The Ever Present Public Transportation

Transportation, to me, is simply the means of moving from one place to another. It could be the movement of goods, services, or humans. Since time immemorial, man has been in the business of transporting himself from one place to another.
Over the years, the means of transportation have changed. From the use of animals such as donkeys to the use of electric cars, The means of transportation have really evolved, and it's going to show man's desire for perfection and the dynamic nature of human existence.

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This topic provides an avenue for us to look into the two different worlds of private and public means of transportation. As someone who loves to travel, I have had experience with both.
The private means of transportation is very comfortable and quieter. Traveling alone in your car makes you enjoy your ride without being distracted by others or having to deal with situations where you would have to be physically stressed. For me, using a private means of transportation is quite boring and not so interesting. I remember a day my friend and I were traveling for a marriage in his car. It was a two-hour journey, and it was to a town I had never visited, but I couldn't explore the town because my friend was trying to preserve his gas. And there was no one to tell us about the town.
For public transportation, it's quite interesting and fun. You get to meet people from different backgrounds, and you hear a lot of stories. I remember using a public means of transportation for a six-hour journey; it was fun. I laughed a lot because most of the guys in the bus were funny, and there was a lot of banter. I have made friends on public transportation, and they have turned out to be nice and wonderful people.
Although public transportation is fun, it can be very stressful. Imagine entering a bus for an eight-hour journey, and the bus seat is torn and shaky with lots of load in the bus. The ride is going to be an uncomfortable one.
Sometimes the smell in the buses can be very irritating. Smelling different scents can be traumatic. I once used a bus where some women ate all manner of meals, and I felt like vomiting.Some individuals can be so loud and rude that one begins to wonder if they are mentally stable.
Here are some tips on how to navigate the stress of using public transportation:

1. Make sure your purse or wallet is secure. Most people end up losing their money or other valuables. One cannot totally trust everyone on a public bus. I remember an incident where a young boy lost his wallet on the bus. On getting to his destination, he was embarrassed by the driver, who insisted that it was none of his business if the boy had lost his money. I felt bad for the boy. Some good Samaritans assisted him in paying his fare.

2. If one is going on a long journey, sit in a comfortable position. I always try to sit in front of or just behind the driver. For someone who is tall, sitting at the back would be uncomfortable. I tried sitting at the back once, and after coming down from the bus, I couldn't walk for some minutes.

3. Travel light is very important when using public transport. I always try not to travel with a heavy load when using public transportation because it would make me uncomfortable. And one can't be sure of the state of the vehicle in use. I watched a lady with so much load suffer as the bus she used broke down. She had to offload the bags, and it was not easy for her as no one assisted her.

4. Always travel with enough cash. One may not know what will happen on the road, so one needs to be well prepared. I had an experience where a bus I was traveling in broke down and we all had to sleep in the town we found ourselves in, and the guest house we saw only took cash. It's better to prepare for the unknown when traveling with public transportation. Extra cash is not a bad idea.

Some may be against the use of public transportation, but to me, if one wants to enjoy a long-distance journey, I can tell you that public transportation is the best. There are a lot of fun and interesting things that one would experience on public transportation.

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