Commuters who leave the driving to a municipal employee, usually gets the best of both worlds. Not only do they not have to contend with negotiating road hazards and reckless drivers, but they get to view their commute from a totally different angle. They get to see the world from a 180 degree perspective; a snapshot of the world through a 45 mph prism.

Life events become clearer as a passenger. You begin to take note of things that you do not have the luxury of experiencing as a driver. There, your focus must remain firmly ensconced on the road with momentary allowances to quickly steal a glance in the rear view mirror so that you will reach your destination safely.

As I board bus # 47 every week day on my way to work, I get to sit in my comfy seat, recline a bit and listen to my iPod as I prepare to get immersed in my favorite magazine du jour. It is still dark outside, so I use my time wisely.

On the way home, my preferences change. I want to unwind, so I sit back and admire the view from the panoramic windows. I realize that there are so many buildings that I have passed by over the years as a driver that I had never noticed before. I survey the older buildings with the names of the manufacturers who once built their various widgets painted in bold lettering alongside the brick exterior. They have been tastefully converted to in-town lofts. Up until that point, they were just old buildings to me. I had never noticed the beautiful transformation; there were plenty of things that had gone unnoticed.

Laughter, though barely heard, resonates loudly from the lips of a couple walking hand in hand down the street. You pray that the bus misses the green light just so that it will buy you more seconds to enjoy seeing them enjoy one another. Steps away, you see friends savor an early evening latte at the local coffee shop. One is intensely reviewing notes from this morning’s lecture, while the other tries their level best to distract them.

A mother looks back to tell her pre-teens to walk faster so that they can catch the light before it changes. They are too busy giggling and surveying their new purchases to hear their mom’s plea. A crowd of people are standing in a circle on a sidewalk. Right in the middle stands an older man blowing his trumpet with everything he has in him. You can see the passion and dedication on his well-worn face as his audience erupts into joyous applause.

Things get really interesting when conventioneers descend upon the city, especially during Dragon Con. You get to see all of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Gamer fanatics emulating their favorite heroes. During those times, it’s best to take one of those seats at the coffee shop and enjoy the scenery because the costumes will blow your mind. Being a passenger also allows you to pay attention to funny things like the signage outside the local liquor store. Once, it said “Back to school special! Teachers get 10% off!”

In general, it seems like you get to see LIFE played out in slow motion. Its players are oblivious to the fact that they are involuntarily on a stage not of their own making; however, they execute their roles perfectly for all who by chance happened to be present to see it.