Five minutes in one hour

Five minutes in one hour – that's how long a regular drive became when the drive became a walk. I normally take either the city bus to campus; if I'm feeling particularly lazy, or if I've woken up a little late, then I'll drive. (And I'll admit – I drive myself to the bus stop at UTC, though it is all of a ten-minute walking distance from my apartment.) So for the purposes of this field assignment, I chose to walk to campus on a Friday morning – and my five-minute drive became an hour-long walk.

I drive to campus because I could have made several round-way trips in the course of a one-way walk. I did get a great workout, walking to campus, and of course I saved on gas and prevented some emissions. The problem, then, becomes reaching a compromise between the two – how do I get to campus in a timely (and leisurely) manner, while still preventing as much damage as possible? My solution is in the transit system I utilize every day. The bus ride from UTC to UCSD is normally fifteen minutes – for short distances, the bus is an extremely convenient and environment-friendly option – not to mention the benefits of sitting, as well.

Hanna Choe