Thursday, 23 August 2007 - 3:34 PM MDT

What a colorful bus with colorful people!

Saturday, 25 August 2007 - 1:34 PM MDT

The bus experience on the Red Apple Transit was somewhat of a different experience.  I have lived in Aztec my whole life and spent a lot of time in Farmington throughout those 21 years so there really wasn't anything that I noticed about Farmington that was new to me.  I didn't have any idea that there were as many stops as there were, that there were various routes and that there were as many Red Apple Transit buses as there were.  I completely agreed with Tyson that the system seemed to be very unorganized and it could have been much better with a few small changes (including route maps at stops and on buses and a color coded system showing different routes).  The bus didn't seem like it was a bad means of transportation.  It was cheap to ride and it went to most of the important places in Farmington and it even has a few stops in Aztec (I guess because I didn't get to see the other routes).  But, the bus just isn't practical because so much time would be wasted getting from stop to stop and the in between time that one would have when dropped off an hour before schedule or wating for the bus to get to the stop.  It is much quicker for a busy person to drive straight to the intended stop and arrive minutes early and then drive straight home so that time is maximized and one can get the most work done.  It was an enjoyable assignment because it was different than the usual lecture and in class assignment.  

Saturday, 25 August 2007 - 5:24 PM MDT

The bus experience was definitely educational.  It definitely helped me to realize of how greatful I am to have a car.  I was sitting in the back of the bus.  Where I was sitting there was not very much ventilation AT ALL!  I was surprised that the Red Apple had grown to have many stops, and a place where you able to change busses for different routes.  However, I am in consensus that it was VERY disorganized.  If I had not known that I was making a round trip I would not have known where or when I would be getting off the bus.  With as much money that the city has put into it I was disappointed.  Our bus was full of our class.  Our class did not seem to be lost for words, however the people that joined us were.  I think they were probably in shock from the noise, and the amount of people that were actually riding.  The advantages of riding on the Red Apple were I, myself, was not stressing about traffic, and I was able to have a conversation with someone besides myself.  If I did need transportation and I did not have my car I am now fully aware of the possiblity of riding the Red Apple.

Saturday, 25 August 2007 - 10:23 PM MDT

Riding the Red Apple bus was a de ja vue experience on so many different levels for me. It brought back memories of days long ago, when I rode the bus in order to pay my bills. I remember listening to other passengers recall their daily tasks. I remember that other passengers on the bus kept to them selves.

I remember the smell of the Red Apple bus was the same as that city bus of yesterday. The smell was of cigarette smoke that had tried to be covered up by a cleaner or an air freshener. It is always interesting that a smell become a trigger to a memory.

Riding the Red Apple reminded me also that people often respond differently according to the situation that they are placed in. When the bus that we were in had a friendly, talkative driver, then the riders on the bus were likewise friendly and talkative. Midway through the trip, we changed drivers. The new driver was gruff and short tempered, and as a result, the passengers were quiet and compliant.

I think that this is a great lesson for our classroom. If we are to expect a positive response to our students, then we must also remain positive.

Sunday, 26 August 2007 - 8:30 PM MDT

Riding the Little Red Apple was quite an experience for me (HOT).  I have never rode on a city bus or any public transportation.  I have always had access to my car or a family members' car.  And now I have a little more appreciation for my car and how reliable it is. 

If my car did ever break down the Little Red Apple could be a possibilty for me.  Many of the stops would make sense for a college student (college, library, civic center, ect.).

 However, I do agree with Tyson that it could be a little more organized with the help of a map and color coding.

Monday, 27 August 2007 - 8:52 AM MDT

The bus ride itself was fairly uneventful.  Places and events outside the bus reflected the ordinary, everyday lives of people.  What made the ride more interesting was the humanity within the bus, excluding ourselves.  Total strangers conversed together, regardless of gender or culture.  Conversation seemed to create a sense of community or at least served to establish unspoken boundaries. 

Wednesday, 29 August 2007 - 1:29 PM MDT

When I was a young girl our transportation was the Continental Trailways bus and we rode it maybe once a month.  Which ever child was the best behaved my mother would take them from Sheep Springs to Farmington.  For me the ride was a trip to another place and time, my eyes sure looked at everything with wonder.   We didn't have a car when I was young and I was raised by a single mother so the bus got us places.  

Riding the Red Apple Bus sure brought back memories of long ago.  I remember getting bus sick from the fumes of the bus and fumes of other people who were strangers.  It's always fascinating to see the people who ride the bus and this trip was full of minorities.  Very little talking was shared and they knew their own businesses.  Of course I found that having a good driver is part of enjoying the bus ride.  I really didn't see any slums or graffiti written on walls but I found one area I wouldn't get off the bus at. 

I'm glad to see that the city has transportation for people who would use this system and that many of the stops are close to businesses.   I have noticed that the bus goes into Kirtland also, making this mode of transportation accessible to many people in the Four Corners, is the right thing to do.   

