Public transport can be incredibly useful when trying to figure out where everything is in a new place. It can connect different parts of a city, whether it’s as small as Hamilton or as big as New York City. This week tell us about your experiences getting from place to place. Is there a reliable system for traveling around? Do the locals use these modes of transportation or are they more likely to drive themselves? What type of transport is utilized the most? Buses? Trains? Bikes? On a larger scale, is there a way to get around the country using public transport? What are the pros and cons of these systems?
Devin Ferri ‘21
Public transport and getting to classes were always a source of stress, contention, and laughter for my traveling cohort. In Vietnam, there was an abundance of buses, but for some reason, they would come inconsistently. Some days I would wait for half an hour before I eventually gave up. So, like the majority of people in Hanoi, I turned to motorbikes. I would use Grab every day (essentially Uber) to make the thirty-minute commute through maddening traffic. In Cape Town, I either just walked or Ubered around because the public transportation was only readily available close to the city center or university campus (and I lived three minutes from school). Finally in Buenos Aires, there was the most glorious public transportation system. There were buses and subways to take you absolutely everywhere at any time. It was amazing. However I wanted to save my bus money for ice cream, so I walked an hour to and from class each day. It was a nice walk though, with many parks and cute shops along the way. Not to mention, it was way less crowded than the public transport was during rush hour.