College is not only about figuring out where you want to go in life, it’s also about how you want to get there.
And how are you supposed to do that if you don’t have a car at your disposal?
I’m sure there’s some overrated metaphorical value in that question, but I don’t mean to hurl clichés at you. I meant it literally. Literally, how do you do this “independent and supposedly functional adult starting college in a new town” thing without your own car?
Speaking as a 21-year-old who doesn’t even have a license because she’s too terrified of controlling things with wheels, I promise you it’s entirely possible to live and function in Gainesville with nothing but pixie dust, faith and trust in the relatively good transportation services available to us.
Of course, all journeys start with the right phone app.
Google Maps is the holy soil I chose to build my house on. The app has a way of figuring out where I want to go even when all I know about the place is that the street name starts with an N.
If you choose the “get there by bus” option instead of the default “get there by car,” the app will give you all available bus routes to your destination, as well as predicted arrival times for the buses.
Yes, I did say “buses.” Use them.
Via: wordpress
Gainesville students are free to use RTS buses at no cost, just make sure to present your student ID to the drivers of single- or double-digit routes, which are the ones that go off the UF campus.
On-campus routes won’t usually require IDs, although some drivers may ask to see yours if they are picking you up from stops close to off-campus apartment complexes. I’m sure that by this point you’ve already been brainwashed by university administration and their horror stories about what can happen to you if you don’t have your student ID with you at all times, so yeah, the easy answer is to just always carry your ID.
There are a few ways to keep track of Gainesville buses and stops.
I just mentioned Google Maps. You can also go to the RTS website and download the bus route maps. If you are a UF student, you can track the on-campus buses through the UF phone app. This app also offers a lot of other pertinent UF information, including but not limited to opening hours for dining places and libraries, and an interactive campus map. However, it is the Transloc Rider app that ends up being most people’s weapon of choice.
Let me tell you something about this app, though. You know how it’s supposed to tell you how long it will take for a bus to get to the stop? Save yourself the heartache and ignore those numbers.
They have the lovely tendency of going from 20 minutes to 3 minutes in less than a second or vice-versa. Instead, track your bus in real time via the arrow designating it on the map and head to the stop when the arrow is getting close.
Via: transloc
Know your route. Your driver is probably going to drive right past your stop one day, and then he/she may refuse to let you off until they get to the next stop.
Still, be nice to drivers. Say good morning and thank you because I’m sure your mother raised you well. It’s also useful to be in good terms with the drivers of your favorite routes in case you forget your student ID one day, or if you ever need the bus to wait for you as you come running down to the stop very late and in your superhero pajama bottoms.
Now, I know you have probably heard this one before, but let me repeat it: avoid walking alone at night.
Don’t be the subject of one of the GPD text message alerts that will wake me up at 4 a.m. — just don’t do it. If you can’t get a ride with friends, there are a few options for you.
SNAP (Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol) is a nightly, student-run, free transportation service. You can contact them through the SNAP phone app and a driver will pick you up from any of their campus stops and drop you off at another. This works very well if you are living in one of the UF campus dorms.
Via: thebrunettediaries
The Later Gator RTS routes are also free for students and some do go off campus. You can keep track of the late-night routes through the Transloc Rider app.
When all of that fails, there is, of course, Uber. This is probably your best shot if you need to travel too far away from downtown and the main UF campus. This is a paid service though, unlike the others. Recommend the Uber phone app to your friends to get discounts.
Finally, make car friends. Car friends are important. They are, quite obviously, friends who own cars. As self-sufficient as you tell yourself you are, I promise you it’s better to have a trunk when you go grocery shopping.
This is how I’ve been able to survive. It has worked pretty well so far, with a few hiccups along the way. But, oh well, the best stories are born when you find yourself stranded on the side of the road, right?
Featured photo courtesy of: asset-econometrics.nl
