I was in elementary school when my Grandma Breitweiser showed me how to take the Santa Monica bus. She gave me a bus token and explained about the bus stop. She taught me to stand up when I saw the bus coming so the bus driver would know I wanted to get on the bus. Otherwise the bus driver might think we were just resting on the bench. She taught me where to put the token in the machine that counts the money. Then it was time to learn how to hold onto the bars and how to pull the cord to let the bus driver know to stop at the next bus stop. The bus passes by bus stops when no one wants to get off and there is no one to pick up at the bus stop.

I started taking the bus to and from school in junior high school. I continued taking the bus in high school until I got a car. Now I'm exploring much more of the LA County public transit system than I ever did when I grew up in Santa Monica. It all started with that very first bus ride all those years ago.

There was a time when people in wheel chairs couldn't take the bus because there was no way to get on the bus in the wheel chair. Now busses can kneel to make that first step lower. Busses have folding ramps to help wheel chairs get onto busses. Once the person in the wheel chair is on the bus, there are folding seats to make room for the wheel chair. There are hooks and seat belts available on different busses to secure the person and the wheel chair.

Many things that have changed over the years to make public transit available to everyone. People with documented disabilities can even get discounted fares on public transit to help ease the cost of getting around town. I'm proud of the advances people have made in this world. Equality is on the way.