Intro to Ukrainian buses

I'm not a blogger, but because I want to be successful in LIS 2600 at the University of Pittsburgh, today is my first trip on blogger.com. My blog will concern my obsession with public transit, primarily the bus.

I really enjoy using public transit, especially in European cities, Seattle, and Pittsburgh. I believe people take a good transportation system for granted. Having recently returned from Peace Corps service in Ukraine, I should know. In some ways, Ukrainian transit outshines American transit, which is embarrassing for the U.S. In other ways, American transit is heavenly compared to smelly, crowded, animal-toting buses left over from the Soviet era.

When entering a Ukrainian bus, it's not unusual to be pushed or resort to pushing. Elderly women will have no shame in shoving you anywhere on your body. On board, you'll smell onions, garlic, dill and the rich black earth of Ukraine. Some of these items are being transported; others have recently been eaten. A few buses I rode on seemed to have a reverse exhaust pipe, so that the diesel fumes entered instead of exited. If it's summer and bus is odorous and sweltering, you may decide to open the window. As you're doing so, you're probably wondering why the windows aren't already open. An older woman will probably shut the window for fear of catching cold from the draft. She may also berate you. I think this has been changing as more people realize sickness comes from germs, not wind.