riding the bus to work, irrational or not?

Since 5th June, the date when most Malaysians were probably on a new resolution in cutting cost with the recent 40% petrol price hike, I have started using public transport to go to work.

it wasn't an easy task. not when you live in the suburbs.

my parents disapproved my decisions. but not to the extend of standing between the bus steps and me. my dad gave some weird tone when he uttered "naik bas??!!" and my mom pleaded, "ala adik, naik seringgit dua je, takpe la. tak payah naik bas".

an infamous spoilt quitter, I wanted to be a little bit determined this time around.

so I did.

took the 7.30am Metrobus from Taman Bidara Selayang (RM2.50), and stopped at Chow Kitt monorail station. Took the monorail from Chow Kitt to KL Sentral (RM2.50). Arrived at the office around 9.30am.

It usually took me 30 mins drive from my house to my office at Plaza Sentral.

but since the bus goes around Selayang, up to Sentul, Jalan Ipoh, and Chow Kitt, not to mentioned the PEAKEST hour to ride the monorail train at 8.30am, it took about 2 hours using Public Transportation.

a friend mentioned once, Life is either saving money and wasting time, or wasting money to buy time.

I went home with Muid. Thanked god I have a brother who works on flexible hours.

The next day was a Friday, I drove becos I needed to get back early for my Friday night plans.

Monday and Tuesday, used the bus, this time around, got down at Central Market and then took the LRT from CM to KL Sentral (RM1). Much cheaper and better that way. I talked to my sister on Tuesday, and apparently my parents have been reporting of this unusual activity to her.

The parents' perception was, "Adik tu dah broke sangat, langsung takde duit, sampai terpaksa naik bas".

I was like, "WTF?! Yong, kalau adik takde duit, how would I even pay for the bus fare???"

My sister told me that it is somewhat of an irrational decision. My mom told me that her clerks who are earning less than I am, still continue using the car. Some people told me, its just development, its normal, what am I trying to prove by ditching my convenience of driving to work?

Riding the bus is nothing new to most of us. Nothing new to me as well. My final semester in UiTM was completed with daily travels from Sg. Besi to Shah Alam commuting via bus and commuter trains. Those long long hours of standing if you couldn't get the seat, the odour from other people, etc etc etc.

Development and convenience, I do cherish them a lot. Heck, I pay for my car monthly, of course I want to use it as often as I could until it runs down (god forbids that happen on an empty highway at 2am!)

Just to think, a single mother, who works as a tea lady to support her 3 kids, rides the bus every single day to work.

Why should it be a trouble for me to ride a bus? Why is it irrational? Just becos I'm a single middle-class income earner who owns a car and run with the hip yuppies in KL?

I don't see why we should avoid some facilities just to fit in with development, social class and convenience. Of course I understand convenience. I know how convenient it is to drive and sing in the car while driving.

Riding the bus is fun too. I get to watch people from all walks of life. I get to observe. I get to feel the dirt. I get to sweat a little. Yes, I do admit, I get to smell their odour too.

But I don't agree how it should be deemed as an irrational decision.

I still drive to work (like today when I woke up at 8am and it took me 30 mins to stare at the water as if it would boil hot for my convenience). But I do enjoy taking the bus too.

A friend said, if I lasted 6 months, I'm a "wanita yang tabah".

Its not about lasting how many months or whenever.

Its more for me. How I perceive life. To be able to look at life from different angles. Life is not only about social status and convenience. I want to be able to save the same gratitude I have for the person who drives the bus I'm sitting on, as same as the bar tender who mixed my drinks (okay, awkward moment there). But yeah. Thats just me.

so, if making this decision shows the irrational part of abby, I guess sanity is overrated.