For my fieldwork assignment I experienced 2 different ways of getting to
school. I live in a suburban area, and do not have access to public
transportation anywhere near my home, and am forced to get to school by
personal vehicle. While my typical route is taking the 5 south, in my
fieldwork, I examine the other routes available to me, and why I choose
to take the route I do.
I "Changed Tracks," two different ways, in which I was able to look at
transportation from a different perspective, and measure time by
traveling in different routes. I carpooled with my father two days in a
row, one in which I realized he took almost the same route as I do on a
daily basis, but gets off an exit before my normal exit. The drive took
almost the same amount of time, yet I was able to get out of the car
sooner, because I was dropped off when carpooling, and did not have to
deal with finding parking which at times may take 30 minutes. Even
though I had to leave 2 hours prior to my class time to accommodate my
father's schedule, which was during peak traffic hours, the freeway drive
was not that much longer to when there is no traffic. The following day I
asked my father to take a different route that we both never use. This
drive along the coast was indeed beautiful, but did take longer.
I enjoyed carpooling because it was cost efficient. However I was on a
time crunch, feeding my father's schedule, and getting up earlier which
resulted in me getting tired sooner throughout the day. I also had to
bring and carry all of my school materials, rather than using my car as a
storage area.
I enjoyed this project because it was active, and I was able to have
first hand experience. This made me realize how dependent I am on my own
vehicle, and how much it costs to maintain it (car, gas, parking pass).
Yet also showed me how independent I am when it comes to having my own
schedule.
Stephanie Shkolnik
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