I Am Confident That…

…THAT I CAN RIDE THE BOSTON MASS TRANSIT AND BLEND IN!

Actually – I’d venture to say that I am able look like a local in any city that has a subway.

It’s no secret that one of the reasons why I love traveling to the East Coast, London, and other large cities like San Francisco is because I don’t have to drive. When mass transit is done right…transportation is so much easier.

For most of us who grew up in the Wild Wild (Vehicular) West, mass transit is a bit of the mystery. So a lot of us look pretty silly the first time we’re confronted trying to figure out how to transfer from the blue line to the green. LOST and TEARFUL are the two words I can say to describe my first experience.

Being able to glance at the map and know in a split second where I want to go, what direction I need to head, and how I’m going to get there makes me feel good. And it really finally clicked in my head on my most recent trip to Boston. During my week in there, I felt empowered every time I whipped out my Charlie Card. I could go where I wanted to any time I wanted (provided I was within the service hours of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority)! On this, my third visit to Beantown, I remembered exactly which T-stop and line my favorite Polish restaurant was on, even though I was coming from a completely different direction.

But why am I so gung-ho about this tiny ability? To me, it means one thing: Freedom.

My high school weekends weren’t filled with hanging out with friends or driving to the mall. If I wasn’t studying or debating, I was doing laundry and cooking! Any place I wanted to go require a yes, no, and a ride. Public transportation was considered lower status and dangerous. So, rather than go through the trouble – I stayed home and honed my reading skills.

With that in mind, imagine how it felt on my first trip to London realizing that all I had to do was mind the gap and remember the line color and name of the stop?

Boosting my confidence: I no longer look like a tourist from Arizona.

You may think it’s shallow, but fitting in is also very important when dealing with mass transit. Don’t believe me? Remember the last time you saw a group of photo snapping, high-end shop loving Japanese tourists? Be honest with yourself and repeat outloud what you said.

Yes, fitting in is important! And it’s not that hard. After experiencing San Francisco, London, Paris and Boston – I’ve boiled down exactly how one does blend in. Seriously, just about anyone can do it:

1. Research, research, research! Before you leave for your destination city, look up the mass transit map. In the day and age of the internet, it’s not hard to do. Before you leave your hotel, consult the map so you know where you need to go! Figure out if you need a pass or if you require extra change.

2. Got headphones? Every mass transit rider worth their weight thanks the techno gods for iPods and MP3 players! The one downside to subways is the rush hour stampedes and crowding. But as they say, music soothes the savage beast. So pop those headphones on and relax, your stop is on its way.

3. Make only FLEETING eye contact. Unless you are traveling with a group of your friends, no one really makes eye contact with each other. They stare politely beyond or above others. While most people would say that is the death knell of interaction, I look at it this way – You’ve been working or running errands all day. You need some “Me Time.” The unspoken personal space rule is in effect. Everyone on the train understands that! This is why Rule #2 makes so much more sense!

4. Take a stand! The variance of age groups and people types ride the mass transit wave is amazing. While seats are abundant, no one really sits down unless you fall into the “needs to” group (the elderly, pregnant women, handicapped, or children). In fact, most commuters take pride in their multi-tasking subway surfing skills! Most fantastic thing I had ever seen was on the Paris Metro. A well dressed and coiffed woman standing during the morning rush with coffee in one hand, newspaper in the other (and reading it), WITHOUT holding onto the bar supports…IN HEELS.

I hope you can now understand why I’m hyped up about my mad mass transit transportation skillz. Being able to navigate myself around has opened up my world. I know I don’t have to rely on anyone and I know that I can fit in. I’ve taken the fear out of getting lost and turned the fear into a sense of adventure.

And that is probably worth more than most things I can think of!