I used to be a little uncomfortable about riding the bus because of the unique people that rode it. However, it wasn't long before I became comfortable riding the bus and unaffected by the different types of people on the bus. I've become so used to the diversity that I encounter on the bus that I don't really even notice what other types of people ride it.

Bus rides are generally pretty diverse. Nowhere else in my daily routine am I among such a diverse variety of people. The types of people at my job all share some similarities with each other, just like the people at the grocery store mostly come from the same neighborhood. However, the bus goes through many neighborhoods and takes people to and from many different types of jobs, stores, schools, and other places.

On the buses I ride to and from work, the vast majority of people seem to be regular working folk. I ride through downtown, so when I first get on, going toward downtown, most of the people are white-collar office workers who all get off as the bus goes through downtown. Then, the bus starts filling up with people who work in the industrial areas south of downtown where I work.

When Lesley and I ride the bus on the weekend or during the week, we encounter different types of people, depending on the time of day, neighborhood, and direction of the bus. When we ride toward the University District, the buses often consist of a lot of college students. When we ride to Capitol Hill, the bus has a lot of young hipsters and sometimes some possibly homeless people. Buses heading into downtown generally seem more diverse.

However, I've realized that the types of people on the bus don't really make a difference. Nobody ever bothers us and sometimes strange people can make the ride interesting. Like the guy on one bus who was listening to music intently and chanting "marijuana" every so often. Riding the bus has become a diverse, interesting, and integral part of city life for us.