Basic Public Transport Tips for Singles (LRT Only) Part 1/2

Colleague: Hey pohpiah, how do you get to work everyday?

pohpiah: I take the LRT.

Colleague: Do you drive at all?

pohpiah: Nope. It's too expensive to own, maintain and operate one here in KL. I would nearly just break even with my present salary. I might as well work in my hometown.

Colleague:Quite difficult to get around in KL without a car, right?

pohpiah: Not if you do it right :).

Repeat this conversation 10 times and I have my motivation for posting this blog. Why public transport? It's green, it's cheap, it's convenient. All it takes is a little planning. Here are some basic tips on how to improve your public transport experience. Note that these tips may not work for everyone... but it will help those is similar situations that i'm in.

Tip #1 - The Job: You'll be spending 20days x 8 hours at least on your job, per month. Hence, you'll be making about 20 trips per month TO your office. I'm sure that you don't want to end up a sweaty pig when you arrive at your workplace. If at all possible, get a job at a workplace within 15 minutes walking distance to the LRT station. Make sure you factor in the time for taking detours to walk along main streets or safe areas. Most importantly, make sure your walk isn't uphill.

Tip #2 - The Home: This is even more important than the job. You're likely to make about 28 trips to and from your home combined. Again, no one really wants to end up a sweaty pig when they've just reached home, so pick a place within 20 minutes walk. If you're a health buff with no time to exercise, pick one that's uphill. Can't afford a home near an LRT station?

Tip #3 - Peak or off-peak: Definitely travel off-peak whenever you can. Start early in the mornings. The trains tend to be tolerable before 7.20am. If you can't hit that window of opportunity, look out for the timing of the empty trains that the good folks at Rapid KL sometimes send out to clear out the crowds. At my station, they come at about 7.30am and 8am each. In the evenings, if you can, go home past 8.30pm. If you can't, go back as early as possible. Again, there are options if you absolutely must join the crowd.

Tip #4 - If you need to travel peak: Take comfort in the fact that the legions of drivers and bus riders outside are in no better shape than you. In fact, you're in a better position as you can do other things, unless of course you like sitting in your car and swearing at the traffic jams.

Ticketing options are the first important step to save time. I use the monthly travel ticket option to save time. Imagine the long queue at the counter, then later at the turnstiles. Takes about 15 minutes to get through, right? Imagine doing that for every trip. 15minutesX2X20 = 10 hours per month in queue. That's a lot of time! Instead, spend RM100 and wave your ticket at the guard and walk right through, and use your time for something else. Chances are you'll be using close to a RM100 each month anyway.

Choosing a queue is the next step. Typically queues closest to the stairs for stations you walk up to (typically the outdoor ones) have the shortest queues as most people are too lazy to use the stairs. The same tend to find it unreasonable to walk from the escalators or lifts to the other end to queue. For walk down stations, queues blocked by walls are your best bet as they limit the size of the queue. It might be worth waiting in the neighbouring queue to pounce through the shorter queue if you have the chance. Above all, don't let the queue size fool you. Choose the queue with the most aggressive/impatient/pressed for time looking people in front who will tend to squeeze into a crowded train. I was blocked once for 4 trains by a lady in front of my who was too timid to squeeze in and too clueless to step aside. This resulted in many people from the next (and a longer one!) queue getting ahead of me! Grrr...
One more thing, stand with the queue that does the exiting crowd does not turn towards. It's more difficult to get into the train that way.

Tip #5 - Packing: I'll leave this one for the next post :).