Using public transportation to get home from school is extremely common for Preuss students. Scholars have been riding the trolley and using public transportation since 2022. Using public transportation is a big transition for incoming students, especially middle school, since only incoming 6th grade scholars that participate in the ARC program are being offered busing systems. The transition from riding the school provided bus in 6th grade to riding the trolley and buses starting 7th grade is a different experience.
“I ride the trolley with my friends almost every day, but I also take a bus to get home. I take about an hour to get to and from school every day and have to leave my house before 8 to make it to school on time,” states Jeremy Tesaguic (‘30).
Students have to leave home at different times to make it to school on time since some kids come from farther areas than others.
“I have to leave my house around seven to make it to school on time, so I have to get up and get ready by like 6 in the morning,” says Kayla Perez (‘29).
Although using public transportation might be a big change for students, this experience provides students with a way to get a sense of what the real world is like, by experiencing something very distinct from being in a car with their parents to riding the trolley with complete strangers. Scholars now learn to use public transportation and learn how to get from place to place in a safe and timely manner.
“At first, I didn’t like having to take the trolley to school because I used to be scared of getting lost, or like getting off at the wrong stop, but after taking the trolley and buses I kind of just got comfortable with it and realized it was really easy to learn how to get from place to place,” claims Tesaguic (‘30).
Taking the trolley might be a fun experience to some students but it is not always to everyone. It is not unusual for students to experience uncomfortable or strange situations at times. Unusual events can happen, making the trolley and buses feel unsafe.
“One time on the trolley, I saw a guy screaming at my sister and her friend. It wasn’t until Transit Security got on and took him off the trolley forcefully,” said Tesaguic (‘30).
Other people on the trolley are not always the problem. Sometimes students themselves can be the ones causing the chaos. There have been several reports of middle school students causing chaos on the trolley such as being loud and disruptive. This can be frustrating for not only the students, but also other pedestrians that use MTS services to get to work and home or other places.
“Sometimes the other kids are screaming across the trolley to their friends, or sometimes they push each other and shove and even fight over seats when the second trolley that is empty gets here,” says Perez (‘29).
Perez addresses the way students on the trolley are chaotic at times.
Despite the struggles of this new experience, middle school students enjoy riding the trolley because it gives them an opportunity to feel independent along with getting to spend more time with friends.
