She takes the Fresno Area Express (FAX) bus everyday, If she had a car it would sit in her driveway, just thinking about the added expenses owning a car provides is scary.
She gets up every morning at 5:30 AM. Does her hair and puts on some make up. She eats occasionally. She walks to the bus at 6:20 AM and catches the bus ten minutes later.

Human interaction is limited on the bus. Music is in her ears and the outside world is tuned out. On a particular day this bus rider decided to press pause. Cut off the musical wall between her world and theirs. She decided to get to know the faces she saw everyday.

She discovered that a lot of people attend the same college she does, and one student Aaron Garcia, said he has been riding the bus “Since I was seven years old.” She was intrigued and needed to know more. She asked is he uses the bus for things outside school. Garcia said, “I go to school, work, see my friends, and just use the bus to get everywhere.”

Another interaction she had was with David Piercy. He told her that he had been riding the bus, “Since May 5th 1997.” She was shocked. Piercy added, “That’s when I totaled my car.” Piercy also told her he uses the bus daily and likes riding the bus. “As long as the bus runs, and gets me there, I am happy.” She continued talking with Piercy. She asked him what his morning routine was relating to the bus.

Piercy said, “I get on the bus, plug in my ipod, and just go to school.” She laughed. What a coincidence. He told her he did the exact same thing heading home.

The bus rider decided to talk with the bus driver when the bus stopped at Manchester Mall. He greeted her kindly and preferred to go by his nickname, “Big John.” So she asked Big John how long he had been driving the bus, he told her around 8 months and he loves every minute of it.

Big John says, ” I love driving and I love to meet people.” After talking to the bus driver, the bus rider hopped on the first Hybrid bus she could find. She decided to give it a review. It was really nice and very comfortable. After doing her research she discovered that in 2005 FAX added two Electric Hybrid and five Compressed Natural Gas buses to their routes. FAX was also recognized as one of the first transit stations in the country to buy hybrid buses.

So she felt like she was doing her small part to help out the world. Riding the bus makes her feel good, she looks out the window and passes all the gas stations with a smile on her face. She mentally asks the people in their cars to compare her 35 dollars a month spent on transportation to their gas prices.

It’s a green based world now, so she felt great every time she stepped on a bus.