're lucky. The other sort of cell phone conversation, for whose practitioners a special circle of hell is reserved, is use of the walkie-talkie feature in which a whole trainful of passengers are treated to both sides of the conversation plus beeping sounds. Some commuter trains have quiet cars where cell phones are banned and offenders stuffed under the seats.
5. Other etiquette issues. If you are aged, infirm, pregnant, female, carrying a large or heavy item, or any of the above in combination, do not expect males to fight over offering you their seat. They won't, or at least not in this city. If it does happen, the kind person will probably be female. I was offered a seat recently when I had a broken front tooth, and I can't work out whether I looked frightening or pathetic. Similarly, do not knock down people in the rush for the only vacant seat in the car, but fight fair--and always let people off the train first. It's a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised.
6. Things to do on the commute. I read--most of my fun reading is done on the train. I've seen people knit, crochet, do crosswords, work on laptops.
7. Sleeping. This one gets its own category. I had one job with a delightful 45-minute commute and perfected the art of waking up two minutes before my stop. Everyone slept on that train, shamelessly snoring and drooling. In four years, I missed my stop twice. One of those times, I leaped out of my seat as the train was about to leave my station and fell flat on my face in the aisle, to my embarrassment.
8. Things not to do on the commute. Personal grooming, make-up, eating (some systems won't let you anyway), giving birth, sex, etc. Remember, other people may want to sit in the seat after you.
9. Know your fellow commuters. I talk to people if they're not preparing to take a nap, bury their head in a book, or hook themselves up to an Ipod. It's a good idea to line up allies if something serious happens and you have to get home a different way. I've had some interesting conversations at bus stops, and that leads on to my last and final point, which is...
10. Be safe. On some public transport systems, you shouldn't go to sleep; use your discretion. Keep your bag or purse zipped up. If you wait at a bus stop, be aware of who is nearby and what they're doing. Never feel afraid of yelling loudly if you feel threatened. What's the worst anyone will think? That you're a loony? Maybe, but a safe one. Take your public transport system's security measures seriously but without becoming paranoid, and enjoy the ride!

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Our Favorite Beaches

My favorite beach is Amelia Island. I also love Hilton Head Island and Trunk Bay on St. Johns in the Virgin Islands. They have wonderful snorkeling there. - Merrillee Whren

Anywhere on the Florida panhandle, such as Santa Rosa Beach, Blue Mountain Beach, and Destin. I love the clear, green-blue water and the soft, white sand. If I could own a vacation home there, I'd be in heaven. - Maureen Hardegree

My absolute favorite beach is Hanauma Bay in Hawaii. Although crowded, the view is gorgeous - both from shore and under the water. I could snorkel there for hours at a time. Many other Hawaiian beaches would rate a close runner-up, including Wailea and Waikiki (though mostly for the sunsets, too many people). Here on the continent, I'd probably pick the beach in Cape May, New Jersey as my favorite. - Pam Payne

My favorite beach is Poipu Beach on the southern tip of Kauai. It has a protected, shallow pool of the ocean where toddlers can wade, fabulous snorkeling, and a green-grass park right next to the water as well as a long, white sand beach. Hawaiian monk seals often sun themselves on nearby rocks. And I enjoyed sunning myself at Brennecke's Restaurant and Bar, which has the best Mai Tais in town. Whoo boy! (At least, I think they were Mai Tais ... I had so many it's hard to remember.) - Jenna Ness

I'm a skin cancer survivor, so I tend to look at sun-soaked, white-sand beaches as a health hazard. Some of my favorite "beaches" are along alpine lakes in the Canadian Rockies. The smaller lakes each host one family of ducks in the summer--presumably because there aren't enough resources to feed any more than that. The water is so clean and clear that you can watch fish as they slowly swim by and study the caddis fly larvae that lumber around in the shallows, carrying the houses they've built from tiny pieces of gravel, bark and pine needles. At dusk, the surface of the lake is periodically broken and rippled by the fish jumping to catch an evening meal. No matter the time of day, it's the kind of environment that makes a person want to be absolutely still. Nature at its best. - Lee McKenzie

I love the sugar white sands of the Gulf Coast, particularly at Destin and Pensacola Beach in Florida and Gulf Shores in Alabama. I love the sound of the waves, the sense of relaxation, the fresh seafood and all those cute beach houses in pastel colors you couldn't have anywhere but the beach. - Trish Milburn

Sunset Beach in St. Maarten - play in the sand and water as 747s blow right over your head and land or take off from the runway mere feet in front of you. Just watch out for the sandblast, or you'll get an instant shave. Perch at the Sunset Beach Bar for a cocktail and sand-free zone as you watch the planes. A great tourist spot! - Anne Mallory

I'd love to pick one of the Hawaiian beaches I've been to, but I can't remember any names. So I'll choose the Stone Steps beach in Encinetas, California. When I was growing up, my family had a house a few blocks from this beach. So did an uncle and aunt, and another uncle. My dad was a college professor, and my aunt and uncle were also teachers, so we could spend summers at our beach houses. We'd go to the beach every day. To reach the water, we had to hike down the concrete steps built against the cliff. There was something like seven flights. Easy going down, but not so easy climbing up, especially if you are carrying a surfboard. My cousins, brother, and I always had a wonderful time swimming, surfing, building sand castles, and sunning. My grandmother and I would take long walks, collecting shells. The various family members eventually sold our beach houses and migrated to the mountains, where we have a family compound in Big Bear Lake. But I'll always have fond memories of the Stone Steps beach. - Debra Holland

My favorite beaches are in Cancun. The sand is pale pink and the consistency of cookie dough. It never feels hot under your feet, it's clean, and it looks out on some of the prettiest water in the world. - Kiki Clark

Luquillo Beach in Puerto Rico is beautiful, and you can always find a piragua (special snow cone) stand or tasty, savory food from a local vendor. Man, I can smell and taste it all now. Key West has beautiful sunset beaches. There's a lot of seaweed on the shores, but if you sail out or take a sunset catamaran sail, man, gorgeous!! Haunama Bay in Hawaii is beautiful, like Pam said. Take a bag of frozen veggies (like mixed veggies), and you can feed the fish. Gorgeous colors and they come right up to you. The Florida Panhandle also has beautiful beaches. Panama City, Destin, Pensacola. You can't go wrong with white, sandy beaches and clear, blue water. - Priscilla Kissinger

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