Bus/Train to work?

I was contacted about a decent job in Pasadena california, which is 40 miles away from me. I'm use to driving over 50 miles to get to work so this would be a no-brainer for me...but I don't have my car at the moment(I'm new to LA), and mostly rely on a friend to drop me off for interviews and such.

He has a job too, so I can't take jobs that are too far away. >_<
Anyone have some tips to offer?

Taxis seem expensive at $3/mile and I don't know how the bus system works or how to find a bus.

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Comments

dynamik

Most cities have route-planning online. It looks like yours would be here: http://www.metro.net/default.asp

Busing around can be nice if you can find a seat and read or something. It allows you to be productive instead of just being stuck behind the wheel of your car. It can be a nightmare if the bus is too crowded though. You could try leaving early and returning late to avoid some of the congestion.

If you have some down time, hop on, ride around, and see how you like it.

KGhaleon

Do you just hop on, pay a toll and get to stay on and stroll around town as long as you want? I've never rode a bus before so I'm not sure how they operate...but trying one wouldn't be a bad idea unless they are going to charge me at every destination or something.

dynamik

I haven't been on one for a couple of years, but this is what I remember from the MetroTransit service here in the cities. It was between $1-2 to get on, they only took cash and change, and it had to be exact. Rates were approximately double during rush hour. If you needed to ride more buses in the near future, they would give you a ticket that was good for a few hours, and you could ride as much as you wanted as long as that was valid. If you plan on using the service long-term, you can probably purchase some type of pass that will save you a little money.

snadam

KGhaleon wrote:

Do you just hop on, pay a toll and get to stay on and stroll around town as long as you want? I've never rode a bus before so I'm not sure how they operate...but trying one wouldn't be a bad idea unless they are going to charge me at every destination or something.

Generally speaking, yes. Put in money and ride until your destination or if its the 'end of the line'. Highly suggest a bus pass if you plan on public transit for long term. I have no clue about the LA public transit in detail, so you'll have to verify what you need to do there.

Schluep

From the look of their site it seems they have not only bus but also Lightrail trains. Lightrail is a very nice public transportation option as it is usually a much quicker and more comfortable trip for the same or sometimes lower price. Whenever I travel to Minneapolis they have a nice new Lightrail line that actually stops inside the MSP Airport and always seems to have a stop within 2 blocks of my hotel and it costs either $1.50 or $2.00 there (can't remember which). Previously when I travelled to Minneapolis I would have a $35 cab fare until this was implemented. The temperatures aren't the only difference between Minneapolis and LA however, so I'll post some links below with the LA fare information.

A bunch of links for planning your trip: http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/default.htm

Prices on a per ride basis: http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/riders_guide/paying_fare.htm#TopOfPage

Weekly and Monthly Passes: http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/riders_guide/paying_fare-02.htm#TopOfPage

You pay or have your pass checked as your board the bus. Usually on the Lightrail either someone checks it before it leaves or more often they do random checks every so often. If caught riding without having paid during such a random check you will usually be subject to very large penalties/fines that differ by State, County, and City/Municipality.

KGhaleon

That all makes sense and it appears to be cheap, but I'm trying to figure out where I might find a nearby station. They don't seem to give any addresses on the website that I can find.

JDMurray

The Metro Rail Gold Line goes between Pasadena and Los Angeles. You can pick it up from Union Station in downtown LA. The Metro Rail Red Line will get you to Union Station, and the Metro Rail Blue Line can get you to the Red Line if you need. The Dash bus service is also good when you are too far from a Metro station. Try using the trip planner at http://socaltransport.org/

KGhaleon

Oh, that works better. Still confusing as hell when switching buses...but oh well. :P
Some of these buses take quite a while.

dtlokee

The way traffic is in LA sometimes you'd be better off with a 10-speed bike.

KGhaleon

Maybe even on foot.

A 26 minute drive becomes a 2-hour bus trip according to the website schedule.

HeroPsycho

Especially for someone just getting into IT, make sure you use the time on mass transit wisely.

I used to take the Metro when I lived in DC when I first got up there and splitting an apartment with a friend, then later when my wife moved up there with me. I found that it was a great way to get some alone time for studying, which might help you a lot given the fact you're moving in with a good friend who you probably would love to hang out with instead of studying and learning (and believe me, he'll rather you hang out with him instead of studying, too).

(To quote "The New Guy", did that sound ****?

Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

Take a tech book with you and READ! Bring study sheets/flashcards when you're about to take an exam. Once you have the money, invest in an MP3 player, and get tech podcasts, too. Even if you do read once on the bus/train, you can leverage the time you're walking by listening to those. Music that doesn't distract you from reading can help if passengers do become a distraction, too.

Those are great habits to get into to start your career!

Schluep

KGhaleon wrote:

Maybe even on foot.

A 26 minute drive becomes a 2-hour bus trip according to the website schedule.

If it gets you the job when you are unemployed then it is definitely worth it. Once you start working you can develop the cash flow to find a place closer or get a cheap vehicle. You could probably even find an old used car on your first paycheck that could give you the transportation time savings. Two hours is not bad at all short term.

My grandfather used to get up at 3:00 a.m. to deliver papers, then worked a full 8 hour day on his main job starting at 6:00 a.m. and went straight from there to an evening job for an extra few hours. He ate with his family and briefly got to talk with everyone before going to bed and doing it all again. He raised 9 children (they had 10 but one of my Aunts died during childbirth) and allowed his wife to remain a stay-at-home mom to raise all of the kids.

A two hour bus ride to get your foothold is definitly worthwhile. Two hours on busses is much better than 2 hours driving since you can read (study for certs) while you travel.

KGhaleon

For the time being I have my friend who can drop me off for interviews and such in the mornings, but I'll have to take a bus to get back since he has work.

Oh, and I just noticed that the ICANN building in a street or two away from me.