Abriana Martinez

Public Transportation
Growing up I did not take public transportation, but my parent did when they were younger. I always wondered why my parents preferred utilizing their own car now instead of using buses to get from place to place. So I decided to ask them and when I did they said it was simply more convenient to have their own car because it takes less time to travel from point A to point B.  My parents also said it is better to travel in your own car than the public bus because it is safer since they have had bad experiences with people stealing their belonging or being harassed on the bus. I grew up with this mindset that buses are not safe, but once I started college I decided to use buses more often to either buy groceries or travel to and from home. During the first year of college I had a hard time adjusting and would go home every weekend, but since my parents were busy with work and I didn't have a car, I took a bus to travel home on the weekends. I was very lucky to have friends who also went home on the weekends using public transportation and they showed me the ins and outs of what is a tap card and the different bus lines I can take to get home. Taking the bus was a bit scary because I wasn't sure if I was at the right stop sometimes and waiting for the bus in a sketchy area of LA for about 30 minutes was not fun. From this experience I realized that transfer and wait times for buses are pretty long and probably part of the reason why some people prefer using their cars instead of taking the bus. I would rather prefer just taking one bus that picks me up from school and straight to my house in Long Beach. Luckily UCLA transportation offers a Long Beach transit commuter line that goes to and from Long Beach from Westwood. I utilize this resource often to travel to and from school and I surprisingly I really enjoy traveling in the bus. While riding on the bus I would  usually catch up on homework or study and this was really convenient because on days where there was traffic on the freeway I would rather be catching up on schoolwork than be in my own car driving in stop and go traffic. However, I do feel there does need to be some drastic changes in our public transportation in order to make it more convenient for others to use. Possibly making it easier for others to use the public transportation system where there is less transfer and less wait times will lead to a shift were people rely more on public buses over their own cars to travel from place to place; therefore, reducing emissions which is better for our health and the environment. (below I attached a picture while I was on the Long Beach transit commuter line)

I'm here because I want to find ways in my life where I can be more sustainable and also reduce the amount of waste I produce. I've noticed that my family throws a lot of plastics and reusables utensils and plates in the trash. I haven't thought much about how my actions impact the environment and I hope to learn so much more about how I can make a difference. I'm guilty of trying to find ways to live a more convenient life and that often leads me to buying more disposable items which leads me to be very wasteful. Over the course of taking this class I've reduced my use of single-use plastics and I've also been more aware about my actions and the effects they have on the environment.
 
One of the main reasons that drives me to change the way I live is when I think about my younger cousins and future generations. I wonder what life will be like for them in the future and if they will they get to experience the same beautiful sceneries I've been able to so far. Instead of wondering if they will be able to have the opportunity to see some views, like hiking up Signal Hill to see the coast and city of Long Beach, I want to help in any way I can to help prevent future climate disasters so that my cousins and future generations will have the same chances and opportunities as me to enjoy nature. I want my cousins to be able to enjoy clear blue skies and not have to worry about dealing with the harmful effects past generations have left to them by being careless about their own actions. Although it seems impossible that my individuals actions can have an impact, I think by taking this class and making the effort to change my daily habits is a good first step.