Embodied Experience of Transit Riders

of 35
Addressing the Stigma: The Embodied
Experience of Transit Riders in Sonoma
County
Pamela Kipp Wentzel
Sonoma State University
May 18, 2016

of 35
Abstract
People who are dependent on public transportation experience unique challenges in their daily
routines that all too often go unspoken. The aim of this study was to uncover the embodied
experiences of people who are dependent on public transportation. The present study analysis
ten in-depth interviews of transit riders in Sonoma County, and uncovers three consistent
patterns: the relationship with public transit and isolated communities, the relationship to
gender, and the embodied passenger which is the experience of people with disabilities, elderly
who have experienced physical loss and children. Findings suggest that these variables with
relations to a slight public transportation system produce health disparities for minority
populations dependent on public transportation. Furthermore, these disparities serve as barriers
for middle-class residents who may otherwise utilize the public transportation system. This must
be a consideration for policymakers who aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

of 35
I first became interested in pursuing research on the experience of public transit ridership
when I started to participate in advocating for free passes for college students in the county. I
began to meet with civil servants to discuss funding a program, and greater funding of public
transportation as a whole.
One particular meeting with a public official was the catalyst of my desire to explore this
topic academically. As we sat in the meeting, I began by stating that public transportation was
underfunded and that needs were not being met, particularly in rural area. The public official
replied confidently that the all the area of Sonoma County were well served, and that no
additional services were necessary. I was shocked by this response. I had grown up in Sebastopol
in a rural community. I had been dependent of public transit through my teenage years and into
adulthood. I knew first hand that I had had to turn down potential jobs because the public
transportation system was insufficient. I knew several friends who had to drop out of college
because they could not attend classes. I also had an acquaintance who had lost a job because the
single route through Sebastopol was so infrequent on the weekends that she kept missing shifts. I
mentioned these observations to the official and followed by asking if they had ever had to rely
on the public transit system. The response was simply-- no.
This conversation caused me pause and reflection. I considered my academic career to
that point. I had studied several social phenomenon having majored in Sociology and Latin
American Studies. However, the impact of transportation was never a subject that was discussed.
I began to review critically conversation about public transportation I had formally had on this
topic, and I came to a clear personal conclusion—the experience of people who are dependent on
public transportation is all too often invisible.

of 35
Transportation is pervasive in all of our lives regardless of socioeconomic status.
Transportation is the means to get us to employment, education, healthcare, recreation, and
culture. In short, it is a lifeline. However, access to transportation is not equal (Wish 1982).
Those who must rely on transportation must contend with additional barriers than those who
have access to a private vehicle (Alexander 1995; Banks and Ferrer 2012; Bohon, Stamps and
Atiles 2008; Ciria-Cruz 2012; Johnson 1995; Lichtenwalter Koeske and Sales 2006; Patterson
1985; Swanstorm and Barrett 2007; Wish 1982; Yago 1983). Furthermore, I observed that riding
the bus is first designed for able-bodied adults. Though the buses do try to accommodate for
people with disabilities, the elderly, and children, these populations face a much higher degree of
challenges riding the bus than that of able-bodied adults. These challenges are exacerbated if
these populations live in isolated communities
This study will bring forward the stories of transit riders in Sonoma County, with a focus
on the impact of the embodied experience of transit riders. I will highlight three key findings that
emerged. The first finding explores the relationship of isolated community and health and
wellness. Isolated areas are defined as communities that lack the proper transportation structures
to allow access to resources (Ionescu 2015), and with in the scope of this study I define within as
those who live outside central Santa Rosa, the largest city in the county. Those who live in the
surrounding towns may only live ten miles away; however their commute times were three to
four hours round-trip. Second, experience of females on pubic transportation as it contrasts with
their male counterparts. Last, the experience of the embodied passenger, which I define as
persons who must contend with additional physical barriers. From my observation, this includes
people with disabilities, elderly with physical losses and young children.

of 35
There is significant research on the issue of transportation. However, little attention has
been given to the embodied experience of transit riders and how that impacts quality of life.
Additionally, with discussion of public transportation environmental concerns should be
considered to provide a balanced analysis. Environmental concerns are an issue of public health;
transportation is the greatest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Californa (California
Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board, 2015) The challenges that transit riders
encounter are also barriers for people who have access to a private vehicle, who may otherwise
utilize public transportation.
Accordingly, this study will add to the literature an investigation of the concerns of
embodiment and the relationship to health and quality of life, and the environmental impact of an
inadequate public transit system.
A Reviewof the Literature
Low-income at-risk neighborhoods have less access to mobility through private means,
and thus must often rely on an inadequate public system that frequently take a backseat to private
development (Wish 1982). This causes disparities in access to resources of health, safety and
upward mobility for communities most of need of these resources (Alexander 1995; Banks and
Ferrer 2012; Bohon, Stamps and Atiles 2008; Ciria-Cruz 2012; Johnson 1995; Lichtenwalter
Koeske and Sales 2006; Patterson 1985; Swanstorm and Barrett 2007; Wish 1982; Yago 1983).
There is a continuing disconnect in the acknowledgment of the need for comprehensive public
transportation and the low output to communities (Alexander 1995; Swanstorm and Barrett 2007;
Wish 1982). Development with a focus on meeting these needs have the potential to address both
critical current health and wellness disparities for those dependent on public transportation and

of 35
environmental factors that will continue to have an impact on the well-being of communities
currently, and generations to follow.
Within the conversation of academia on public transportation most agree that low-income
neighborhoods have a higher dependency on public transit. Youth, elderly, people with
disabilities, and immigrant populations are the most dependent on public transit. However, low-
income households, some of which the former identifiers fall into, that cannot afford a private
vehicle is especially dependent on public transportation (Alexander 1995; Banks and Ferrer
2012; Bohon et al. 2008; Ciria-Cruz 2012; Johnson 1995; Lichtenwalter et al. 2006; Patterson
1985; Swanstorm and Barrett 2007; Wish 1982).
There are six areas that I will outline in the literature that have been informative to this
research which include: food access and health; the impact of isolated and rural communities as
it relates to public transportation; safety concerns and how that leads to issues of isolation for
people with disabilities and elderly who have experienced bodily loss; gender as it relates to
public transportation; accessibility to employment and the impact of upward social mobility; and
last environmental considerations. The outlining of these variables will build a foundational
knowledge of the daily experience of public transit riders and the necessity to address their
needs.
Food Access and Health
An important consideration concerning public transportation is the access to food. The
research indicates that within urban planning that food accessibility is often second to services
such as electricity and medical health care (Wang, Qiu and Swallow, 2014). The relationship
between transportation and access to food is crucial. Of the research that is currently present, it is

