"And I knew that you wouldn't take the bus because you always say that public transportation is for losers."

I have been commuting to work lately which requires me to take an hour and ten minute bus ride every day. This isn't the first time I've regularly taken the bus, but it has brought to light several things that I would change about public transportation.

First, all riders must be required to have taken a shower within 36 hours prior to boarding. Apparently, if you take public transportation you are less likely to have showered than not. Along this same line, I would also change the way the bus recirculates air. Currently, it sucks in the air near the front and blows it out the back. This causes the stinky air to be blown throughout the entire bus. There has to be a better way.

Second, there must be no talking. I don't know what it is about public transportation users that makes them think that they can talk to you, but they ignore the fact that I'm wearing headphones and looking out the window or reading when they start to tell me about where they're going and why. It's very annoying, especially when coupled with my first complaint. This rule also applies to conversations between people who are riding together and people on cell phones. Because buses are noisy, people tend to raise their voices when talking and it makes an already irritating behavior even worse.

Third, Utah needs more bus routes. I have to ride for over an hour one way and nearly an hour the other to make a trip that takes me 20 minutes each way by car. I wouldn't complain except that my car route goes from one major road, over another major road, to another major road, yet the only way for me to get from my stop to my work is to take an incredibly long back route.

Despite these complaints, I am still grateful for the public transportation system that exists. While I would like it to be more comprehensive and commuter-friendly, I really enjoy some parts of it. I love Frontrunner because there are few things in life more entertaining than riding along the Wasatch front looking out a second story window into the backyards of trailer parks and low-income housing tracts.