SEPTA Olympic Gold Medalists
August 31, 2016
ISEPTAPHILLY
In August, we celebrated the Olympics SEPTA-style, by asking our riders what kind of feats they accomplished during their commute. Answers ranged from the stoic athletes (who prefer reading novels in the Quiet Ride Car) to the more acrobatic (giving up their seat on the bus, hanging on to the hand strap). We loved every response we received. So much so that we wanted to share it with you!
Here are just a few of our favorite responses...
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You know you are a true SEPTA pro when:
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When giving directions (to both SEPTA riders and non SEPTA riders), you don't use landmarks or cardinal directions. You use SEPTA stations, bus lines, and subway stops.
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You have perfected the "bus lean". (Peeking down the street to see if the bus is coming)
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You can tell the subway train is coming when it is about 2 stops away.
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You can rattle off at least 3 possible routes home
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You appreciate your fellow riders, a diverse and fascinating cast of characters.
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You hope to one day be the voice of SEPTA! ("Next stop, Lombard South.")
- Danielle
What I offer to you is my skill as a Fearless Rider. I will board any bus, any trolley and any regional rail, regardless of route or destination. I ride with bravery and curiosity. There is no service and no part of the Philadelphia region that I will not explore without SEPTA.
Call it SEPTA Roulette. Board from any (official) stop, at any time or on any day and let the SEPTA driver take you to magical and mysterious parts previously unknown. Deboard and reboard with reckless abandon. Mix and remix modalities. LUCY Green & LUCY Gold. Regional Rail, Trolley and High Speed Line. Bendy-bus & trackless trolley. El and subway. Suburban and urban. Casino Service and Nite Owls. Put your total trust in the system.
And I always ride with courtesy and generosity of spirit. Pass or exact fare? Always. I am a confirmed seat-obliger, trash-taker, and rear-exiter. I NEVER block doors. I am a citizen of SEPTA.
- Gary
I always take the inside seat so that someone else can sit down!
- Dana
I'm the Gold Medal winner in the tourist division. I visit your beautiful city several times a year and love SEPTA! I fly in and never get in a car for my whole visit. I have taught my grandchildren to be SEPTA athletes as well. We travel all over the city and on the regional rail to visit my daughter. It's so easy, even us country bumpkins have mastered it. Of course we cheat a little with some useful help from your Twitter account. But no PEDs, I promise. I'm looking forward to another visit in September. Have SEPTA pass, will travel.
- Denise
In the midst of the SEPTA train shortage, I always try to be mindful of others (both passengers & SEPTA employees) on the crowded trains. If I can, I offer my seat to someone less able-bodied, and give the conductors extra thanks. It's important to remember that we're all trying to get where we need to be, and being courteous makes it easier for everyone.
- Molly
What makes me a SEPTA pro is that I am the third generation to use SEPTA primarily as a way of transportation!!! I was raised by my grandmother and she used SEPTA to get around Philadelphia, taking me along with her. I still remember what Frankford Transportation Center used to look like! The bus drivers always knew us by name. It was a happy feeling to be on the bus.
- Tina
I stand at the same spot at the Norristown Transportation Center platform every morning, right behind the yellow line of course. I stand in that same spot every morning because I have figured out that when the train pulls up at 7:46, I don't ever stand there looking left to right, contemplating which train car is closer or has the smaller crowd or whichever one will get me on the train faster, because at my designated spot the open doors pull up right in front of me every morning without fail. Great way to start every day, feeling like a winner.
- Samantha
You know the feeling of having a SEPTA token in your pocket and just hopping on a bus to a new destination? As a new Philly resident, that's exactly how I've felt while exploring the city over the last couple of months. SEPTA makes Philly feel less like unfamiliar territory and more like a new home! As a newly minted Expert Schedule Reader and SEPTA Stop Finder, I know that I can take home the gold for these routines. In addition, I have recently mastered the art of Finding the Perfect Bus Seat and look forward to competing in any and all events the SEPTA team might ask of me. I'm a team-player with laser focus and a big heart!