of 35
that the lack of public transportation has an impact of health and wellness and results in greater
health risks (Crabtree and Mushi-Brunt 2013; Lopez-Class and Hosler 2010). This is particularly
impactful for individuals who experience physical limitation; these populations are acutely
vulnerable to food insecurity such as lack of access to nutritious food and “missing meals due to
an inability to go to the grocery store” (Crabtree and Mushi-Brunt 2013). This can result in
serious implication for quality of life and life expectancy for all groups with lack of access to
comprehensive transportation.
Rural Needs and Isolated Communities
Most of the research on public transportation is urban focused. All researchers agree that
urban areas are in the most need of public transportation when assessing looking simply at the
amount of individuals it reaches when compared to less concentrated rural areas. (Alexander
1995; Banks and Ferrer 2012; Bohon et al. 2008; Ciria-Cruz 2012; Johnson 1995; Lichtenwalter
et al. 2006; Patterson 1985; Swanstorm and Barrett 2007; Wish 1982). Little attention is given to
the needs of populations in rural and isolated areas.
Furthermore, it could be argued that those in communities are the most in need in a
comprehensive public system. Within the whole of the United States, forty-three percent of
disabled peoples are living in rural areas, thirty-nine percent of elderly live in rural areas, thirty-
nine percent of unemployed peoples live in rural areas, and thirty-nine percent of people living in
rural areas are in poverty (Alexander 1995).
Only four percent of federal spending on transportation goes to address rural areas
(1995). Though rural areas are substantially less dense than urban areas, the needs of rural areas
are highly neglected, and people living in rural areas that do not have access to private

of 35
transportation are frequently isolated due to deficient public transit structures, as a result, the
quality of life is highly diminished (Alexander 1995; Ionescu 2015). Isolation and lack of access
to basic needs persist in rural and isolated communities (Alexander 1995; Ionescu 2015).
Safety, Disability, and Isolation
Those who are most vulnerable to the effects of isolation are people with disabilities and
the elderly. “Access to transportation is a substantial barrier to community participation and an
improved quality of life for individuals with disabilities” (Preethy, Lacy, Giertz, Hobden, LeRoy,
2013). People with disabilities and elderly contend with unique challenges and often are faced
with a reliance on the public transportation structure that too frequently does not account for
their individual needs.
People with disabilities often need to frequent medical appointments regularly. However,
this can prove challenging for persons living in rural regions. Researchers have found that the
quality of transportation ‘significantly associated’ with health visits (Arcury, Preisser, Gesler and
Powers, 2005).
The literature highlights that without access to reliable and safe transportation, quality of
life diminishes, and tragically, life expectancy also diminishes for the elderly populations due to
isolation and lack of access to additional resources (Patterson 1985). Patterson also notes that
“public transportation is underutilized by the elderly.” (1985). According to his study conducted
in Philadelphia reasons for this include: fear of crime, lack of frequency, visibility through
windows, lack of shelter at bus stops, unsympathetic drivers, feeling rushed and feeling crowded.
These barriers indicate how the structure of the transportation system was not designed to meet
the needs of some of the populations that are most reliant on the system.

of 35
With this in mind, it is understandable why the elderly populations, though often in great
need of public transportation underutilized the facilities. About seventeen percent of Sonoma
County's population comprised of individuals over the age of sixty-five, or in raw numbers
roughly 85,000 individuals. Furthermore, with the aging Baby Boomers, this number will
inevitably grow (United States Census Bureau 2014). Sonoma County Transit will
unquestionably need to consider these obstacles to meet the needs of the large and increasing
elderly population of Sonoma County.
Gender and Transportation
We must also consider gender and the gendered experience of using public transportation
in an analysis. A study by Loukaitou-Sideris and Fink (2009) found that women who utilize
public transportation experience fear at much higher rates than their male counterparts as they
are subjected to a high frequency of microaggressions and more overt actions of harassment such
as stalking. This fear shapes behavior and travel patterns of transit riders. Individuals may avoid
using the transit system at night or avoid particular routes for fear of harassment (2009).
Moreover, “transit agencies and policy makers have not directly asked women about their
safety needs as passengers on public transportation as a way to meet these needs” (2009).
Therefore, their needs are not fulfilled, and we see the avoidance behavior outlined above.
Access to Employment
Bohon et al. conducted a study of an immigrant population in the state of Georgia and
found that upward mobility is highly inhibited with at lack of comprehensive transportation
(2008). Career options are limited, as are communication with schools attend by their children,
and access to facilities such a grocery stores and laundry (Bohon et al. 2008). These barriers keep

of 35
recent arrivals in “the cycle of poverty” (Bohon et al. 2008). Foreign-born population comprised
of about sixteen percent of Sonoma County (United States Census Bureau 2014). It is important
to note that undocumented immigrants in Sonoma County do have access to a driver’s license
legally. However, many of these individuals are destitute and cannot afford a private vehicle.
Other researchers have found similar results for other ‘at-risk’ populations. In a study of
low-income primarily black single mothers, the results concluded a direct link between access to
transportation and employment. In addition to employment outcomes, educational considerations
for youth are impeded (Bohan et al. 2008; Ciria-Cruz 2012; Lichtwalter et al. 2006) Lichtwalter
et al. concluded that access to private transportation is the best solutions as the participants with
private transportation fared the best, and therefore conclude that programs to provide private
means of transportation would be recommended (2006). However, I would critic this conclusion
as a comprehensive transit system would be more far reaching with regard to populations,
greenhouse gas emissions, and would likely be more affordable means to reach a wider at-risk
population.
Environmental Considerations
Environmental impacts must be addressed in the conversation of public transportation.
Much of the United States is structured in a manner with roads and highways which promote
private, often single occupancy, vehicles (Swanstrom and Barett 2007; Yago 1983). It is
inefficient.
“Dependency on private transportation can only be decreased with an increase accessible
and convenient public transportation” (Chiou et al. 2015; Mackett and Surcliffe 2003). Kain and
Liu provide a report of Houston and SanDiego's public transit systems. What these two cities had