Wednesday, 29 August 2007 - 4:08 PM MDT

I really enjoyed the ride on the Red Apple. This was my second time riding on the Red Apple. One day I didn't have my car and needed a way to get to school, so I found the Red Apple Transit in the phonebook. I even discovered that they will pick you up from your house and take you to your destination for two dollars.

 This ride was different from my first, in that it had other people riding. I most enjoyed talking to the various people who were riding the bus. I was shocked at how talkative everyone was. I would have thought the opposite, but people were more than willing to talk to us. 

I was also surprised at the many stops the bus made. I found it interesting that the bus didn't stop in more wealthier parts of Farmington, or maybe that is a different route.

 Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of getting out of the classroom and viewing Farmington in a different way. 

Wednesday, 29 August 2007 - 9:07 PM MDT

It was interesting to read some of the postings on the blog.  While I realize that the logistics of a bus system are something that most of us education majors don't understand, and there are some good improvements that we see that could occur, we are looking at this experience from someone that has their own transportation.  I thought that I would try to see the system from the point of view of a person that can not afford a car.  To us that seems impossible, but there are many people out there that can't.  I noticed that there was not a single caucasion person that tried to get on our bus.  Every one of the potential riders was a minority.  Because of the hassle of riding the Red Apple they must be desperate for transportation.  Our route did not take us to the less desirable parts of Farmington.  Those are still hidden from those of us in this class.  I think that we need to be able to look at the system that creates the desperate need for these people to navigate and plan their day around the arrival of the bus.  As teachers we need to understand that not eveyone will be able to go to UNM.  Many won't want to, but many more will want to and not be able to.  Does that make us special.  It just makes us a minority.

Wednesday, 29 August 2007 - 10:27 PM MDT

Riding the Red Apple Transit was an gut twirling experience for me. It brought back to reality that I get car sick.  I haven't ridden in the back of a vehicle in a long time and now I remember why.  Sitting in the back of the bus without air made my stomach whirl.  Trying to write my observations made it even worse.  After I moved up front with the air blowing on me, I felt better able to observe. 

I am pretty familiar with Farmington so the areas we visited were not new to me.   It was interesting to learn the bus runs to Kirtland, Bloomfield, and Aztec. 

I am not shy, but I am not one to strike up a conversation with someone I don't know.  It amazed me the freedom that others have to do that.  I can't help but wonder if it is always like that or if we changed the status quo?  It would stand to reason that a community would develop overtime if the people remain the same as was evidenced by the first group on our bus.   

Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 11:28 AM MDT

Our bus ride through Farmington was interesting. There were 14 stops including our final destination of the UNM parking lot. We had 4 people get on the bus throughout the trip. My seat partner and I noticed that all of the people were minorities. Maybe this could be because of the stops that are on the route we took. Aren't there different routes throughout the area? Maybe we would find a different set of people riding a different route. We found this interesting. None of our joiners spoke to any of us, they were quiet and just rode along. We might have been a little intimidating, being a full bus and the fact that we were all talking. The fee didn't seem to bad at all.

 One thing for certain, the bus driver we had to begin with was very rude, not only to us but also to the people that would be getting on at each stop. She was very annoyed about having to take us around the route! If I had no mode of transportation and needed to take the Red Apple Transit I wouldn't have a problem with it, the bus was clean and the people that got on weren't scary or anything. The problem I would have and probably have to tell her about was the bus driver! Customer Service she was NOT good at!!! She didn't drive very well either, my seat partner and I were a little queasy by the time we got back to our parking lot. Oh well, it was an adventure I didn't expect to be going on during class last week!

Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 11:49 AM MDT

     The ride on the Red Apple Transit was interesting.  I had no idea that there were half of the stops that we went to.  I wish that they would advertise and establish a better organized system though.  If they put up maps at each stop setting out a route and which line it was it may help with their success.  It is surprising that this has not been done yet, the system has been in place for well over a year now.  You would think that if funding is the issue they could have held fundraisers or found donations by now.  It was a bit disappointing because I think that many more people would utilize the service if they were aware of it.  I only counted 8 people that tried to get on with us, and 3 of the 8 decided to wait for the next bus.  This was another thing that I was upset about.  I felt bad when we stopped at the Social Security building.  Two women, one middle aged and one elderly, dicided to wait for the next bus.  It was a very hot day and there was liitle to no shade for them to wait under.  I felt bad because we were only there for an experiment and did'nt really need the transportation, we may have thrown off some of the regular patrons whole schd. for the day.        

Friday, 31 August 2007 - 10:20 AM MDT

Yes, Ben, it was a different kind of assignment and one that I hoped would be a beneficial one on a lot of different levels. What I kept thinking about when riding is how many people do not have the convenience of cars in Farmington to drive to where they need to get to? The bus could cut down on people not using their car to get to work-even though it may be a little inconvenient - to become more ecologically minded, especially in the global warming crisis we are in. The next question I ask myself is, would I use the Red Apple Transit to save on gas emissions and pollution and to do my ecological part?

