"You take the BUS to work!"

Nurses Relations

Published

Ok. I take public transportation to work. No biggy. I have a co-worker of mine who likes to tell the staff that i don't drive and take the light rail/bus. Its not a big issue but I find his manner sort of rude and intrusive.

Any suggestions?

Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

My reply would be, "And this concerns you how????"

Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

The guy has some serious self-esteem issues. Anyone that tries to make someone else feel inferior usually does.

Who is this idiot anyway?

Taking the bus is great! You don't have to deal with traffic or parking and it is good for the environment! My husband and I take the bus often. We actually sold one of our cars and share the other one now. We save thousands of dollars every year by doing this.

Many (ignorant) people equate: mass transit=poor, low-class. Other people equate: nice car=wealth. What a laugh!

I wonder how much he wastes every year on gas, insurance, upkeep/repairs, car payments etc.? For the most part, cars are money wasters.

You should reinforce the fact that you are happy that you aren't strapped with sinking $ into a car every month.

Specializes in Medical.

How about: "I know - isn't it great?!"

Specializes in MS, ED.

I agree with the posts suggesting you question your co-worker why he feels it necessary to repeatedly announce your commuting preferences. Question him until he flushes up pink and walks away. :D

I take the light rail to work during the day, (station is only two blocks from home). Commuting via bus or train is commonplace here; some workplaces offer transit checks, the lure of pre-tax commuter dollars or the like to encourage employees to use public transportation.

I go to school at night here in town, (the walk is a little over a mile.) From the reaction I've gotten from classmates, you'd think no one walks anywhere anymore. The few people who have said something directly to my face have told me they 'feel so sorry I have to walk to school, especially at my age'.

Yes, coming up on the 3-0 usually leaves folks crippled. :rolleyes:

What they don't know is that I sold my truck, (we had two), as the cost of gas began to rise. I used the money to pay for school entirely in cash and tucked the rest away. It was the most practical thing for my family, especially considering the parking crunch here in town, rising insurance rates, and increasing tuition.

What works for you - works for you. Speak up and shut him down!

Best,

Southern

Specializes in psych nursing.

I only wish I could take the bus to work.......I hate driving.

I walk to work and i get some odd looks- 'you walk to work, why?' 'seriously, you walk to work,dont you drive'? or other such comments from someone who is 20 minutes late to work because they couldnt get a parking space/the roads were busy/petrol station was busy

Yes, god gave me a pair of fully functioning legs so i use them to save what little money i get-i'll admit im shattered after a long/hard shift but hey its quicker/warmer/cleaner than getting the bus and im doing my bit for the enviroment

Specializes in Pediatric Heme/Onc/BMT.

I take the bus when I work days, but drive for nights. We're in the middle of downtown, so it's not uncommon for people to take the bus (moreso days than eves/nights). Even our nurse manager takes the bus!

I would have a concern about him saying it in front of patients and family members. I do not have any interest in running into patient's family on the bus, especially if they weren't happy with how the day went. This could be a safety concern for you. Tell him to knock it off.

I would just ignore his comments, myself.

It would never have occurred to me that people might think you are a recovering alcoholic with a suspended license because you ride the bus.

I rode the bus when I worked in Cleveland many years ago. There was no safe place to park my car (It had been stolen from downtown Cleveland; the insurance company and I put more money into fixing it after it was recovered than it was worth). Taxpayer subsidized mass transit is cheaper than driving, and I was poor at the time.

Wooster retired its bus fleet many years ago. We were the last city of our size in Ohio with city buses. It was just too expensive. The fares pay only a small percentage of the operating costs.

Specializes in Gerontology.

I take the bus - i don't drive because of vision problems.

I also have gotten several weird comments.

1 person told me it was very easy for me to arrive on time because "You don't drive so you don't have to stop and get gas".

my favourite was the person who commented that "You get on a nice warm bus, i have to wait for my car to warm up". Well, yeah, but before I get to my nice warm bus, I have to walk 7 minutes to the bus stop and then wait in the cold for the bus!

Other people say 'you spend a lot on that bus pass' - that sopped when i pointed out that they pay for parking and I don't!

I also walk and get weird comments about that! Funny how people will brag about going to the gym and being on the tread mill for 30 minutes, but say you walked to work for 30 minutes and you are strange!

I would just say - ignore this twerp. He's trying to get a rise out of you. When he makes this comment, don't reply, don't respond.

Specializes in ICU, M/S,Nurse Supervisor, CNS.

I would love to be able to take the bus to work or even walk. Unfortunately, there really is not a bus stop near my house. A friend of mine recently moved back to our home state (we both left the are to different states for college and then stayed a while) and she drives a short distance to a park and ride, and takes the metro daily. She only spends about $30 or $40 a month in gas now. I'm jealous!

Specializes in CVICU.

I also walk and get weird comments about that! Funny how people will brag about going to the gym and being on the tread mill for 30 minutes, but say you walked to work for 30 minutes and you are strange!

I have gotten this before too! I just don't get it!

Specializes in Medical.

Public transport's so readily available in Melbourne (at least in the inner areas) that maybe half my colleagues use it, walk or ride at least some of the time. My hospital's directly in front of a tram stop, a short walk from a major road with many trams, on four bus lines and a ten minute walk from two train stations. With the environmental impact and sheer expensive of buying, running and maintaining a car, not to mention parking costs, I'm far better off spending $130/month of unlimited public transport than driving.

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