Wednesday, January 25, 2012

On ya bus

OMG guys… Guess what I did?! 

Caught Public Transport to workies!!! I’m sure that sounds like no biggie to most peeps, but for me, Miss “I don’t do PT,” it was a massive deal. I’m still a little shaky! Haha. Seriously though, I was nervous, excited and scared.

Best bit? I made it to work. On time!! Woop! (I am also notoriously known as Miss Never-on-time, but that's another story)

Aside from a couple of trips with my Mumsy lately on PT, I pretty much haven’t done Melbourne’s Public Transport since I got my License… in the year 2000!
I did use the Vancouver Public Transport when in Canada, but I had my BF with me, and it seemed like part of the tourist experience and was all about (or aboot, I should say) the Novelty.

I used to catch Public Transport to school. Ever since I was in Grade 3!!!! Yeh, grade 3?! I was itchin' to get my license. itchin'.

I started getting anxiety about 6 or so years ago when around too many people. I am/was (not sure yet) very very self-conscious… And being on PT, trapped, and not having my car in close proximity to go to escape and hide was a position I would never allow myself to get into. Even on nights out with friends, I would either be the designated driver or demand compulsory Taxi Cabs (I always call them Taxi Cabs… got it from my Pop, just like how I call Coles “Coles New World,” just like he used to. aww).

Why did I choose today to use Public Transport? 
Well, turns out my Car Park Company haven’t been directly debiting my monthly car park payments (as they had been the months prior), so my card was voided yesterday!!! Arghhhh!! I was on my way to exit and when I swiped it said ‘voided,’ when I spoke to the chap via the intercom, he said I hadn’t paid my bill and to just pay the normal car park fee… Um, I was already in the car park?! I couldn’t drive out and back in again to get a daily card and pay, now could I? He asked me how I had gotten in… Um, with my card, genius! He finally let me through. Phew. 

When I got home, I decided to check my pile of car park invoices… Uhm, payments haven’t been made for nearly 6 months!!! So, it’s like a $700 bill!! So, I had 3 choices;

♡ Pull $700 out of my bum, 
♡ Pay the $11.50 a day car park fee (full rate)
or
♡ Suck it up and use Public Transport


If I could have pulled the $700 from ‘back there’ I totes would have. But I tried and it didn’t work. Haha. So, I spent the remainder of the night mapping out my PT route! It was hard!! Especially when you aren’t well versed in the Public Transport system… *sighs 

Port Melbs is an awesome place to live, but unless you work in, or have a desire to go, the city, PT is quite limited. I work in Prahran, which is not that far, but in order to get there, I had to PT it to the city!! I am scared of the CITY!!! So today was a Double Scaredom Day!! PT aspect and hittin’ The Big Smoke! Eeeouch! 

Anyhoozy, I finally worked out the best route for me… It may not be the fastest or whatevs, but it is the most direct and simple. It only involves 2 buses (plus a twaddle across a road. a main road. scary), as opposed to the 13 billion train/tram changes that MetLink wanted me to take according the Journey Planner.

Also, I believe I have been telling myself some little wee porky pies in regards to how much I could potentially save by using PT. 

Using my monthly car park pass, it costs me $6.75 a day (not too shabby) but for some unknown reason I have always thought and verbalised that it was $5.50 a day. Façade No. 1. 

I usually put in $70 worth of Petroleum every 2 weeks (more or less, mostly less) nut never included that in my costing, I thought it was negligible. Façade No. 2. 

So, that takes my daily drive to work $13.75 a day-ish. Getting Pricey, really. On the plus side, it only takes me 30mins of my sweet precious time to get to work when driving and I value my alone time and privacy quite highly.

Onto PT; 
A monthly pass will cost me $112.56, which is $5.60 a day (week days only… So /20) and I technically get F R E E transport on weekends… And it only takes me 45 minutes! So, my sweet precious time is hardly gobbled up… And as for privacy and my Alone Time… Pish Posh! Turns out people watching is F U N! Haha. I also only listen to my iPhone in the car anyway, so earphones in and I was laughing; not literally, or I would have looked nutty but there was figurative laughing, that's for sure.

This adorable card holder I acquired to hold my Myki may or may not have sweetened the deal beyond comprehension. 






I do love a card. And a swipey card even more so… Top that with an adorably cute cardholder, sprinkled with Pandas, Hearts and a Cupcake, and finished off with Lashings of Pink?! I was S O L D!!

Did I mention it had a sparkle to it?? I didn't? Well it does! It has a sparkle to it... I love it!!






 P.S- I can and will work out some sort of payment arrangement with my Car Park Co. Just thought I’d mention that.

Also, just to get the legalities out of the way:


D I S C L A I M E R: The Novelty may or may not wear off this sparkly new obsession I have with the Public Transport System, my Myki card and/or People Watching. Time will tell. Today's results are not typical. Results may vary.

♡Missy

10 comments:

  1. Glad to hear it all worked out for you :-) I also dislike Melbourne PT, I'm more inclined to walk (which I shall do today) haha

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    1. Well my afternoon trip wasn't quite so smooth. Haha... But I'll persist seeing as it was "most probably" due to the tennis traffic. It took me an hour longer than usual to get home. Grr. Haha

      I bought my one month pass today, so no turning back now!!

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  2. lol man the other day on the train, it was so packed everyone was squished in like sardines, bums rubbing against bums is a nono.

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    1. Oh noes!! Your comment reminded me why I hate PT!! Arghhhh!!

      Seriously though, I was inappropraitely touched on the train when I was in high school (twice!!)... Eek, but I'm a lot more brave now days, so may not be as easy a target anymore. Hopefully.

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  3. Good work on the PT!

    I work in Port Melb, it isn't the easiest place to get in and out of is it?!

    Love that you call Coles that! Woolworths is always going to be Safeway to me despite the change! x

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    1. Ooh you work in Port Melb?! Cool! Considering how close it is to the city, PT there sucks. Apparently the light rail used to connect up to flinders street and the sandringham line, now that would be handy!!

      It will always be Safeway to me too!! If I must call it by its' new name, I prefer "woolsworths" haha.

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  4. hahahah best comment "♡ Pull $700 out of my bum, "
    I get driven to work and dropped off by my sister like im 10 years old. hahaha Its going to hurt when my contract finishes and I need to fnd a new job and may need to use PT!!! ekkkk!

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    1. PT has been fun! I'm liking the people watching.

      I'm a bit of a nervous Nelly though... And if I feel like people are watching me I get shaky- embarrassing! I think I might be a weirdo. hahahaha.

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