How Green Are You?

I’m as green as the next guy,  but this green is looking slightly more like the Hulk than any nature conscious guy today.

You see, I go back to work today, but my kids are only starting school tomorrow. So of course one of us is taking the kids to the office today. It’s me.

I’m green. I take the bus to work.

Do you know how much it cost for a 8 year-old and a 11 year-old to take the bus?

It costs the same thing as an adult. 3.30$. That’s for a one-way trip. Regardless of your age, when you take the STO bus, it costs you 3.30$. For my two kids and me, we’re talking 9.90$ just to get to work, and another 9.90$ to get back home. That’s 20$ – it’s 18.80$, but really who’s counting?

It costs me 12$ to park the car at work for a day.

So guess what I’m doing this morning? I’m driving to work. I completely blame the STO (and their crappy website) for the extra pollution I will be causing today.

Seriously, who in their right mind charges the same fare for kids and adults? Even OC Transpo gets it right. Kids pay half-price. That’s the proper way of doing it.

And seriously, it’s not really about the money. It’s more about the convenience. It will take me 15 minutes to drive to work, and 15 minutes to drive back. Every day, I’m willing to take the bus (for 77$ a month since I buy the monthly pass) and take 45 minutes to get to work and about an hour to get back home. I do it because I don’t have to drive, I don’t have to pay the parking cost, and I can use the time to get ready for the day (or simply forget about the office on my way home). But when you combine almost two hours, plus a cost of 20$ it’s way too much.

Seriously.

12$ + 30 minutes versus 20$ and 120 minutes.

The choice is clear. Even if it’s not green.

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 00:00 and is filed under Bus, It's all about me, It's not about me, Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

13 Responses to “How Green Are You?”

  1. B.E. Earl Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 00:58

    Just my avatar. :|
    B.E. Earl´s last blog ..2010 – The Hugo Awards My ComLuv Profile

  2. delmer Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 07:35

    I live about two miles from work — sometimes I walk — sometimes I bike (though, rarely if I have the kids that week … and I never ride if it’s snowing or raining.)

    Twelve dollars to park a car for a day is criminal. Does someone detail it while it’s sitting there? Or check the oil or rotate the tires? This sounds like a case of The Man keeping you down.

    And children paying full price is ridiculous — there’s no incentive (as you explain) for a parent to travel with a child on the bus.

    Are the kids up for hitchhiking? That would be pretty green.
    delmer´s last blog ..CSO My ComLuv Profile

  3. Hilly Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 09:34

    I’m really shitty at being green. Hell, I drive a Dodge Charger, FFS.
    However I think I will try more this year…mostly. ;)
    Hilly´s last blog ..Like A Child At Play… My ComLuv Profile

  4. Lisa Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 10:54

    The bus stopped coming out to where I live, and we don’t have a carpool opportunity so my carbon footprint wears waffle stompers. We do recycle and try to be kind to the environment in other ways, but we live 15 miles out of town and have to drive everywhere.
    Lisa´s last blog ..Happy New Year!! My ComLuv Profile

  5. JF Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 11:09

    Incroyable. Our honorable mayor Marc Bureau campaigned on being green… He’s a good guy though. I’m sure he’d be interested in your story, maire@gatineau.ca Tu me connais, so-so-so solidarité ;-)

  6. Becky Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 11:20

    Being green just doesn’t fit into my day. I think its a great idea, and maybe someday I will conform. But I do recycle, so that counts.

  7. Ren Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 16:27

    Just stick the kids in your bag. :evil:
    Ren´s last blog ..Macro Monday #43 My ComLuv Profile

  8. Sybil Law Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 19:26

    I am really green, apparently, but convenience wins when it’s cases like the one you’ve stated, for sure.
    Sybil Law´s last blog ..Barfly My ComLuv Profile

  9. Dave2 Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 22:13

    I’ve never understood why children taking up a FULL seat only have to pay HALF??

    I don’t think you are being un-green though… you’ve got three people in the car, so you’re actually pretty green right there! That’s three times the green of me when I have to drive somewhere. :-(
    Dave2´s last blog ..Bullet Sunday 164 My ComLuv Profile

  10. Lynda Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 22:38

    Kids aren’t exactly known for their patience either. :smile:

  11. LeSombre Says:
    January 4th, 2010 at 23:59

    @B.E. Earl: Nice.

    @Delmer: I heard that some tricks are being turned in that underground parking, but I don’t think it’s included in the 12 bucks. :razz:

    @Hilly: Nothing like resolutions!

    @Lisa: I see. ;-)

    @JF: LOL. Yes, you gotta be you. :mrgreen:

    @Becky: It totally does. Washing trash is very green. :roll:

    @Ren: They’re small, but that would take a big bag. Plus, it would probably give me a heart attack carrying them around. All of a sudden, that 20$ doesn’t seem that bad…

    @Sybil Law: I’m willing to sacrifice some convenience. But not all of it. :mrgreen:

    @Dave2: Well technically, a city bus has around 40 seats, but during rush hour, it’s not rare to have as many as 40 more people standing. Those 40 don’t get a rebate, even if they don’t use a full seat. Heck, when I don’t get a seat nobody gives me some money back. So I assume it goes by volume, and both my kids definitely take up less volume than me. ;-)

    But more seriously: The “kid discount” is offered so parents would spend money. Restaurants offer “kids eat for 2$” because they’d rather get 54$ than not get the 100$ you’d have to spend.

    And I agree that by having 3 people in the car, I’m not that un-green. But still. :-)

    @Lynda: Well, mine are really patient. But still, why make them go through that if they don’t need to?

  12. Sheila (Charm School Reject) Says:
    January 8th, 2010 at 11:15

    I take the train because it’s more convenient and it’s cheaper and less of a hassle than dealing with a two hour drive that, without rush hour traffic, only takes fifteen. The train ride is only thirty-five minutes unless you’re on a non-express train – then it takes an hour. It is $116 for my monthly pass which sucks but is cheaper in the long run.

    If I drive to work parking is $25 plus tip unless I park a mile away in a lot with no security and is made of gravel and huge pot holes that will ruin the ground effects and body kit thingy on our car.

    I don’t know how the bus service is here because I walk to work from my train station but on the trains, up to three kids under the age of twelve ride free for every fare paying adult in the group. Taking LD to work with me never costs more money.
    Sheila (Charm School Reject)´s last blog ..Connect the Dots My ComLuv Profile

  13. LeSombre Says:
    January 9th, 2010 at 17:06

    @SheilaCSR: See, having kids ride for free makes sense.