Originally Posted by
chewybrian
The most frustrating issue to me on my local line is that being allowed to bring your bike along is 50/50. If the rack is full (often is), then the driver has discretion to allow you to carry the bike into the bus (which is not hard). So, you might wait for the bus only to be shot down.
The buses I ride aren't supposed to have bikes inside, so if the bike rack is full you're stranded. In Salem that shouldn't be a problem, as a person should be able to ride all the way across the city. But I also ride the rural buses, and if I got bumped off the bus here in Stayton I would have a 43 mile ride home (if the ferry was running and I could make it there by 7:00), so I've started leaving my bike in the county yard where the buses park for the night. It seems pretty secure and is full of cop cars.
When I work in Salem I don't take my bike either, unless I'm willing to ride all the way home from work there about 31 miles. I've done it several times but only after I got bumped once and had to do it or wait 1.5 hours for the next bus.
I've thought about a folding bike, as I think they would let me bring it aboard. They're no bigger than people's shopping carts. But I really love riding my Fargo, so I think I'll stay with the system I have.