Model trains in my basement were just not enough, so I began riding the real things at age eight. My parents occasionally worked late in Center City, so I would meet them by taking the bus and Frankford “El” to 5th Street…. all by myself, though my parents’ friends thought it as crazy. I was blessed with a mom and dad who gave me the freedom to explore. As a teen, friends and I rode nearly every bus, trolley and train in the city. Eventually I was the first passenger on PATCO, and took the last train out of Reading Terminal. Having become Chair of the SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee in 1984, I earned a seat on the first train through the new commuter tunnel under the gallery, as well as the first train to the airport. Friends often tease me for my love public transportation, but I enjoy sleeping, reading, and day-dreaming, while someone else is my chauffeur. It’s also the right way to help save the planet from pollution.