An inspiring little encounter I had today in waiting at the Balmoral Terminal opposite UofW for the free bus that takes me home within 4 blocks, when I am just between two free buses that would take me door-to-door, which isn't worth waiting for over 10 minutes when I am perfectly able to walk, part of the way or all the way.

A bus driver was sitting on the outside bench near the shelter taking his roller blades off.  As I have gone to work by folding bicycle (to fit into metropolitan commuter trains part of the way) or on roller blades (in case of tolerant employers) over many years, while living in New Jersey, I sat down beside the driver and asked him if he knew about the premium roller blades that can be taken off in one jerk, because the wheel carriage is a separate part from the shoe part that is good enough for walking indoors.  I had found that because of the overhead of changing between shoes and roller blades, only runs of more than half an hour are worth doing on skates, for me at my age.  He knew about that, but pointed out that he has roller blades with big 3" wheels, that permit him to go very fast and make up the the time lost in changing over.

I asked about rainy wheather, and I think he told me that in such a case he takes the bike rather.  He doesn't go on roller blades in the winter.  But he is proud of not getting fat like many bus drivers - and taxi drivers, I guess, I was one of them in my first year after immigration.  My thanks to the enterprising and communicating bus driver who makes active transportation a science!  I hope he doesn't mind the anonymous publicity.  I think he is not the type who would, and his employer no doubt would credit him for pursuing transportation all the way.