So the intention of this blog was to share my experiences of conducting business using mass transit. My particular mass transit system is Tri-Met, operated by Metro, which seems to be something artificially created by the government that is not state, not county, not city, but which has an amazing amount of autonomous power over each. It covers three counties in the Greater Portland area. Washington county, Clackamas county, and Multnomah county, which services approximately half of our overall state population. There should be a discussion of the formation of such an entity but that is to be left for another post, if not a blog all it’s own.
My business area, and my mass transit area runs approximately 35 miles east to west, and 35 miles north to south give or take a little. A regular business day takes a little over an hour to drive from one end to the other. That’s where riding the bus brings an intresting adjustment to the business day. Let me first say, from what I’ve heard from transit riders from other places, ours is a very good system.
In my perception, the first thing that will have to be overcome to promote a widespread use of mass transit for business is the perception. There are a number of obstacles to using mass transit, but the thing that has been so much fun to watch is the perception of other business people when I tell them that about 80% of my travel is done on mass transit. “Really?!” is the most common comment, accompanied by a glazed look of incredulity. “How do you do that?” they always want to know. Followed rarely by, “Why do you do that?” The latter is much easier to answer than the former. For me it’s all about economics. At the beginning of the week I filled up my gas tank for $51 and change, at the beginning of the month I bought my bus pass for $88. The gas tank lasts a week, the bus pass lasts all month. Simple math.
Somehow I get the impression that riding the bus is, for most business-people, a little beneath them. When I was new in sales, 35 years ago, I would park my Opel Kadet Wagon 3 blocks down the road and walk to my appointments. It was imperative that I present a professional image. The whole “fake-it-till-you-make-it” thing. Now it seems I have to get off the bus a stop early and walk to my appointments so I don’t insult my prospect with the fact that I’m using public transportation. I think I made it clear in my last post, I’m only riding the bus for economic reasons, not because of some lofty and noble environmental ideal. Still, it would be nice in the outwardly green city in which I live if somebody assumed I was riding the bus so as to save the earth and not just a few bucks. But alas, my cover is blown.
The reality is, at least for business people. Unless you work downtown, or at one of the big employers in the area, very few people ride the bus for commerce sake. Most ride it to a destination, get off, do their work all day long and then ride it home. Many have vehicles waiting for them, often in centrally located parking lots. The perception, and at this point rightly so, is that most people use public transportation because it’s cheaper. Therefore, if you can’t afford to drive, you must not be as successful as the people you’re calling on. It’s time to spruce up the bus ride for a classier clientele.
Gary Russell