of 35
in common was their ridership on public transportation increased while the national trend
decreased. The central finding to explain this anomaly was the large-scale increases of these two
cities were achieved by significant service increases and fare reductions (2006).
If the state of California has an aim to decrease greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) they
must address and reduce the issue of transportation as it is the greatest contributor to GHG.
(California
Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board, 2015). The most efficient and cost
effective way to accomplish this is to encourage those who drive private single car occupancy
vehicles to utilize public transportation. By addressing the push factors, the struggles that people
who are dependent on public transportation face outlined above, this will help encourage those
who drive private single car occupancy vehicles to utilize public means of transportation. Public
transportation must be comprehensive, easy to use, and a realistic option to get patrons to their
destinations when they need.

of 35
Johnson (1995) outlines the cost benefit of investing in public transportation. He states
outright that government must subsidize public transportation to allow it to be successful. He
argues that this is, in fact, an investment, he outlines a cost-benefit analysis of Tulsa Oklahoma
where it was concluded that “for every one dollar invested in Tulsa's public transportation
system seven dollars in returned” (1995). These returns are in the form of access to job,
education, and medical care, fringe benefits of transit employees, saving on unemployment and
food stamps, saving on school transportation costs, fuel savings, and a reduction of pollutant
emissions (1995). Johnson ends his report by stating, “Should not all Americans [people] be
afforded an efficient, reasonably priced, environmentally sound alternative to the constant
reliance on single-passenger automobile transport” (1995).
Within the literature I have found that the aim of the researcher is to outline social
disparities of people who are dependent on public transportation from the framework of social
welfare, or the researchers are framing their work through purely an environmental lens in which
the needs of the people currently dependent on transportation are not considered, and are at risk
of being pushed out with improving structures as costs rise and become inaccessible. My aim is
to marry the two concepts as they are holistically linked. We must begin to explore methods that
both address the needs of minorities and at-risk communities, and encourage more affluent
communities to utilize comprehensive public transportation systems to address environmental
concerns.
Location
The Location of my study in Sonoma County. Sonoma County in located in Northern
Californa just north of San Francisco. It is well known for the production of wine. The largest

of 35
city is Santa Rosa, and the location of the county offices. Many of the towns are removed from
each other with rolling hills and vegetation separating the communities.
(County of Sonoma, 2016)
Methods
I initiated my research with participant observation (Creswell, 2014). I spent ten hours on
various public buses from the start of the route to the end taking notes. I was mindful to wear

of 35
clothing to allow me to look the part of a transit rider. I wore comfortable clothing and walking
shoes; I also carried my backpack. I positioned myself primarily in the rear of the bus to have
better visibility. I came to two clear conclusions: routes that travel outside of incorporated Santa
Rosa and surrounding towns are arduous and mothers with children, people with disabilities,
elderly, and women had additional challenges.
The next phase of my research was to uncover these findings further, so I utilized in-
depth interviewing. The semi-structured interviews (Rubin and Rubin, 2005 ;Weiss, 1994)
allowed me to uncover ten individual experiences which I wove together to express the ripple
effect that a dependence on an inadequate public transportation has on the embodiment of the
patrons of the system.
I conducted ten in-depth interviews with ten different participants. I fully transcribed five
interviews and partially transcribed five interviews. The average interview length was sixty-one
minutes with the shortest interview at twenty-nine minutes and the longest interview at two hours
and fifteen minutes. All interviews were transcribed by me with the use of headphones to
maintain confidentiality.
The participants of this research were obtained using three means. I made contact with
three of the participants by reaching out to local organizations, one a day shelter for women and
the other an advocacy group. Additionally, I obtained four of the participants by way of
convenience sampling, and the remaining three through snowball sampling.
All but two of the interviews were conducted in public locations. The two exceptions, the
participant, were obtained through convenience sampling. Locations included coffee shops, a
day-shelter, and a college. I provided an informed consent to all the participants; in the case

of 35
where they were more fluent in Spanish than English, I gave them the option of a translated
document. I also provided opportunity to ask me any questions for clarification and provided my
college email if question arose after the close of the interview. The participants were also aware
that they would be audio recorded. Additionally, all participants were informed they would be
audio recorded before the outset of the interview.
The development of my interview guide was undertaken after a considerable time
reviewing the literature and participant observation. Before this research, my aim was to explore
how to increase ridership strictly from a policy framework. Therefore, I faced challenges in
forming questions that would uncover the personal stories of ones embodies experiences. I was
able to collect rich data from my interview guide. However, I did not begin coding until after I
had completed the majority of my interviews. Had I had the opportunity to revise my guide and
conduct more interview I would have included questions surrounding race and breastfeeding.
Additionally, I would have liked to obtained more multimodal travelers.
As a young white Anglo-American female, I had some advantages while conducting
these interviews. I was generally viewed as approachable and trustworthy. I present an amiable
personality which I believe facilitated conversation. In some instances, my identity may have
served as a hindrance, particularly with those who did not know me personally and varied in
race, gender or both. I tried to be cognizant of these potential barriers, and when appropriate
address them. Some of my participants may have had an undocumented immigrant status, with
those participants I volunteered the information that I majored in Chicano and Latino Studies,
and expressed my respect for them and their stories. I also did not ask them their immigration
status as I felt it may have made them unnecessarily uncomfortable, and did not feel it would
benefit my research. Prior to the interviews I played with their children, asked them questions

of 35
about their interests not relevant to the interview and so forth. These participants were very
forthcoming in their interviews, and the efforts I made may have impacted this.
I come from strong feminist and racial justice ideologies. I did my utmost to remain
neutral during interviews; I gave no verbal cues that would have revealed my bias. However, I
may have displayed micro expressions that may have impacted how participants responded.
Findings
We will now turn to the findings of the embodied experience of transit riders in Sonoma
County. Because of the small sample size of ten participants all findings are tentative; however
consistent patterns did emerge from the data which I will outline.
I will now outline three elements that consistently surfaced. First, I noted that there were
distinct differences in the overall quality of life between those who lived centrally and had access
to more frequent and efficient bus lines from those who lived in smaller removed communities
without access to more comprehensive public transportation. The second finding, women were
faced with the need to negotiate their safety from starring, invasion of personal space, traveling
in the dark, and stalking. This contrasts markedly with their male counterparts who did express
fear from these issues. Third, this finding I have titled the Embodied Passenger, I noted above ,
through participant observation, I found that riding the bus is first designed for able-bodied
adults, and therefore the term embodied passenger marks the unique experiences of people with
disabilities, elderly who have experienced bodily loss and children as these populations face a
much higher degree of challenges riding the bus than that of able-bodied adults.

