Guam's mass transit isn't unreliable, it's mostly ineffective

Another mass transit experience

I spent the last week fiddling with the Guam Regional Transit Authority's trip planner and I have learned that I was wrong!

So here's an erratum before I continue:

There is a GRTA bus stop on the fixed route that's close to Guam DOE's headquarters in Tiyan. Contrary to what I wrote last week, there is a stop in Tiyan across H&R block. There's also a stop at the WIC office in Tiyan, which is right next to Guam DOE. I was mistaken. When I know better, I do better.¹ Initially, I tried searching stops by village and didn't see "Tiyan." I searched Mongmong, Toto and Maite and didn't see any stops under those villages that were close to Tiyan.

It was only after I saw Tiyan on the master bus plan that I thought to search under Barrigada, and, as the youth say, "Whoop there it is old lady look with your eyes." Lo and behold: Tiyan bus stops.

It's important information and I'll keep that in mind for another day.

Today I had another mass transit mission.

I decided to scale way down after the Great Disappointment of Last Week, in which I failed to make it to the mall from UOG and back. Today I kept it simple. I'll get some groceries at Mangilao Payless. I'll even keep my mission within the village. I'd go from GCC to Payless.

It'd be another $3 trip.² Both GCC and Mangilao Payless are also Guam Regional Transit Authority bus stops so the time walking from the stop to the actual destination would be minimal. It’s a simple mission. Doable. I needed to complete something simple to boost my confidence.

According to Google maps, to get from GCC to Mangilao Payless by foot would take 22 minutes, so about 44 minutes total walk time.

By car, it takes 3 minutes to get there, or an estimated 6 or 7 minutes of total drive time.

Using GRTA's fixed bus route, it took me 3 hours.

I should have just walked right? But I'm not sure you've heard about this guy called The Sun. And his friend, Threat of Rain. They're everywhere at all times during the day and they don't exactly make walking around Guam easy. There aren't many sidewalks in Mangilao either. Even if I hit the SPF hard that day and had a little umbrella with me and was willing to brave the elements, I may still have to contend with a stray dog or two or seven. Here's throuple Rick Cruz photographed in Mangilao in February.³ I decided on the bus. My unbitten ankles thanked me.

I made it onto the Redline at 7:30 a.m. and settled in for an hour and a half ride through the central villages. I tried to read an ebook. I scoured social media. Mostly I just looked out the window. It was painless except for the fact that I am impatient and I ruminated on all the things I could be doing instead.⁴

Because I didn't have a car in this scenario, I knew I couldn't get all of my groceries in one go. I'd have to lug that stuff with me on my walk back home. So I just got what I could carry. Imagine me hauling a case of chicken thighs on the streets of Mangilao?

I thought about how, since I was going to have to walk anyway, it'd probably be better to get the groceries that I can carry from the nearest mom-and-pop store because at least I wouldn't have to wait for the bus. However, prices at the smaller mom-and-pop stores might be higher and the smaller stores don't have as wide of a selection of groceries.⁵ I'd either have to spend extra money to shop at the smaller convenience store or spend the time to go to a bigger store and save on groceries, plus get access to a wider variety of items.

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When I got to Payless I took my time in each and every aisle, definitely drawing the concern of store staff who rightfully may have suspected I was stealing when really I was just stalling because it’d be another hour and 20 minutes before the bus would come through.

I took 30 minutes to buy a few things then parked myself under a tree and waited for about 50 more minutes for the Redline to make its way back to Payless.

In the meantime, I drank a coffee that I bought that didn't taste so good.⁶

When the bus pulled up to Payless, I plopped into a seat, glad for the air conditioning and glad⁷ that I completed the trip.

Is the $1.50 worth an air-conditioned 10-minute bus ride from Mangilao Payless to GCC? For some, no. But for me, my unbitten ankles and unburnt skin? Yes.

I have, in my life, spent $1.50 on things that did nothing to shield me from UV rays or feral pups.

So, now I can put the mall fiasco of last week behind me. While I feel a sense of accomplishment, I can't help but think of the time I lost just waiting.

Many things in life are a struggle between time and money. If you have don't have the money, you better have the time. ⁸

In my limited experience with local mass transit, I've found the fixed bus route isn’t unreliable. Buses on the fixed route get to and from the bus stops in line with the schedule. It’s just that it seems ineffective to me.

