Top five reasons why public transportation stinks in hot weather

Posted by Christian in TriMet on Jul 22nd, 2009 | 9 comments

I’m not so sure you all know this… but it’s hot.  With the next several days predicted to hit 90 degrees, I do not look forward to hitting the bus during my rush-hour commute home.

So I thought hey, why don’t I like to ride public transportation in hot weather?  I’m going to get all David Letterman (“Got any gum?”) and present the top 5 reasons why public transportation stinks in hot weather:

5)  Air conditioning is really hit or miss.  Some buses will have fantastic air conditioning; others will seemingly be pushing hot air around.

4)  Summer means school is out. Which means teens riding at all hours.  Which means you’ll no doubt hear at least one person’s music even when his / her headphones are on.

3)  The biker that just got done biking several miles only to board to get up that hill in the bus is dripping in sweat and sitting right next to you.

2)  Hot weather only seems to agitate people. Which, in a crowded bus, never ends up being very fun.

And the number one reason why public transportation stinks in hot weather:

1)  Some individual’s ‘unique’ smell (B.O.) only gets more ‘unique’ as the weather gets warmer.

Anyone have any additional reasons why they don’t like riding during the hot summer months?  Or is it just me..?



9 Responses to “ “Top five reasons why public transportation stinks in hot weather”

  1. Nick says:
    July 22, 2009 at 11:37 am

    I have to walk up a steep hill after work and then stand around in the heat waiting for the bus, so usually when it arrives I’m actually really excited to see it. A/C effectiveness definitely varies, but it always seems to be cool enough to dry my sweat by the time I get home.

    One thing you forgot was bus breakdowns! Nothing worse than having the bus unexpectedly overheat and require a cooldown break, or even worse, a bus switch. Thankfully, the one time this has happened to me this year, I was only a couple blocks away from home and I ran through a sprinkler on the way.

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  2. Marissa says:
    July 22, 2009 at 12:00 pm

    It also sucks when the driver pulls over near 7-11 and you think the bus might be broken but he actually just wanted to get a Slurpee(tm) and a Big Bite(tm).

    And I wholeheartedly agree, aromas can get pretty strong in the summer.

    Luckily, my regular ride is MAX where A/C is more predictable.

    Bonus tip: If you ride MAX on a hot day, remember that the coolest spots are at the bending/folding parts. It’s like standing next to an open refrigerator!

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  3. Mary Sue says:
    July 22, 2009 at 12:04 pm

    Delayed bus in 70 degree sunshine at a stop with no shelter or bench? Let’s enjoy the breeze and watch people in cars as they drive by! Oh, a hawk swooping by the construction crane! How majestic!

    Delayed bus in 90 degree sunshine at a stop with no shelter or bench? WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU GET HERE NOW OH MY GOD I AM GOING TO PUNCH THAT SMOKER IN THE FAAAAAAACE.

    I had a bus break down yesterday on my way in. Fortunately (for me) it was right next to the Streetcar stop, which is a viable albeit slower method to my office. Unfortunately, it was one of the buses that goes down to Oregon City and runs every half hour.

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  4. Christian says:
    July 22, 2009 at 12:20 pm

    @Nick – agreed! Bus breakdowns do stink.

    @Marissa – I had a driver pull over in the morning (this was on the 15), run into the conveniance store, go outside, eat, have a smoke and come back. It was like a 10 minute stop. Plus that spot on the MAX you’re talking about: that’s my go-to spot whenever I do ride the MAX!

    @Mary Sue – hahah! You know, I was going to write about how, for whatever reason, if I wait more than 10 minutes for a bus, I start getting really kind of angry. Like, I’ll start swearing (not outwardly, of course, but just inside my head) and getting really impatient. I wonder if every else is the same..?

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  5. Adron says:
    July 26, 2009 at 12:25 am

    #4 I try not to let it bother me… but jeez, it sure does sometimes.

    #2 is the worse. That is the #1 reason why I NEVER took transit down south. It was nearly suicidal.

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  6. Eva says:
    July 30, 2009 at 3:41 pm

    Christian, good post – and good comments. I do agree that the A/C on MAX is more reliable than on buses, yet, we do have our problems, especially in extremely hot weather.

    Last night I had a Type 1 (the old high floor train cars) that had an HVAC fault in the A side of the train – which, by the way, was the side that provided AC for my cab… ugh… Control had me go to the breaker panel (by one of the doors) and play with the breaker, but the fix only lasted 5 seconds. Sigh…

    Marissa, thanks for the info about the coolest spot on the MAX! I never thought of that, but now that you told me, I am sure I can tell you why it is the coolest spot: each train car has two separate cooling systems, one for each end of the car. Thus, if both work 100 %, I can see why the middle of the train car would be the coolest place. :-)

    I do not ride/drive buses much any more, but when I do, I hate the buses without AC. My son is a part time TriMet bus driver while he is going to school, and he complains loudly to his mommy when he gets an old bus – at 106 degrees that is a killer for both him and his passengers… (My son is a husband and father, and is very independent – but he loves to tell me about his horror stories… I laugh and say: “been there, done that!”)

    He he… I love it when my kids discover “real life”…

    PS – I have no idea why a bus driver would stop in the middle of his route to take a 10 minute break, unless the bus needed to cool off. I would have called that in…

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  7. Marissa says:
    July 30, 2009 at 5:18 pm

    Another sucky thing about Trimet in EXTREME temperatures is the bumpy ride on MAX. I was riding the Yellow Line earlier this week and we hit a big bump on the tracks due to the expansion from 100+ degrees temperatures. It was right before the Northbound Overlook stop and most people were pretty jostled, even those who were seated. The operator apologized over the intercom and the rest of the ride was pretty smooth.

    I’ve noticed since then that the operators slow way down just before the top of the hill there.

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  8. Eva says:
    July 30, 2009 at 5:31 pm

    Marissa, I remember hearing about that sun kink right before the Overlook platform on our radio. It took everybody by surprise, and a slow order was put in place after TriMet staff took a look at it.

    It must have been quite a jolt, and I am sure it startled people. I came upon one about a month ago on my way to the airport on the Red Line – it was scary how violently my train was thrown sideways – and I was going about the same speed as the Yellow Line going up the hill to Overlook.

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  9. Rrider says:
    August 1, 2009 at 10:26 pm

    I was on the max last week when various half naked men (top half…) would board the train then reach up to grab hold. Our pleasant ride went from normal, to suffocating, because their BO stench spewed out from their pits from one end of the train to the other.

    And that is the highlight of my commute after deboarding a bus where the driver wanted to enjoy the day, leave the AC off, and drive with the windows open.

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