Autumn Commuting
I live in Puxi but I need to get to my school in Kangqiao, Pudong. Here are my realistic commuting choices.
I could ride a bicycle for 20 minutes before boarding a company bus that takes me to school. It’s a good workout that increases my heart rate without having to find a spare hour to go the gym. I enjoy listening to podcasts as I see old people exercising on Xizang Lu at 7am. During the warmer months, I arrive at the bus stop dripping in sweat and it’s not good for days when it is raining. Overall, it is a good way to start the day. It’s totally free and my bike is ghastly to look at that it has not yet been stolen. There is a downside that I need to be organised to leave the house on time before 6.45 am. I cannot carry much, although I cycle with a Macbook over my shoulder. The bus is also getting crowded and I don’t have enough time to get ready for classes once I have arrived at school. The journey is an adventure, but I am sure I am going to have an accident one day. Other cyclists, taxis, buses and pedestrians are constantly surprising me.
Total journey time: 60 to 75 minutes
I could also take a taxi to the bus stop, which costs 15 RMB. There is often a fleet of taxis parked outside the hotel opposite my building early each weekday morning. The taxi drivers like to cherry pick long, expensive airport fares and a taxi ride deprives me of my morning workout.
Total journey time: 60 minutes
The quickest and most convenient way to work is to take the taxi from my appartment to school. It only takes 25 minutes and I get to daydream with my ipod until I arrive at school for an early start. The taxi fare is 45 RMB each way, which soon starts to add up if you take a ride alone everyday.
I have also experimented with taking a metro to Longyang Lu before taking a taxi to school. The taxi fare is 25 RMB from Longyang Lu, which is not a great saving considering it takes almost as long as getting the school bus. Changing crowded metros and finding a taxi are hassles I could do without.
Getting home is a different challenge. The bus leaves at 5pm, which gives me some time to get things done after school ends at 3.15 pm. On a good day, the bus can get back to Madang Lu in 35 minutes, but traffic jams and bad weather can double the journey time. Finding a taxi during rush hour is very challenging. I can walk home in 45 minutes or cycle home in 25 minutes. It is often dark and treacherous to cycle back, but I enjoy my ride around Lujiabang Lu’s back streets. You see old men fixing bikes and vendors selling food. I enjoy listening to podcasts and stopping off in DVD shops. It’s one of my favourite times of the day if I am not in a hurry and it is not raining.