Seattle Metro

Ok so I have to ride the bus. The first three days I made Kelly take me in the mornings because figuring out how to get on and transfer and pay and get off and find my office seemed a little too much too fast. But then somehow the bus schedule changed and now there isn't a transfer so this morning I rode the bus. Every day I learn something new. Day 1 - where the bus stop is. I also learned that day as I was hiking down the hill that I will be one of those people that wears the "walking" shoes that don't match your outfit to and from the bus stop. Hills and heels don't mix. So bus stop location and extra shoes - Day 1, a success! Unfortunately that bit of knowledge didn't do me any good this morning when I tried to ride the am route and the bus passed on the other side of the road. The bus driver drove by staring at me sitting on my lonely bench. How was I supposed to know? Buses run in a circle right? Good thing I learned on Day 2 of my pm route that the bus comes every 7 or 10 mins so I crossed the street and waited. No harm done if you miss one and no need to run down the hill because the bus is sitting there. Also sometimes waiting for the next bus proves to be advantageous because there could be less people on it and it will end up passing the first bus getting you to your destination sooner anyway! I learned that on Day 3! So back to my am route - Day 4. Riding the bus downtown is free so when you get on you don't pay, you pay at your stop. Don't think I just knew this instinctively, I had to use my city survival skills and allow others to be the sacrificial commuters getting on the bus ahead of me - let them make the mistakes so I could confidently walk past the driver to my seat like I knew what I was doing. Darwin failed me on Day 4. I had already learned my lesson for the day right, so what could go wrong? I was the only girl at the stop so the gentlemen politely allowed me to go first. I walked right past the driver and sat down, he kept eying me as we started the ride. A few stops later I moved back to the seat closest to the rear exit because I didn't like the seat I was in. Driver - still eying me. I smile but am thinking hmmmm is this guy just friendly or do I have something on my face? Then I notice at the next stop that everyone is paying as they get on. OH NO! How embarrassing and he probably thinks I am trying to make a quick get away by moving to the back door. Great. How could my knowledge fail me like this?! I can't get up during a stop and pay because it is getting crowded and it is against the flow of traffic. I am so grateful that he didn't yell as I was halfway down the isle "miss are you going to pay for your ride today?" Because some of the bus drivers have no tolerance and I would have died. It is finally my stop I make my way up to the front and as I am putting the money in explain "I thought you pay when you get off, have a nice day." He laughed and said "you too". Tomorrow's lesson - where to buy a bus pass. . .