My apologies, dear MARTA.

MARTA? I love you now.

I've been talking about how much I love living here in the heart of the city, how I can park my car and just walk anywhere. But I never really realized until today how convenient MARTA is for us in-city folks too. It almost makes me wish I had voted yes on the TSPLOT issue. (Heh. Almost.) *grin*

I had an appointment in downtown Atlanta today and though I know Midtown like the back of my hand now, Downtown still kind of makes me nervous (even though it's only 2 miles away!). I drove past my appointment place on my way to work today just to see where it was. There was just SO much, so many buildings and offices and weird street turns and bright lights and all that to this non-acclimated girl. But knowing the general area after that, it gave me a general idea that: Hey! There's a MARTA train stop somewhere there. Somewhere real close, even. I think?

Time to learn these things, chica.

So when I had to go to my appointment hours later (after driving by hours earlier and knowing my geography), I took a chance and ditched my car and high heels for flats and walked the few blocks to my well-known train station just blocks away instead. And I got off at the station that I thought would be the correct one. Maybe? Hopefully? And realized after I did? I only had to walk about another five paces tops (no joke!) to get to the building I needed. Score! MARTA? Thank you.

And then a few hours later, back home safely and easily from that same system, I planned to meet up with friends and wanted to have a beer or two. I know I could drive there easily (have before). But planning to have a beer or two and if I didn't have to? Why even do it, right? So I took a chance that if I figured it out once, I could do it again. I walked back to my now beloved MARTA station, waited for my train and woah! Low-and-behold! Randomly ran into a friend who was going too! To meet the same group at the same place...we both ended up at the same station at the same time to catch that train, too, neither of us knowing before then we had both planned to be there tonight. But somehow got there at the same time to catch the same train.

I love living in the city.

An extra bonus is that gentleman friend? Who I seriously ran into randomly on my way there? Also left with me at the end of the night too. And we seriously could not shut up talking the entire way home. Such an unexpected pleasure. One I could not have had alone if I had chosen to drive there -- in my car, alone -- instead.

So, yeah. I apologize, MARTA. You're not all that bad. You're even pushing GOOD.

I even talked with a nice lady on the way home from my appointment earlier in the day. She took the seat next to me and warned me about the panhandler who stepped on who (in her words) "is always on this route!" And we ended up talking about other things too. Just life, the Olympics, her kids...for all of my two stops. :) All of these places today were only two stops from home. But for those two random stops this time, I met a stranger and just *talked.* And we both even laughed once or twice.

How often do you do that in your car alone?

In a world where we just drive in our own cars from here to there and wonder why we can't meet new people or make new contacts? I'm beginning to love again the unexpected bonus a public transportation system can actually mean. To meet new people or learn how much you really like the people you already have in your life? Seriously.

I'm so going to use you more often, my friend.

My apologies, dear MARTA.

Next week I may even try your buses. *grin*

Maybe.