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Anna M.

About me:

My name is Anna and I’ve been riding TriMet since 1999. I am a digital marketing consultant to small businesses and non-profits. I love consignment shopping, photography, music, cats, speaking in German, and butterscotch pie.

“I am 37 and have never owned a car.”

Why I ride:

I grew up all over the East Coast and Germany, so living in areas where public transportation was well-established became an essential part of my lifestyle as I became an adult. You see, I am 37 and have never owned a car. I started using buses, streetcars and subways when I was 12, and even then, younger kids were too.

Thirteen years ago, when I was tired of big city life in Chicago, I decided I wanted to move to the West Coast. When I found out that Portland had the most progressive public transportation system in the U.S., it sealed the deal for me.

When I was considering purchasing a modest condo in Northeast, I took the bus to the property to make sure there was adequate access to public transportation. Since there was a bus stop on the corner, that was even more incentive to purchase the place I was considering. Instead of paying for a car, gas and insurance over the years, I was able to make a down payment on a home.

TriMet has helped me get to work for many years. I work from home and take the bus or MAX whenever possible, though it’s not as frequent any more. Occasionally, I’ll meet my other car-less friend downtown who lives in Beaverton and also takes the MAX in so we can visit.

A TriMet story:

I was on a bus recently where we had driven by some kind of police activity. The driver remarked, “You couldn’t pay me enough to do that job!” and I thought, “Wow! You drive a bus, which is one of the most challenging jobs in the city!” I suppose everything is relative.

My advice to other riders:

Some advice for fellow riders: cover your mouth when coughing; don’t put your feet where people sit (my number one pet peeve); keep your bags in your lap when the bus starts to get full; when buses begin to reach maximum capacity, you can stand in the section past the back stairs to make room for others; and exit out the rear door, especially downtown.

Other forms of transportation I use:

Amtrak train, airplanes and the occasional rental car. And boats for whale watching, if I’m lucky.

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