of 35
Rural Needs and Isolated Communities
Participants living in isolated communities spent considerably more time traveling to
necessary locations that those that lived in central, incorporated Santa Rosa. Therefore, what may
take an individual that has access to a private vehicle less than thirty minutes takes transit riders
hours. The following quote is from Sanjay. Sanjay is a full-time student and is dependent on the
bus to get from his home in Healdsburg to a university in Rohnert Park which is the distance of
about twenty-five miles. He states,
um, I would say, on a full ride it would be like something like almost four hours, um
being that it's an hour to, from Healdsburg to Santa Rosa, and then something like fifty
minutes from Santa Rosa to school, um and that's one-way, ah so like doubling that is
like almost four hours, that's like three and a half hours or so.
Sofia is a mother of two who frequently travels with her children. She, like Sanjay, also
spoke directly to her commute from Cotati to Santa Rosa a distance of about ten miles, which she
had to do daily. She noted,
On traveling from Cotati to Santa Rosa—Ah, that was, that was very hard because ah,
almost four hours…. Traveling one place to other (roundtrip).
Sofia along with Emma emigrated from Mexico. They both expressed that prior to their
familiarity with the transit system and the English language they would often take a bus that
would make their travel time longer. Gaining knowledge of the transit system in addition to
stronger comprehension of English allowed them to streamline their commute. Despite this, they
still struggled with negotiating the time traveling with other necessary activities. The findings
suggest a strong relationship with commute time and food options. The participants with longer
commutes would opt for food that was quick to obtain or prepare. When discussing with Sofia
about food options she says this about eating at fast-food restaurants

of 35
Sometimes we have to. Sometimes we have to. It’s more easy. Because when you’re on
the bus it’s just like go get your meal easy and like, you know? It’s more easy. It’s more
expensive… and that’s (eating the food) more unhealthy, but it’s easy because you just
go there and get food, they have it ready for you to eat and take the bus and run. And that
way you don’t have to worry about them (children) get hungry.
Many of the participants expressed their knowledge of how to eat healthy, but frustration
in access to healthier options due to the restriction that extra travel time put on them due to
inadequate public transit. Sanjay specifically speaks to his limited time as a reason for his food
choices.
I would say, ah especially these times ah specifically these times as a student; average
meal would be fast-food whether like Taco-Bell, McDonalds, Burger King, or something
ah um cuz it's close ah. Sometimes here on campus, ah, you know eating the food that
they have in the dining hall. Um yeah, that's really what I would have… yeah, I think that
ah it really just has more to do with ah budgeting and time.
It is important to note that Sanjay, like most of the participants did not feel their
dependence on the bus had a relationship to their access to food. They would frequently blame
time as the barrier. However, we must note that upwards of four hours of their days were spent
commuting. In contrast, Emma knew that her dependence on the bus impacted her access to
food. In the following quote, she is expressing her experience in grocery shopping. Emma also
contends with knee injuries and carpal tunnel. She states,
(Translated from Spanish to English by way of assistance from her friend who sat in on
the interview) I spend almost like two hours to buy my things… And I was carrying,
taking a long time because my hand can’t holding very much and my legs I can’t move
and walk so I have to take small steps.
She also spoke of her experience having to make an appointment for family services in
Santa Rosa to obtain WIC for her and her children. Having to commute from Sebastopol with
only one route that arrives every few hours, Emma has to contend with not having access to the
transit system as she has other obligations in Sebastopol. Therefore, there have been instances

of 35
where she was forced to walk from Sebastopol to family services in Santa Rosa so as to not
jeopardize her access to services such as WIC and food stamps
(Translated) I don’t know how many miles it is but from Sebastopol… to the CPS offices
in Santa Rosa. Walking with my backpacks and purse. And I can’t really walk because
my knee was broken (not literal) and my hands are carpal tunnel.
Emma felt a lot of frustration and felt powerless to provide quality health for her children.
Later in the interview, she spoke of the struggles she faces in trying to keep her son healthy.
Yeah because right now we just eating it’s not healthy…Right now what I am trying to is
making him more exercise to no getting a lot a weight he’s pre-diabetic he’s almost to
diabetic. I have to see what he can eat and what he can’t eat. (She goes on to say) I feel a
lot of pain and sadness (around not getting her kids the food they need) (she started
crying.)
All of the participants felt that eating a variety of foods with vegetables, fruits, and other
fresh items was the best for their health. However, those with longer travel time would often
settle for fast food or other easy to prepare items such as microwave burritos and sandwiches.
Participants, particularly mothers expressed distress over this situation which they saw as a
disparity.
In addition to limited access to nutritious foods obtaining health care proved to be
challenging at times as well. Terrie, a sixty-nine-year-old woman, living in Santa Rosa, is very
diligent about going to her mental health appointment in Sebastopol about eight miles away.
However because of the long commute to Sebastopol, which was said to be over an hour one-
way, she had to cancel her appointment due to other pressing matters she has to attend to that
day. She explained that going to the designation in Sebastopol does not leave her much time in
the day to do other things between wait times and travel. She explains about an incident when
she had to make this negotiation,

