I recently bought a Lamy AL-Star fountain pen. By using a converter, it allows me to refill the pen with any ink, rather than using disposable refills. Unfortunately, with the amount of time that I’ve been writing, my pen required a refill much sooner than I expected.

The nearest place that I confidently knew sold refill ink was Blick Art Supplies, which is found just off ASU’s campus.

Our last drive to the shop had been a bit unnerving. Our Jetta had barely avoided body damage after a student botched their parking in the spot next to us. After all, the parking lot also serves a Trader Joe’s.

Temperatures are starting to drop here in Phoenix, and the store is close to the light rail stop at Rural and University.

So, since it was a quiet Saturday, I decided to take Valley Metro instead.

The first step of my journey was to catch a local bus. My home is near Route 96, which serves Dobson Rd. Route 96 originates in Chandler and ends at Mesa Riverview (essentially the Cubs Spring Training complex). Along the way, the route passes notable destinations like Mekong Plaza, Mesa Community College, 99 Ranch Market, and two hospitals.

I left my home shortly after 9:00 AM and, after having waited about 15 minutes for my bus, I saw my bus approaching. The bench on which I was sitting faced the street and it was shaded by a healthy Mesquite tree.

I stood up, stepped closer to the curb, and waved at the bus. I thought I was clearly visible.

However, as it was nearing, I realized that the bus was not slowing down!

A sense of immediate dejection crossed my mind.

“Maybe the bus service here is as bad as they say”, I thought.

Was my local adventure over before it began?

Wait! No, it was stopping!

I ran a couple of hundred feet to catch the bus where it had stopped. The driver apologized and explained that she had not seen me in the shade of the tree. I scanned my QR code, took a seat, and the bus set off.

Over the next few miles, she chatted and pointed out the various stops along the way which can be difficult for her to see. Many of them had nice shelters or trees which provided ample shade. However, they also obscured her vision. It made me appreciate the balance which cities must maintain between aesthetics and function.

The rest of the bus ride was a pleasant experience. At one specific stop, she pointed out that people like to loiter on the bench. She explained that it makes her job difficult. She said it’s hard for her to know how many people are actually waiting for the stop. Often, she’ll stop and discover that no one is boarding.

About 25 minutes later, we arrived at the next step of my journey: Sycamore Transit Center.

A short walk from the bus drop-off area, there is a light rail station located in the median of Main Street (which becomes Apache Boulevard in Tempe).

I walked to the station, scanned my app’s QR code again, and waited just a few minutes for the next train.

My ride into Tempe was aboard one of the original Kinki Sharyo trains. I had ridden this train for years as an ASU student. Fortunately, Valley Metro is meticulous on maintenance, so the 17-year-old trains have aged quite well. They’ve also added new overhead digital screens inside the cars which show the next stop (not visible in my photograph). Overall, it was a pleasant experience.

After about 20 minutes aboard the train, we arrived at my stop at University and Rural. As I got off the train, I realized just how smooth this trip had been.

I traveled all the way from a suburban Chandler home to the ASU campus for $4. With Saturday traffic, it took about an hour.

Sure. Driving would have been faster, but it just would not have been the same experience. Plus, I’m okay with keeping wear-and-tear off my car.

 After a quick stop at the art supply store, I headed back home with a new bottle of Lamy refill in hand.

I walked back to my same train station and waited for the next light rail to arrive. Although I had already hit my maximum daily fare for the day. I scanned my QR code as required by Valley Metro. A nearby transit security guard said hello, and we agreed that we were glad for the summertime temperatures to be behind us.

It was also interesting to see where a Tucson-bound FlixBus departs from. I had just been looking at their website recently and the coach looked nice enough.

My train arrived shortly afterwards, and the journey home was similarly smooth. Fare inspectors checked my pass at 2 separate points along the way.

My only real issue was that, as my train was arriving at the Sycamore Transit Center, I watched my bus leave. It was a Saturday schedule, so I had to wait 30 minutes for my next bus to arrive.

Altogether, I arrived home feeling impressed with Valley Metro and their app. Phoenix is such a sprawling city that transit frequency is always a challenge, but the transit network served me well.

 Could I have taken the car for this trip? Yes.

However, in this new era of disposable cars, I’m fine leaving my car at home whenever possible. I’d rather keep it around for as long as possible.