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Top Ten Reasons to Ride Public Transportation When You Travel
I was told not to leave the airport for any reason. But I did!
It was 1982. I had never flown on an airplane, traveled alone, or been to a foreign country other than Canada. I was eighteen. But in May of ’82, I boarded a plane that flew from Buffalo, New York to Los Angeles, California. Then, I flew from LA to Tokyo, Japan. My father, who had traveled during his time in the USAF, told me not to — under any circumstances — leave the airport. I called my dad and mom when I was on the ground in LA, in the airport. And then, I left the concourse and proceeded to board a bus, blatantly disregarding his advice.
What he didn’t know, and I didn’t tell him until I safely arrived home, was that I had to go from one set of buildings to another to board my international flight. The international planes, including JAL, or Japan Airlines, were located on another tarmac, necessitating the bus ride. That’s how it was in 1982.
Not to worry. I made my flight, got to Japan, met my then, boyfriend, and took a bullet train from Narita International Airport to a US Air Force base an hour away from Tokyo.
Buses and bullet trains were my first experience with taking public transportation when I traveled. And, I’ve continued to do so over the last…