of 35
I have a therapy appointment in Sebastopol, and it’s very important to me I never miss it,
and it’s at 11:30 and it’s one hour, and if I don’t go I still have to pay. And um so from
my house, I have to leave the house at 8 o’clock… This past week was my appointment,
and I had a lot of pressure about the meetings I had to go to, and I called in the middle of
the night, and I said I have never done this before but I’m going to cancel my therapy
appointment, and I am going to go and jump into and do these meetings and um, the fact
is that to make that, those, that connection for that therapy in Sebastopol and that 3 o’
clock (pm) in Santa Rosa, that’s all I could do in one day depending on the bus. So I took
the risk and canceled that appointment, but then I got overloaded with 5-6 meetings that
was really important… But that’s the craziness of it that the, you have to make these, and
you have to make, sometimes you have to make that decision in the moment.
This is an example she provided, but said having to make those quick in the moment
negotiations is something she frequently has to do being dependent on public transportation and
having to travel outside of “incorporated Santa Rosa.” This negotiation was something that arose
in most of the participant’s responses, and seeking medical attention proved to be very
challenging.
Being healthy for most participants was desired, but with the challenges of getting
healthy foods and the frustration of traveling to medical appointments and enrichment activities
the participants grew resound that poor health was a part of life. Some of the transit riders would
attempt to manage or try to counterbalance an undesirable diet with fitness either through the
form of working out or the extra walking they had to do from their dependence on public
transportation.
The Female and Male Rider Experience
Many surveys have found that women have higher anxiety of crime than their male
counterparts and that this is a variable when considering ridership on public transportation
(Loukaitou-Sideris and Fink, 2009). My findings support this. There was a distinct contrast
between the male and female experience. Women reported being harassed and stalked while
riding the bus much more than the male participants. Marlow a twenty-year-old white female,

of 35
who has very recently obtained a private vehicle expressed her ease as compared to her struggles
with fear of harassment riding public transportation in the following quote she expressed her
anxiety of riding the bus after dark. She noted,
Well it can get, especially in the evenings it can get kind of scary, I'm small, I'm a
woman, I was using this transportation at 17. So it was, it was a little scary especially at
night, and the transit station is a little bit scary of a place. And, mostly, I mean, mostly I
was just frightened because I did use it in the evenings that I was having to walk places at
night in the dark.
Marlow went on to provide experiences of feeling harassed she explained,
No, they just wouldn't stop talking to me or hitting on me or flirting me or trying to get
my number trying to you know sit next to me and you know you you can only push them
away so many times before it starts to get creepy
Ana, a fifty-three-year-old Latina, explained to me how she took a lot of time in
managing her exposure to ‘creepy’ situations.
So I remember one time that I got off there, and I was like “Oh my god! This place is so
dark!” (chuckles) “Why did I get off here?” So like I never (chuckles) never again did I
get off in that area… I was like scared I was like “Oh God please keep after me because
this places is too dark!” and I just walk faster. But you’ve got to be quiet too because
you’ve got to hear your surroundings to make sure that there’s no strange person walking
that’s going to come snatch you or do something to you so you just gotta walk really fast.
She explained how she never again got off at that stop. To add she will frequently avoid
getting off at a stop that she is ‘getting bad vibes from’. She also explained that she tries not to
travel at night if she can avoid it. These are methods she partakes in to ‘protect herself’.
Though more rare, there was an example of a more overt fear from a known sex offender.
Carolyn expressed anxiety around having to travel with this known sex offender on the bus with
her thirteen-year-old daughter. She explained,
it’s creepy because why is he still out and about, and he rides the bus… and I don’t think
he’s looking at us like he used to but I swear for a little while he was looking at her
(young daughter), and I was like (said in a low tone) “Get the fuck away from me, stay
the fuck away from me.” … you may have ridden the bus with him too and didn’t know.

of 35
Carolyn appeared to be angry and willing to get into a confrontation with this man to
protect her daughter. Furthermore, in other instances, Carolyn explains to me the manner in
which she is teacher her daughter to behave and what to pay attention to. She tells her daughter
not to glare to look away, move to other locations on the bus, and who to avoid.
To contrast this with the male participants, none of the men expressed a fear of
harassment outside to being bothered by individuals with mental disabilities. Furthermore, two of
the four spoke directly to their size and gender as a means of protection from harassment. Brian a
white man in his fifties states,
No one really messes with me too much, I'm kind of a big guy (chuckles) I just look
crazy when I get on the bus (said jokingly) everyone stays away from me.
Sanjay also spoke to his male stature as a means of protection he states,
Yeah for the most part ah Sonoma County is pretty empty at night. There's not many
people out or so um and ah you know. I also have the privilege of being a big guy so I
don't usually have people threatening me or feeling vulnerable to anybody really.
Women do not have this access to privilege, and their boundaries are frequently violated.
Women would often respond to questions about harassment as if it were a given that they must
contend with while their male counterparts seemed confused when asked questions about
harassment as if it were not something they had given much thought to.
The Embodied Passenger
Part of my research included participant observation in which I rode the bus while taking
notes on observations I made. I pointed out that many of the stops lacked seating or shelter even
in front of places such as retirement communities; the windows are tinted which can make it
challenging for people with poor vision to see out of the bus, particularly at night; I also noted
that no foods or drinks were allowed at any time. When developing my universe of questions

of 35
these observations were considered. My observation was that the structure and rules of the public
transportation system were largely not designed for people with disabilities, elderly or children.
In short, the public transit system was designed to accommodate able-bodied adults.
Therefore, I developed the term Embodied Passenger to signify the experiences of
individuals who fall outside this spectrum of able-bodied, this could include a person with
disabilities of any age, elderly individuals who have experienced physical loss, and children who
have different physical needs than adults. All of the participants could walk without assistance,
though some had chronic injuries which they had to contend with. Two participants travel with
young children, Sofia, and Emma, so their experiences are first hand. Another participant, Terrie,
sixty-nine-years-old, has experienced a loss of vision. Most of the other participants were
witnesses to the impact of the disparities of the transit design on others, and were able to retell
experiences they had witnessed, or when speaking of their own experiences would amend the
statement with, “it was not a problem for me, but for others it is.” This response was typical to
questions of distance from their home to bus stop, waiting for a bus without a bench to sit on,
getting on and off the bus, or seeing stops approaching while onboard the bus. Two prominent
elements arose with regard to design of the bus, bus stops, and rules: giving food to children
while on the bus while on the bus and inadequate bus stops.
Most of the transit systems have a policy of no food or drinks on the bus. For most adults
this is manageable, however for children, this can prove to be challenging, particularly for transit
riders from isolated communities who have longer commutes. Sofia, who travel for about two
hours one way with her two young children every day, speaks to this. She eloquently noted,
It’s the same thing, you know when you see a sign no food or no drink but how can you
say you kids, no, you know? If they so hot they need to drink water. If we been on bus for