It’s like if most people have high-speed internet and their computers and phones quickly connect them to Facebook.com and their devices remember their login information. Meanwhile, other people can only access the website if they have a computer that needs to be packed away after every use and only uses dial-up internet so every time they log in with dial-up they have to set up the modem and unpack a computer and wait for the computer to start up and the computer requires them to log in manually. Every. Single. Time. They can access Facebook.com like the rest of the people.

They'll get to the same places that other people can get to, but not without a lot of extra steps and not without a lot of waiting.

OR maybe I'm just impatient.

Now for some headlines

They're going to ship 25 stray dogs from Guam to different parts of the United States. Stray dogs are one of those issues, like mass transit or bad roads, that makes it into the local news cycle every year. This shipping them off, however, is a new development. Imagine being a stray dog, chilling with your posse, eating diapers out of the trash in Dededo one day and the next day you're in New Hampshire in a rescue shelter.

Every stray dog story I ever read always reminds me of the late, great Jon Anderson's editorial which literally published in print in the Marianas Variety-Guam with the headline: Spay the bitches. ⁹

Iconic.

Also in Guam, Fernando Canlas, 71, has been missing since last week. This is very concerning as Mr. Canlas has early onset dementia, according to the Guam Daily Post.

It's rare but there are unsolved missing person cases on Guam. I wrote about one just last year. Mike Limur, a Yapese man, was reported missing in 2015. I have not seen any updates since after his family reached out to me. Michael Castro was also reported missing last year and I haven't seen an update in that case.

I hope Mr. Canlas is found safe and sound.

One time, I covered a missing person case in Yona and the guy made it out of the jungle on his own. I kid you not a few months later, he and his family knocked on our door and asked if they could pick the kebui that was growing rampant in our backyard (which my father planted). I was fine with them picking. He didn't recognize me but I recognized him and was glad to see him.

There was also a time a man went missing and was found two days later in a tree and his family suspected taotaomo'na had a hand in his disappearance.

---

So, unfortunately, some sad information ahead:

Sixteen-year-old Iremamber Sykap was shot by police and died last week in Hawaii. I am still learning about Sykap's passing and digesting the discussions that have come from it. Iremamber's passing dealt a heavy blow to the Micronesian community. Rest in peace, Iremamber.

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I virtually attended the Why It Matters Poetry Workshop with Carol Ann Carl and Dr. Mary Therese Perez Hattori this past Sunday and Carol Ann Carl debuted a touching ekphrastic poem she wrote in response to Iremamber's passing. When I signed up for the virtual workshop I knew I'd learn something new, I knew I'd be filled with joy seeing Micronesians thriving in public but I didn't know that I'd be shedding tears. ¹⁰

A line from Carol Ann's poem that resonated:

We can teach the young misled

But we cannot teach the young dead

Thank you for reading. Write to you again soon.

-Jasmine

1. Allegedly.

2. $1.50 each way and don't forget EXACT CHANGE ONLY.

3. Rick shot this great photo of some strays in Dededo that made me want to call GAIN immediately. It was fantastic.

4. Coffee is a top priority, dishes, getting this newsletter out on time, applying for jobs online, etc.

5. It's not always more expensive at the smaller stores. For example on Wednesday, Payless was selling a can of Vienna sausage for $1.19 while Uno Market was selling it for $0.99. But Uno Market, a small store next to GCC, was selling SPAM Lite for $3.99 compared to $3.09 at Payless. And if you’re wondering, “Who eats Vienna sausage or SPAM anyway?” The answer is, literally, everyone.

6. I should note that I opted not to drink coffee before heading out at 7 a.m. because I didn't want to need the bathroom during my trip.

7. VERY GLAD! I WAS VERY, VERY GLAD.

8. Time to wait for the bus. Time to walk to the store where the groceries might be easier on the wallet. If you don’t have money for a personal computer and home internet to pay your bills or bank online you better have the time to wait in line.

9. I think it was Jon Anderson. Can I get a fact check?

10. I admittedly avoid feeling sad whenever I can. A newsletter for another time, preferably with professional sources.