My son was dead set against taking a spin on the city bus. Even with the promise of a meal out at the end of the line, he dragged his feet. He might have used the word “stupid” towards me or the idea of riding a bus.
A few weeks earlier he admitted he wouldn’t be comfortable riding a bus. I knew then a bus ride was in our future.
When I was a child, we relied on the bus system to get around. As a teenager, I rode the city bus to school. As a college student, I rode it to the university. As a young adult new to living on my own in the world, my mom impressed on me how important it was to choose a home near a bus line.
I know the value of riding the city bus but I also know how difficult it is to *have* to rely on the bus as a source of transportation in Green Bay. While the drivers are amazing- friendly and helpful, your route may only run once an hour, less than that during slow parts of the day, and lord help you if you need to transfer.
I didn’t want P to feel like this was only a field trip. I also wanted to appeal to his sense of empathy, maybe even develop it a little. One day he will vote on transportation issues, public and private, and I want him to consider not just himself but also others when he does vote.
Bus Stop
We don’t live on a bus line now so we scoured the Green Bay Metro website looking for the route closest to us, hopped in the car, and parked near a bus stop sign.
P was not thrilled. At all. But he kept a lookout for the bus and as soon as soon as we could see it waaaaaay down the road, I could see the anticipation on his face. By the time the doors folded open and we stepped on the bus, he was in total Field Trip Mode. Saturdays are free on Green Bay Metro buses. Instead of paying, we greeted the bus driver and headed for our seats.
Things we noticed while riding the bus from De Pere to downtown Green Bay:
- The bus driver was super friendly (and judging by her jersey, a fellow Packer fan)
- We could see so much better from the higher vantage point. We drive up and down Webster Avenue regularly but didn’t get this kind of view from street level. We especially appreciated looking down on 172 as we crossed over it, watching skiers train on skate skis on the Fox River Trail, and looking down into other people’s cars.
- Hydraulics! We definitely noticed the bus goes up and down when starting and stopping. This real-life experience dovetailed nicely with a recent science experiment.
- There’s a ginormous rear-view mirror, ‘as big as a tv!’
- It’s a fun place to people watch- all different types of people ride the bus.
- Buses, bus drivers, and riders are not scary.
- And my personal favorite, it contradicted the stereotype that women can’t/don’t drive large vehicles. Both our drivers on our trip out and back were women and they were killin’ it.
We successfully signaled that we wanted to get off, walked the rest of the way to Al’s Hamburgers (another first), where we refueled and warmed up. On the return trip, we decided to take the bus to visit Grandma and Grandpa to show off our newfound public transit skills.
We definitely need more practice figuring out the routes, timing, and stops, but it was a good first outing. Most importantly, P knows now that riding the bus isn’t something to fear and while the people on the bus do go up and down (hydraulics!), they’re not scary.
A Saturday bus ride makes a perfect (and educational) weekend field trip with kids!
- Visit Green Bay Metro’s website together to learn how to ride a bus
- Look at routes, choose a fun destination, and plan your ride with their Trip Planner
- If you’re not riding on a Saturday, calculate how much you’ll need for everyone to ride the bus
- Add the Green Bay Metro Bus Tracker app to your phone to see where your bus is in real time
- Bundle up!
- If you have littles, be prepared to sing “The People on the Bus” 47 times
- Before you go, read books about buses like,
- Bus! Stop! by James Yang
- Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
- My Bus by Byron Barton
- If your littles aren’t so little anymore, don’t watch Speed until after you ride the bus!
Honestly, our adventure turned out better than I anticipated when I headed out to the bus stop with a very reluctant teen. Not only did we spend several hours together unplugged, but we also witnessed a wonderful random act of kindness. Not every adventure in public transit will include such a storybook ending, but we’re both sure you’ll have fun. Happy riding!
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