A while ago Jordan suggested that we should again go to the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens to see the Christmas light display. Dale and I agreed and we all decided to make an evening of it, with a dinner together starting it off. There was a slight snag in the plans though; it was going to be on a Thursday night, and both Dale and Jordan would be working during the day and neither one of them wanted to come back to Poco to pick me up. If I drove in, then Dale and I would be in separate vehicles and that didn’t feel right, so it was suggested that I take the SkyTrain downtown, I gamely agreed and when the date drew closer I began planning my trip.
Now, before I start, let me tell you how I expected it would go. I would walk to the closest bus station, where a bus would quickly appear and take me to the nearest SkyTrain station. The train would quickly appear and take me directly to the station I needed to go to. Well, needless to say that’s not how the transit system works.
I used Translink’s website to plan the trip. It’s a great feature. You put in where you will be starting from, where you want to go, the date and either your departure or arrival time. Then a number of options appear. My two best options were to take the 160 bus from Wilson Street in Poco (which is very close by) to Waterfront Station in Vancouver, then get on the Skytrain to Broadway/City Hall Station; or to take the bus (I don’t remember the number) to Braid Station, take the SkyTrain to Waterfront Station, change lines and go to Broadway/City Hall Station. Both of those options would take the better part of 2 hours. The 160 bus trip from here to downtown is about an hour and a half. The Skytrain trip is only about 6 minutes, but you have to walk from the bus to the station and then down to the trains. The bus to Braid Station from here takes about an hour and then the SkyTrain ride to Waterfront takes about 35 minutes. While I would end up right in the station, I would have to change lines which would take a little bit of time.
I was a little apprehensive but hey, millions of people take transit every day, and if they can do it, I can. On the morning of the trip I went to our local 7-11 to buy a Translink day pass. It would allow me to take any bus or any train all day. I figured that was a good idea, because if I miscalculated or got on a wrong bus or train, I could get off and take another, as long as I did it before midnight. The 160 bus was scheduled to arrive at the Wilson Street bus stop at 4:17, so at 4:00 I went downstairs, put on my boots and coat, grabbed an umbrella and set out. I was at the bus stop at 4:03. Have I ever mentioned that I hate being late and so am always very early for most things? No, well I am. And of course the bus was late. So I stood in the cold and the wet for about half an hour.
The bus arrived and about 10 people got on. I had no idea how to use my pass but the bus driver and the guy behind me showed me how to validate my ticket. Once everyone was sitting, the bus left, and then proceeded to stop about every other block. We went to the Coquitlam Station then got on the Barnet to Port Moody, where we continued to stop about every other block. However, as we got further out of the Tri-City area our stops became less frequent as fewer people got on and off. Soon we were in Vancouver.
As we got closer the young woman sitting beside me stirred. She fixed her make-up and took off her running shoes and socks. She took a pair of strappy high heels out of her backpack and stuck them on her feet. That left room for the running shoes to go into the backpack. She moved to an empty pair of seats beside us so she would have room to do up her shoes properly. She pulled the stop cord for the Abbot Street stop and got off in Gastown. I watched her cross the street. Although we hadn’t talked on the long trip into the city, I hoped she was going to meet some friends and that she would have a good night.
No one really talked on the bus ride. Most people were sitting quietly after a long day of work. Some were checking their phones, some closed their eyes and waited to hear that their stop was coming up. I thought the bus was going to go to Waterfront Station. It didn’t. I heard the automated voice say something and then “and transfer to Waterfront Station”. By this time there were only a few people on the bus, so I walked up to the bus driver. I asked if I had to get off if I wanted to go to Waterfront Station. He said yes, so I got off.
It was dark and rainy and I had no idea where I was, just that Waterfront Station was nearby. I took out my phone and using my map app, located the station. It said I should walk 200 metres and then turn right onto Cordova Street, so I started walking. Now another thing you should know about me is that I invariably go the wrong direction and this was no exception. I realized I was going the wrong way when the app said I was 250 metres from the station. I was getting further away from where I wanted to go! So I sighed and turned around. Soon I recognized where I was and got into the station. But my travails weren’t over. I had to find the Canada Line and get on the train. The signs were clear enough but I also asked a transit worker. With my sense of direction, the more confirmation I get the better! The train arrived just as I got there so I hopped onboard and stood near the door.
As I was standing there I got a text from Dale. He and Jordan (and Jordan’s friend) were already at the restaurant. I texted back that I was on the train. I got off at the correct stop, walked up to the street and turned left. Jordan had told me to walk towards the Starbucks then go up two blocks to the restaurant. Of course, Dale texted me the directions (he knows only too well my terrible sense of direction). I ignored his text and the following one asking where I was. I found the restaurant, saw them and joined them. They had thoughtfully ordered me a drink so I sat down, took a sip and told them of my adventure.
After dinner we drove the short distance to the gardens and then toured it. It was raining but that just made the lights more shimmery and magical. We took pictures, drank hot chocolate and ate mini doughnuts and generally had a wonderful time. I think we have established a new tradition with Jordan. Last week we went to SFU Woodward’s production of “Bah Humbug” starring Jim Byrnes with Darin and Devon, that might be a new tradition with them.
While my trip was relatively painless (I did worry the whole time I was on the bus that it was going to stop long before Waterfront Station and that I would have to figure out what to do), I did gain a new appreciation for how hard it is to have to rely on transit. The buses are often late and they take a long time to get anywhere. They make frequent stops and have to move with the traffic. This means that it could take hours to get anywhere, adding a lot of time to an already long day of work. And if you miss the one you wanted to get, you have to wait for the next one, adding even more time.
Now that I’ve had one transit adventure, the next one will be easier. That’s how life works. The braver you are, the braver you get. The more you do, the more you want to do. I just hope that I have a wingman for my next trip. Time goes faster when you have someone to share it with.