of 35
an hour, it’s hard! So it’s hard, and sometimes, ya know, it’s like hiding but if you think
the bus driver saw you or somebody saw you it’s just (pauses), or I’m going to be in
trouble. But how can I say no to my kids? I mean, for us it’s easy. But five-years-old,
three-years-old how? It’s not, they can’t!
Sofia feels tremendous frustration around not being able to give her pre-school age
daughter and toddler son food and water during these long commute times. She will sometimes
try to sneak snacks or water to her children, but experiences a lot of fear and anxiety around
getting caught. Emma had similar experiences speaking to her grade school age son. She
explained,
My son wants to get something to eat but that happen sometimes, and I have to say no
because one time happen, because driver was, one time the driver saw a guy eating
something (inaudible) yelling him very bad... When I was taking the buses, I never try to
put food inside because I don’t want to put my kids in that risk. Because when my son
gets someone yelling at him he is very sentimental, and he starts crying. The kids we
cannot say no to them or no eat. We don’t even know if they eat in the school, so I think
that’s bad for them.
Emma feels helpless to being able to make sure her son is fed. She has anxiety that he
may not have eaten while at school, and then he must wait an additional hour or more until they
are able to reach their home.
There again we see examples of transit riders trying to negotiate with the limitation that a
dependence on the public transportation system has placed on them with the manner in which
they want to function.
The second primary finding was the lack of adequate shelter which has an impact on the
well-being of riders. Marlow, a twenty-year-old college student, speaks to her observation of
most stops she encounters. She states,
not necessarily for myself but there is a lot of elderly people that use the bus there's a lot
of people that have children, and there is no seating for these people there's no there's no
again there's no light, so it increases the lack of safe feelings, and it just seems like they

of 35
just stuck a pole there, and they didn't think of the people that were going to have to stand
there for sometimes hours on and waiting for the bus.
Marlow rides the bus daily and contends with feelings of fear with traveling at night as a
women, but she also feels concern for the elderly and mothers with children traveling after dark
and feeling safe. She went on to give an example she had witnessed,
there was this little old lady getting on the bus after me she was the last person getting on
the bus. And he just takes off I remember this so vividly because it made me so mad, just
takes off! This little old lady hasn't put her change and yet, and she totally falls over and
is struggling to find a seat, and I had to help her to it… and on top of that there was no
seating for the little old lady, so not only had she just fallen but she couldn't sit down, and
it was just a very upsetting situation and sort of very it was very frustrating to me.
Marlow is engaging in the empathy that nearly all of the participants expressed around
people who were faced with challenges in trying to operate in the transit system; this empathy
seemed to be developed as a result of the many instances they witnessed first-hand.
Terrie, who herself has experienced some substantial loss with her vision, speaks to the
isolation her friends face who are not able to operate on the public transit system.
I have a lot of um friends who are, are ah disabilities…that there, their lives are limited
by the fact that they cannot, they cannot go out after dark, they can’t go here, they can’t
you know, just, just can’t—your isolated. You cannot, you cannot participate in the world
out there because of the transportation.
Terrie is acutely aware of the feelings of isolation she friends experience. That experience
of isolations is one that many with physical loss experience, which in turn has a negative impact
on their health, well-being, and life expectancy (Alexander 1995; Patterson 1985).
The findings suggest that quality of life is lowered for individuals who become dependent
on public transportation as it is structured at this time. They experience more anxiety
surrounding lack of control for their well-being whether through the form of healthy foods,
violation, or isolation.

of 35
Discussion and Conclusion
When the utilization of private vehicles is commonplace, the experience of those who
lack access to those vehicles is silenced. This creates a dearth of knowledge around how to
identify and address the disparities with public transportation. The aim of this research is to make
public the inequities and enhance dialog around the numerous obstacles public transit riders
encounter in Sonoma County. These disparities must be discussed, as those with reduced access
to comprehensive transportation experience reduced quality of life (Preethy, Lacy, Giertz,
Hobden, LeRoy, 2013). Furthermore, these defects can also serve as push factors for middle-
class residence that may otherwise utilize the public transportation systems available to them.
The data which I collected reveal that there are particular communities and populations
in which the lack of access to adequate transportation has an acute impact on their health and
wellness.
Issues around gender and the harassment of women is salient, as are gaps in service for
people with disabilities, elderly who have experienced physical loss and children. These
challenges only intensify when these populations must contend with living in isolated
communities (Ionescu, 2015).
As I reviewed the findings, I uncovered the consequences of persons who lived in
isolated communities. The findings suggest a strong relationship between travel times and
dietary decisions, as those who lived within central Santa Rosa reported eating at home and
purchasing whole foods more frequently than those with longer travel times. Those who lived in
central Santa Rosa reported being able to walk to a grocery store and purchase items as needed,
while those who lived in unincorporated areas of Santa Rosa and towns surrounding the city

of 35
reported having to contend with lengthy travel times and the inability to purchase substantial
quantities as they also had to walk for portions of their trip and frequently drivers would deny
them access to the bus with the consideration of space. A quote from Ana describes this
phenomenon,
(Translated) Well sometimes I do (grocery shop) um like when I’m out and about… it’s
kind of not; I don’t make it a habit because the bus drivers say you can’t carry too much
either… because then you are taking up space to another um person who wants to sit in
that seat. So I think what people do is put in in their backpack. That way they don’t have
to take up that other space for the person that could sit down on that seat. So what people,
I do see people walking in but then the bus driver says “that’s way too big, you can’t
come in here with that real big bag… but I have came across some of the bus drivers ah
refuse some of those people that come with those real big bags.
Alexander (1995) highlights that those living in rural communities without adequate
transportation are limited in accessing medical services. My findings support this. Participants in
rural and isolated communities or where their medical appointments were located in isolated
towns could speak to the challenges they encountered in accessing essential medical
appointments. Some of the participants opted not to seek medical attention unless their illness
incapacitated them and their frequency of cancellations was higher than their counterparts in
centrally located domiciles with centrally located medical offices.
The findings also uncovered that the quality of the bus stops is related to isolated
communities. Typically bus stops further from central city areas were serviced less, lacked
seating and shelter, light, and were at times exposed to highway traffic. Martin a long time
transit rider describes some stops,
Ah there were times when it was clear that the bus stops, based on the broken windows or
the broken frames ah the leaky roofs ah, the torn map and the torn schedule that no one
had bothered to replace, and based on the it could be suspiciously, you know bodily fluid
smelling stuff that is all around you, um it's clear that some places weren't maintained as
well as others. Now overtime that has improved somewhat. (When asked if there was any
pattern or location to where the broken down stops are this was his response) Ah the