Next time you see me ask me if I drove or got to UNM via Red Apple Transit, OK!-).......................Frances

Friday, 31 August 2007 - 11:04 AM MDT

Tyson, you bring up two interesting points: the transit is not publicized and I wonder why? Is it considered a stigma- for lower socioeconomic level riders - to ride? I did observe different people riding the bus we were on. Secondly, your sensitivity and understanding reflected toward those who may have been inconvenienced because of our class trip outing. I wonder about what the busdrivers see daily and the clientelle they serve? This may involve more rides on a regular basis. A visual map of the routes in more visual places would not be a bad idea. Do you think the city does not want to advertise it or promote it too much? For what reasons, I wonder?-) Thank you, Tyson........Frances

Friday, 31 August 2007 - 11:51 AM MDT

Shawna, you picked up on the same observation that annoyed me about the bus experience-the bus driver!

First of all, such a bus driver does not represent the Red Apple Transit as a positive customer service experience. Secondly, I wonder if she can get away with that kind of attitude on the bus because of the majority of clientelle it serves. When I first interacted with the bus driver the day of our class, I felt uncomfortable leaving you in the hands of such an 'attitudinal' bus driver. I did not want her to take her frustration or iritation out on any of you. Then I thought there was strength in numbers and all of you would be clever enough to handle whatever came up!

Although I cleared our ride with the Red Apple Transit authorities, our bus driver was not told about the 15 extra people converging on her bus. The way she handled herself during our conversation was not very professional nor complimentary of Red Apple Transit. I thought this was a great learning opportunity because things like this happen during scheduled field trips. (I chided myself on not having called that morning once again just to make sure they knew our class would be riding!) It is the way you deal with the unexpected that determines successful outcomes. So I tried to be polite and understanding and problem-solve the situation.

The interesting thing happened after our class. I was leaving the building and I saw the familiar Red Apple Transit bus coming toward the pick-up spot and I recognizing the driver as the driver as the one just mentioned above. I automatically smiled and waived to her out of familiarity. She smiled and waived back. Yes, riding the Red Apple Transit was a great learning experience about communication, diplomacy and humanity!-)....................Frances

Friday, 31 August 2007 - 2:30 PM MDT

Wow!!? I'm never riding the red apple express ever again. The smell was unbearable. Oh! I forgot that was me. I can't believe that their was actually people on the bus. The bus fare wasn't bad at all. 50 cents. From what I saw there are alot of apartments around the red apple bus route. We passed the village apartments where I use to live. The bus I rode didn't have a variety of characters except for danny which we both conversed about Vegas. Mostly, about X-rated events. I enjoyed the ride even though it was hot. I'm grateful that I have a vehicle that runs.

Wednesday, 5 September 2007 - 11:48 AM MDT

I didn't enjoy the bus ride it was hot and took too long to get 
from a to b. It seems to be a good altenative if you don't have a car 
but I would ride my bike before riding the bus again. I personally 
didn't see anything new while riding around on the bus; I guess I've 
lived here too long. One thing that amazed me was the amount of stops 
the bus made on one route; it would take forever to get somewhere. 

During our ride I observed only Native Americans and Hispanics getting 
on and of the bus. I wonder if the riding diversity changes at 
different times of the day, probably not. 

Wednesday, 3 October 2007 - 8:51 PM MDT

Hello everybody! This is the very late blog for class on Septmebr 13th. I apologize, I flaked out on this one!

 Anyways, to the point:

For class on 9/13 we met for our first visit and introduction at Apache in Charlotte Bradshaw's classroom. She has a full house and her class with us in it seems to be bursting at the seams! But we had a great visit and met in small groups to introduce oursleves to some of the students.

Then we left and met at the SJC Smart Lab at 2:30pm. After much discussion as to where exactly the Smart Lab was we all seemed to make it to the right place! Hear we learned how and formed our very own Tripod Blog web pages. It wasn't too terribly painful and I survived the experience as did everyone else, I am not a "web genius". Haha, go figure!!

 Well folks, that is the late update of class on 9/13.

See you in class.     Shawna

Tuesday, 16 October 2007 - 9:03 PM MDT

I have finally figured out where to do this.  I keep going into the wrong site all the time and ... oh well, youi get the picture as the studernt story teller said.

I was mostly uncomfortable about taking up all the spaces on the Red Apple when people actually needed to ride it.  After all, for years that was me.  This is the first place I have ever lived that has such a sorry excuse for a bnus system.  Even the little town of 7,000. I moved into in 1981 began putting together a real bus system by the late 1980s and now has a city wide system.  For many years my husband and I had to consider public transit before renting apartments.  There is generally a job center with good transport in a community so you just need to make sure that where you lie is on that transportation line.  It is important that young people in a community get used to riding the bus sos that when they are further from home they have that as one option. 

I spend time in all the places that are on the Rd Apple route including the routes not taken by us, such as the hosopital and the welfare office, the recycling center, the PMS clilnic.  My SES is very different these days than when I was growing up or when I was raising my own children.