Another one rides the bus
While I greatly appreciate the indulgent comments – so indulgent that I will keep all of you in mind as potential future character witnesses, should the need arise – I can’t help but feel a little guilty about complaining. As Mrs. Chicky noted (and I’m paraphrasing), some women go to extreme lengths to ride this physical and emotional roller coaster.
And then there are veteran moms like Carmen and Chris (and even Sonia, Jen, and Jenijen) who should scoff at my whimpering. They’re all too nice to really do so, but I wouldn’t blame them for thinking to themselves that I ought to suck it up.
So it occurred to me that there’s one aspect of this pregnancy that makes it much easier than my other two pregnancies:
No public transportation required.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m a huge fan of public transportation. Taxis and town cars are lovely, but cost prohibitive on a regular basis. And I never did quite understand the appeal of driving in and out of Manhattan every single day (not to mention the cost of parking).
But hands down, commuting was the absolute worst part of my pregnant days.
While pregnant with Tacy, I took the subway down and across town, with a short walk on both ends of the trip. At the station near my office, there was a short flight of stairs to street level, and at the station near our apartment, there was a long escalator and a short flight of stairs. Easy breezy.
Until they closed the station entrance closest to our apartment.
Then I had to walk another crosstown block to an entrance where there wasn’t an escalator. Just stairs, stairs, and more stairs. And fellow commuters who huffed and puffed with indignation at anyone who didn’t ascend those stairs in what they considered to be a timely fashion.
I started taking the bus.
Usually I’d take the route that stopped one block north of our building, through the park, exiting at Central Park West. Then I’d walk twenty blocks downtown. I preferred walking twenty blocks to climbing twenty stairs.
While pregnant with CJ, I took NJ Transit into and out of the city each day. I also strolled Tacy to day care each morning – a good ten blocks, rain or shine, sleet or snow – and walked another eight blocks to my office once I debarked.
This NJ Transit bus route was one of the least annoying routes – direct, plenty of buses, and ONE LINE at Port Authority (which greatly reduced the number of successful line jumpers). But it was also heavily traveled, which meant that often there was standing room only. So I’d have to wait until a bus came that had seats available.
Even so, being able to sit didn’t mean I was comfortable. Standing passengers would inadvertently clock me with their bags, and I’d start to grow claustrophobic. Then, when the bus queued up at the Lincoln Tunnel with all the rest of the morning traffic, the driver would inevitably hit the gas, then the brake, then the gas, then the brake, over and over until I was nauseous too.
And because the route was so heavily traveled, the line at Port Authority would often extend far out of its actual departure gate and wind its way around the terminal. I hated standing almost as much as I hated climbing stairs, and so waiting for the bus in the evenings was torturous as well.
Wow, look at that. A post that was supposed to be about how easy I’ve got it now turned into a retrospective complaint.
So much for looking on the bright side.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:48 am
Ugh, I used to take the streetcar to work in Toronto and I know what you mean about the bags in the face/claustrophobia aspect of public transportation. That and the astounding B.O.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:55 am
Reading this just reminded me of having a client who was way off the beaten path during my endless morning sickness with Bumper. I took the subway and then a hellish gas-brake bus 40 mins to the client. That was the worst thing, WORST thing about the first half of my pregnancy (well that and the ‘roids butt let’s not go there).
November 16th, 2007 at 7:25 am
Me scoff? Never! Pregnancy is not for the wimpy…you get to piss and moan whenever you want, even about the most mundane of pregnancy details.
I’ll take your word for it about riding the subway, I spent all time pregnant with the four gremlins cozy in my mini-van in smalltown USA, can’t imagine the discomfort level of schlepping around in cramped quarters.
November 16th, 2007 at 8:17 am
Sing it, sister! What a huge difference for me between pregnancies 1 and 2. I did the same thing of walking far out of my way to avoid the godforsaken steps at Broadway & Houston.
November 16th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I am giving you full rant permission.
FULLY.
Rant on all you want.
I’m all ears…er…eyes.
November 16th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Public transportation is not for the weak at any time. The odours! The unwashed! The nattering on cell phones!
Add pregnancy to that, and it is an ordeal.
November 16th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
When I was 5 months pregnant, I got kicked off a Philadelphia SEPTA bus for screaming at the bus driver (who kept ignoring passengers signaling to get off) and then for telling a group of high school boys to f*** off after they started yelling at me to stop yelling at the bus driver.
True story.
So, rant away. I won’t disagree.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
You were quite a survivor! The toughest transport I had during pregnancy was refusing to drive my husband’s ancient wreck of a car; I was afraid it would break down (which it often did) and I’d end up giving birth in it. This was in the days before cell phones, so it was actually quite possible.
November 16th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
I wouldn’t scoff either — being pregnant is rough! Even more so when you’ve got other folks to care for. I remember all too well and I feel for you!
xoxoxo
November 17th, 2007 at 9:07 am
“But it was also heavily traveled, which meant that often there was standing room only. So I’d have to wait until a bus came that had seats available.”
Please, please tell me that people will offer their seats to a pregnant woman. Please?
November 17th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Suebob, I’d love to be able to tell you that. Sadly, it’s not true.
When riding the NYC subway, sometimes I’d ask. When riding NJ Transit, I just had to hope that the people waiting at the same stop would let me board the bus first, increasing my chances for a seat. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn’t.
November 17th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
More than once, at the end of my pregnancy, I took the subway to 96th Street and a CAB to Mt. Sina on 98th Streeti, because I could not walk up the hill from the subway to the hospital. Simply could not climb the hill.
I found that I got a seat on the subway about 65% of the time.
November 20th, 2007 at 1:16 am
Dude. public transportation is virtuous, but horrible. I did it while pregnant, with the only child I am ever going to have and mostly during the winter and I am SURE that doing it will make up for some past sins when I get to the pearly gates. IF i get there.
YOU RULE
November 20th, 2007 at 11:52 am
As I count down to starting a new full-time job in Boston, I am at least thankful that this time I won’t be pregnant. I last worked in Boston (and rode the commuter rail and then the T to get to work each day) when I was pregnant with Eldest. NOT FUN!
This time around I will actually appreciate the commute time to be able to sit quietly, read a book and/or people-watch.
January 27th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Glad to see this, I too am taking NJ-Transit from my home, then am taking two subways to get to my office while being in my 15th week of pregnancy. What gets me is that I am so tiered and I use to have no problem standing on the bus or subway, but now I have to wait for a seat. But I will say I would rather take the bus then drive and wheel about falling asleep behind the wheel.