of 35
one's I've seen tend to be more in areas where, well let's say there there more, there less
urban, ahh Yeah, eh, especially like like fo... like in Cotati, for example.
In the following quote Marlow, a twenty-year-old college student expresses her distress
around bus stops that are exposed to the highway which she witnesses daily as she travels from
Santa Rosa to Sebastopol. She states
there's one right there and then a little bit more down the road and there's just no sidewalk
on that road it's a highway! and it's just there-- on the highway, no seat no sidewalk, on
the highway. People with children use this bus system (exasperated chuckle).
The poor quality of bus stops can be particularly challenging for elderly who have
experienced physical loss, and people with disabilities (Alexander 1995; Ionescu, 2015; Marx,
Davis, Miftari, Salamone, and Weise, 2010; Preethy et al., 2013).
Additionally, the findings also draw attention to the female experience. These are also
related to isolated communities as women expressed more fear after dark, particularly in poorly
lit areas. These findings are strongly supported by Loukaitou-Sideris and Fink work, as they
underline the anxiety of victimization women experience when exposed to “darkness, lack of
maintenance, and poor environmental quality” (2009).
The investigation of transit riders’ embodied experiences unite with the current
Sociological literature of public transportation. My research contributes the framework of
Sonoma County. My study brings clarity to the additional strain and consequently the deficient
health and quality of life that transit riders are subjected to. The participants must contend with
additional stresses, lack to quality nutrition, and access to health care.
With regard to greenhouse gas emissions and the contribution of transportation,
policymakers must approach these findings as both social disparities, but also as push factors
toward the middle-class who have access of private vehicle ownership. If the aim of those in

of 35
policy is to reduce the amount of cars on the roads these findings can potentially add to the
knowledge of how to achieve this goal. However, thought must be given in how to maintain
access of public transportation to low-income, minority population.

of 35
Bibliography
Alexander, Steven. 1995. “The Need for Rural Public Transportation.” Race, Poverty & the
Environment 6(1): 31-32.
Arcury, Thomas A., John S. Preisser, Wilbert M. Gesler, and James M. Powers. 2005. Access to
Transportation and Health Care Utilization in Rural Region. Journal of Rural Health.
21(1).
Banks, Yeashan and Christine Joy Ferrer. 2012. ”Young Organizers Advocate for transit
POWER.” Race, Poverty & the Environment. 19(1): 85-86.
Bohon, Stephanie A., Katherine Stamps and Jorge H. Atiles. 2008. “Transportation and Migrant
Adjustment in Georgia.” Population Research and Policy Review. 27(3): 273-291.
California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board. 2015. “California
Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory 2015 Edition” Retrieved March 8, 2016.
(http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/inventory/data/data.htm).
Chiou Yu-Chiou, Rong-Chang Jou and Cheng-Han Yang. 2015. “Factors affecting Public
Transportation Usage Rate: Geographically Weighted Regression.” Transportation
Research Part A: Policy and Practice. 78(1): 161-177.
Ciria-Cruz Rene. 2012. “Youth Score Win for Free Muni Passes” San Francisco Coalition
Mobilizes for Transit Justice.” Race, Poverty & the Environment. 19 (2): 77-83.
County of Sonoma. 2016. “Interactive Maps.” Retrieved May 15, 2016.
(http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Interactive-Maps/)
Crabtree, Jeffrey L. and Christina Mushi-Brunt. 2013. “Public Transportation to Obtain Food”
An Overlooked Instrumental Activity of Daily Living” Occupation, Participation and
Health. 33(4).
Creswell, John W. 2014. “Qualitative Methods.” Pp 183-213 in Qualitative Inquiry and
Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Ionescu, Ion. 2015. “Isolated Rural Communities and Social Services for the Elderly.” Scientific
Annals of the 'Al. I. Cuza' University, Iasi. Sociology & Social Work / Analele Stiintifice
ale Universitatii 'Al. I. Cuza' Iasi Sociologie si Asistenta Sociala 8(2): 133-151.
Johnson, Hannibal B.. 1995. “Making the Case for Transit: Emphasizing the 'Public' in Public
Transportation.” The Urban Lawyer. 27(4): 1009-1014.
Loukaitou, Anastasia and Camille Fink. 2009. “Addressing Women’s Fear of Victimization in
Transportation Settings: A Survey of U.S. Transit Agencies.” Urban Affairs Review
44(4): 554-587.

of 35
Lichtenwalter, Sara, Gary Koeske and Esther Sales. 2006. “Examining Transportation and
Employment Outcomes: Evidence for Moving Beyond the Bus Pass.” Journal of Poverty.
10(1): 45-67.
Mackett, Roger and Ela Babalik Sutcliffe. 2003. “New Urban Rail Systems: A Policy-Based
Technique to Make Them More Successful.” Journal of Transport Geography 11: 151-
164.
Patterson, Arthur H.. 1985. “Fear and Crime and Other Barriers to Use of the Public
Transportation by the Elderly.” Journal of Architectural and Planning Research. 2(4):
277-288.
Preethy, Samuel S., Krim K. Lacey, Chesley Giertz, Karen L. Hobden, and Barbara W. LeRoy.
2013. “Benefits and Quality of Life Outcomes From Transportation Voucher Use by
Adults with Disabilities” Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities.
10(4): 277-288.
Rubin, Herbert J., and Irene S. Rubin. 2005. Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data.
2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Swanstrom, Todd an Laura Barrett. 2007. “The Road to Jobs: The Fight for Transportation
Equity.” Social Policy 37(3/4): 76-82.
United States Census Bureau. 2014. “State and County QuickFacts.” Retrieved October 26, 2015
(http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06097.html).
Wish, Naomi Bailin. 1982. “Improving Policy Making in Public Transportation.” Public
Administration Review. 42(6):530-545.
Wang, Haoluan, Feng Qiu and Brent Swallow. 2014. “Can Community Gardens and Farmers’
Markets Relieve Food Desert Problems? A study of Edmonton , Canada.” Applied
Geography. 55: 127-137.
Weiss, Robert. 1994. Learning from Strangers the Art of Method and Qualitative Studies.
Toronto: Maxwell Macmillan Canada.
Yago, Glenn. 1983. “The Sociology of Transportation.” Annual Review of Sociology. 9:171-
190.

