A Canadian man’s interest in public transportation prompted him to journey from his home to Mexico with one catch: he refused to take any Greyhound buses or Amtrak trains during his trip.
William Hui, 40, set out for his Pacific coast trip on June 24, starting at his home city in British Columbia, the BBC reported.
He aimed to reach Tijuana, Mexico in nine days by taking only public buses and trains and keeping walking between stops to a minimum.
“At no point in this trip did I have to walk more than maybe 15 minutes from one bus stop to another,” Hui told the BBC on Friday.
The TransLink systems engineer — the transportation authority in Vancouver — told the outlet the idea sprung into his head when he discovered a four-hour bus route linking Eureka, a city in northern California, to Ukiah, about two hours north of San Francisco.
Hui said that in 2013, he had tried to travel as far south of Vancouver as possible but ended up stopping that journey in Salem, Oregon.
He told the outlet once he reached rural areas in the Pacific Northwest state, there was “no transit pretty much crossing Oregon into central California.”
But when he discovered the new bus routes, Hui said they were “the missing link” to gaining ground and mapped out how he would embark on his public transport voyage to Mexico.
After stepping off on his trip, Hui noticed one thing in particular that has changed since he last attempted the efforts in 2013.
The public transit buses he took were now equipped with WiFi and accepted credit or debit card payments for their services.
Another thing he noticed was the difference between public transport in bigger cities.
“It was just remarkable to see how the different services connected, especially in rural areas,” Hui told the outlet.
In cities like Seattle or San Francisco, buses made regular stops and didn’t travel as far as the ones he found in more rural areas, where a bus would drive several hours, crossing hundreds of miles before reaching its final destination, according to the outlet.
When asked what he did to pass the time, Hui said he enjoyed staring out the window, taking in the coastal scenery, and observing the atmosphere of the new towns and cities he was passing through.
“I very much enjoy seeing the scenery as we pass by. I love looking at how the towns are laid out,” he told The Vancouver Sun.
“As we passed by the coastline or the forest, it was just a pleasure for me to see all that scenery.”
Hui also couldn’t help but gawk over the massive farms of southern California.
“I’ve seen them from the air before, but the size and expanse of the fields are different when traveling the length of the state,” he said.
During his trip, Hui said he crossed all international borders on foot since public transport wasn’t available.
He shared that while at the US-Canada border, border agents were skeptical about his reasons for entering the US.
“There are not that many people who cross the (northern) border by foot,” Hui told the BBC.
Fortunately, they let him carry on with his journey after he explained himself.
However, once he reached the southern border between the US and Mexico, Hui noticed more foot traffic and made it through without issue.
Looking back on his trip, he said one thing he noticed the most was how vital public transportation was to the areas he passed through.
“One thing that struck me on this trip is how important transit is to the communities it serves,” Hui told the outlet.
“At no point was I alone on the bus for extended periods of time.”
Lastly, Hui shared that the “amazing part” of his trip was how efficient the public transportation was during his journey.
He noted that even when he got stuck in lengthy Los Angeles traffic, he had enough time to make his next connection and did not have to resort to any backup plans.
The systems engineer spent about $200 on bus tickets and said the trip was worth every penny.
Hui’s advice for others who may be thinking of setting out on a similar journey as him is simple.
“Know when the bus comes.”
