I used a car for about eleven years in the United States. When when I moved to Israel in 1974 I began to use buses exclusively. It's not all that bad.

I had been a slave to my car. It needed constant care. It was a constant expense whether I used it or not. It made difficulties in snowy weather. When I needed it the most, during rainy days, it did not always want to start up. I used to arrive late for appointments when the car broke down - since it never gave advance notice.

The bus, on the other hand, is my servant. We have excellent service, and bad weather is never my problem.

Sometimes I meet neighbors or friends on the bus. On other occasions, I may be able to catch up on some professional reading. I can accomplish a great deal of work while riding the bus - including dictating articles such as this one. Originally I used a minicassette recorder, but I have now graduated to a digital recorder.

As I think of ideas, I quietly dictate them, even when the lights are out in the bus. The fact that I am dictating often helps produce additional ideas. Later on those articles are transcribed for the website, and I edit them when I have time. I can use any computer for my editing, so I sometimes maximize my breaks from teaching to work on the articles. This is an extremely efficient way to write a great deal.

The bus is much more relaxing than the high pressure drivers on Israeli roads. I don't have to remain on alert while getting places. The bus gives me a buffer from my pressure while teaching or when I work with clients.

After teaching I always write down the things that were accomplished in class so that I'll be prepared for the next lesson. Before class I review my plans - all on the bus.

Of course, the bus does come at a price.

It is not necessarily cheaper than a car, especially if several people from our family are going to the same destination.

However, the bus is subsidized to a small degree by the government. Thus, I'm paying for it anyway. They also subsidize the maintenance of the bus stops. If my taxes pay for the bus subsidy, and I nonetheless take a car, which has no subsidy, then I am paying for the same ride twice.

Parking is often difficult in town. The bus has no problems arriving close to my destination - often closer than I would be by car.

Car drivers have to put up with other Israeli drivers.

Parents with cars are chauffeurs, and their children are less independent. My children had to go places on their own by bus. They had to earn their own bus fare, so they made decisions about whether to go places.

Looking back, it was certainly more gain than pain.

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