- Beth
I've been a loyal rider since 1981 , having traveled via SEPTA almost every day since that time buses ,trolley and EL. Today my commute utilizes almost every mode of SEPTA travel, out the door to catch the 56 to the MFL, then to Suburban station to take the Regional Rail to my college , then back again to my job as a Philly Pretzel twister. 5 days a week , 3 round trips a day , bus ,train and regional. I show my gratitude everyday by being polite and considerate of staff and fellow passengers, always obeying the common courtesy rules of no eating , surrendering seats to elderly and women, not blocking aisles and moving to the rear. Thank you SEPTA, I couldn't do it without your service.
- William
Because my daily commute relies on both the El and NHSL, efficiency is everything to get to work and back home on time. I know exactly which El car and door at 13th St will leave me off right at the base of the steps at 69th St and which will leave me right at the exit turnstiles on 13th when I get on at 69th. When all you have is 1 minute to make a connection, every second is valuable. I keep my pass in hand, eye on the clock and navigate with precision.
- Stephen
Reading schedules like a boss because I represent my hometown of Philly, being an ultra quiet rider (so much so that nobody can hear me when I'm on the bus or any SEPTA vehicle for that matter) hanging and saddling those comfy bus straps like a cowboy when there's no seats available, transferring to multiple SEPTA vehicles and being extremely multi-modal, whether it be the El or the train, a bus or a plane, in the sun or the rain. I get it done, people.
- Janis
I am the SEPTA Olympian! My travels through the greatest City on Earth take me on every mode of communication from bus to train to light rail to tiny suburban buses. From just about anywhere in the City, I know at least two routes I can take and can transfer like NO one's business. I work within the rules: No bags on seats, earbuds, and quiet on the Quiet Ride Cars. I also help a lot of folks get their schedules and fares straight in my day-to-day! This is why I am the next SEPTA Olympian!
- Douglas
I am an artist and I create beautiful drawings while riding SEPTA. I don't know anyone who can hold a pen more steadily or draw more quickly than I can on a moving train! Every day I commute on the Norristown High Speed Line and the Market-Frankford Line to get to the office, and to Second State Press, a nonprofit art studio. Sometimes I spend about 12% of my day commuting on SEPTA. Drawing and reading make the time pass quickly. I think creative double tasking is worthy of a gold medal, and I certainly couldn't get as much done while driving. I would be happy to share drawings from my SEPTA Sketchbooks with the public upon request.
- Alice
Last but most certainly not least, we were graced with a poet in our array of athletes. This rider's rhetoric tugged at our heart strings and gave us pause to appreciate all of the great parts of this city that SEPTA makes accessible. We hope you'll love his lyrics as much as we did!
I ride SEPTA like birds do the wind
FROM one side of the city then back home again
Everyday FROM far northeast and down to the lower
The traffic on the highway couldn't be any slower.
Almost anywhere you go driving almost silly
Take a ride on SEPTA so you can really see PHILLY
Wanna see the Phillies BSL beats parking
Get yourself home before it even gets dark and
Down town Philly parking can be a little bit steep
Philadelphia mills helps me stay fly on the cheap.
The whole Philly metro is how SEPTA holds it down
Bus train subway trolley is the best way to get around!"
- Julian
Once you dry your eyes from the overwhelming joy of city pride, we now ask for your ideas!
In August, we invited you to submit recommendations for a SEPTA Route or service change to be considered for Fiscal Year 2018. But what about right now? Tell us what you would change or recommend that would positively effect service and ridership today. Submissions must be creative but also executable and sustainable. The top response will win an October Anywhere TrailPass. Ten lucky runner-ups will win one of our new ISEPTAPHILLY t-shirts. Ends 9/22.
Enter your ideas in our September contest here. Good luck!
