Another obervation of mine recently, wonder if it means anything?

[gimmethesimplelife]

Lately I have been noticing as I have been taking busses around Phoenix to run errands and to do secret shops that during normal (if there is such a thing any more) working hours, the majority of the people on the bus seem to be men. Seriously. I have been counting this and during the day - outside of normal office workers and students transit times - a good 75% of the bus riders seem to be men. And scruffy, down on their luck types for the most part.

I am thinking what I have read is true - these could well be the lost people - the casualties of structural changes in the economy. Is anyone else riding mass transit outside the regular commute times noticing this?

Rob

[reader99]

I've noticed that what I used to think were normal work hours are pretty meaningless on a larger scale. I'm in a place where a lot of the economy is tourist/hospitality. People work all kinds of shifts, day, evening, night, breakfast-though-lunch, dawn-through-checkout time. There are many, many retired people who come and go at will without the 9 to 5 thing having any impact. At home parents also come and go randomly.

To more directly address your point, where I live if you're on the bus it's because you either can't afford a car or lost your license (ignoring the car in the shop people and the green people). I believe that because of the stereotype of low-rent people riding the bus, women go to greater lengths than men do to try to get a ride instead of taking the bus. A woman alone does experience a certain vulnerability on public transit.

I know there are cities where public transit is more used and used by people from more walks of life, but where I am it's people who lack either a car or a license or someone to give them a ride.

[IshbelRobertson]

most of europe would grind to a halt without a good bus/train/tram service! most UK citieshave excellent, frequent bus services, as well as tube/underground.

I remember going to school and other passengers included WSs, accountants etc. Most people prefer not to drive as the parking can be difficult in city centres laid out in the Middle Ages :)

Edinburgh has decided, in it's wisdom, to rebuild the tram service it ripped out in the 60s... It's running years over scheduled completion and vastly over budget and has caused traffic mayhem for years...

[iris lilies]

most of europe would grind to a halt without a good bus/train/tram service! most UK citieshave excellent, frequent bus services, as well as tube/underground.

I remember going to school and other passengers included WSs, accountants etc. Most people prefer not to drive as the parking can be difficult in city centres laid out in the Middle Ages :)

Edinburgh has decided, in it's wisdom, to rebuild the tram service it ripped out in the 60s... It's running years over scheduled completion and vastly over budget and has caused traffic mayhem for years...

Is that the mess that had Princes Street torn up when I was last there? about 2009 it was.

[IshbelRobertson]

Yes..... It's an ongoing, ever more expensive white elephant >8)

[KayLR]

I would guess either they do not own a working vehicle or they've had their licenses revoked.

Related afterthought: I have a friend whose husband never lets her drive when they're together because he's afraid people will assume he's had his license revoked. Kind of paranoid, but whatever. I guess I made an assumption above.

[larknm]

No, but I notice more men during usual work hours hanging in the neighborhood or walking the streets.