of 35
Appendix A
Interview Guide
Before we get started, I want you to know there is no wrong answer. This is your
experience, and I am here to learn from you. The more detail you can give to the questions I have
the better the research will be.
Topic One: Demographics:
1) How old are you?
1A) (If dependents) age range of dependents?
2) Gender?
3) Race?
4) Nationality?
5) Current City of Residence?
6) Employment?
7) Housing Situation?
Topic Two: Time Management:
8) Can you inform me how often you use public transportation?
9) Describe a typical day; what considerations do you need to give in preparing to travel?
9A) How much of your day is spent traveling
9B) How does the time you spend traveling impact other parts of your day? How does
that make you feel?
10) From what place to what place do you travel using public transportation?
10A) Is there anywhere where you would like to use public transportation, but cannot?
11) Of the times that you do use public transportation, does it get you close to your
destination, and is there a stop near your home, how do you get to the stop? What is that like for
you?
11A) Do you need to walk a lot, what is that like for you?
11B) Do you ride a bike to get around, what is that like for you?
11Ba) How hard is it to use both public transportation and the use of a bike?
12) Do the buses run during the times that you need to travel?
12A) are you able to connect to other buses easily, what does it take to prepare for this?
12B) How are the weekdays different from the weekends, what is this like for you or
rather how does this impact you?
12Ba) Do you think the scheduling should be different on the weekend, why or why not?
13) Are you or have you ever had to use public transportation to get to work?
13A) Explain that experience to me
13B) Does the different scheduling on the weekend impact your job?
13C) Does your use of public transportation impact the jobs you get/have?
13D) Does this impact your earnings?
14) What are some of the other challenges you face in managing your time using public
transportation?
Topic Three: Safety, Space Management, and Exposure to the Elements

of 35
15) Do you feel safe using public transportation?
16) Do you face challenges riding the bus as a female/male?
16A) Do you ever feel uncomfortable riding the bus, if so why?
16B) At any time do you feel you are harassed? Please tell me more about that.
16C) What are the emotions you feel around this, how do you protect yourself (and
dependents)?
17) Are there certain area of Sonoma County that you avoid when using public
transportation, why?
18) Of the stops that you utilize, how often do they have adequate shelter and lighting?
18A) What is it like for you to travel during poor weather conditions?
18Aa) During poor weather how often are you (and dependents) exposed to cold and
rain?
18Ab) If dependents, what measures do you take to keep your dependents dry and warm?
18Ac) Can you provide an experience when you were exposed to poor weather
conditions while traveling?
18Ad) Would shelters at stops help?
19) How frequently do you travel after dark?
19A) Do you feel as safe after dark as you do traveling in the daytime?
19B) Do you have good visibility to see your stops during the night?
19C) If no, are drivers good about announcing your stops?
Topic Four: Travel with Youth
20) Do you or a member of your family travel with small children or infants?
20A) Do you feed your children while traveling, if so what is that experience like for
you?
20Aa) If no, when do you feed your children and what is that like, do you ever find they
need food or water when traveling?
20B) Do you travel with a stroller, if so what is that like? If you choose not to travel with
a stroller, why?
20C) How do you keep hold of children on transit? Is that difficult, why or why not?
20D) Do you find drivers and or other riders trying to help in the care of the children, and
if so do you find it helpful or intrusive/interfering/presumptuous?
21) If you do not travel with children, what are some of the things you have witnessed of
people who do travel with children? Please provide a few examples.
Topic Five: Food, Weight Management, and Illness
22) Where do you do your shopping for food, and how do you get to the store?
23) How often are you able to shop for food?
24) Can you describe for me what your experience is, how long it takes to get to a store,
how you are able to transport your groceries and do you take your children with you, and what
that is like if you do?
25) How does your grocery list get altered because you are using public transportation?
26) What is an average meal for you and your family?
26A) Is this average meal for your family what you would ideally want it to be? If not,
how does that make you feel?

of 35
26B) How would you like for you and your family to eat, what are the limitation that
keep you from achieving this? Does transportation or time play a role?
27) How often do you eat out?
27A) Where do you eat out when you do, and why do you choose these places?
27B) Does the time you spend traveling ever impact your decision to eat out?
28) Do you find it challenging to maintain a healthy weight for yourself or your
dependents?
28A) If so what are the factors that have lead you to have challenges with regard to your
budget, access to transportation, or grocery stores?
28B) Do you experience any feelings around either you or your children's weight
management?
29) Are you able to get the nutrition and vitamins that you think you need?
30) Do you think that the foods you eat have an impact on your or your dependent’s
overall health? Is it positive or negative, and why do you feel that way?
30) How often are you and your dependents ill?
30A) When you are ill how do you think you are exposed to those illnesses, do you think
riding public transportation plays a role?
31) Are you able to seek medical attention when you need it?
31A) Is the bus able to get you to your doctor or a hospital if you need to seek medical
care?
31B) Have you given any thought or do you have a plan if you need to seek emergency
medical attention after the hours of the public transportation running?
31C) Can you describe how you travel to seek medical attention in as much detail as you
can?
Closing
32) In what ways has public transportation benefitted you and your family?
33) In there anything about your experience with public transportation that we did not
cover?
34) Do you know of anyone else who may be interested in being a part of this study?
Remember to thank them

of 35
Appendix B
*Primary bus represents the bus system(s) the transit rider rode regularly
* SCT is Sonoma County Transit
* City Bus is the Santa Rosa City Bus
* GGT is Golden Gate Transit

Embodied Experience of Transit Riders

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (18)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (9)

Similar to Embodied Experience of Transit Riders

Similar to Embodied Experience of Transit Riders (20)

Embodied Experience of Transit Riders