City Faux Pas

When I'm visiting a city, I try to look as much like I belong there as possible. That's why I leave my fanny pack at home. But sometimes, you just look like a tourist with your backpack, tennis shoes, and camera. I understand that. While on vacation, I often try to talk to local people to find cool restaurants or off the beaten path things to do.

Now that I live in the city. I most definitely want to let people think that I know what I'm doing. Even when I don't. I walk through the metro like I know which direction I'm supposed to go and which train I'm supposed to get on. Even if I'm checking the Metro app on my phone, it's not obvious to the outsider that I'm completely lost.

I know the metro system pretty well. I ride it nearly every day. I often meet up with friends on lines I don't normally travel. But I don't know the bus system at all.

A few weeks ago, a coworker and I went to visit a school for something related to our job and we were at a place where taking the metro back to the office was going to be a bit out of our way. (we took metro from our homes to the school). I google-mapped us the best route to get back to the office and it said to take a bus. And it told me how to get to the bus stop. We found the stop without a problem. And then we waited. After no buses went by us (like 10 minutes) I call the number on the stop and find out that the buses have been rerouted and don't pass by that stop anymore. Ugh!

So we end up taking the metro and it was pretty quick in the end. But it was my first attempt at the bus system and it was an utter failure.

Last week, the same coworker and I were to visit another school. We were going to use the agency cars (like zip car system), but it was going to be a pretty big waste of time to go pick them up. So we were set to take the metro to Chinatown and then hop a bus from there.

Seeing as the only buses we had really taken in DC up to this point were to Georgetown, this was definitely a different experience.

We got on the bus, and we definitely stood out. Of course I seemed a little green because I asked the bus driver if the stop we needed was indeed on that bus's route. She confirmed, and then I walked right past her. I completely forgot to pay! So I went back to pay.

Definitely a greenie move.

But that's not even the worst of it.

As we continued to venture into less familiar territory, I was checking the maps app on my phone to make sure that we got off at the correct stop. As we got near the stop, I informed my coworker and she requested a stop.

Then to our chagrin, my phone said, "Get off at the next stop" clear enough for several smirks and chuckles. Oh man! I didn't realize that my phone talked to me when I was navigating on a bus route. It was pretty embarrassing. But what can you do? Laugh it off, and chalk it up to experience.

The next time I ride a DC bus, I'll know to turn the sound off as I'm tracking our route!