First Project Interview

Interview with Dr. Douglas Murray- Professor Belmont University

03 October 2011

Andrew Bishop (AB): What bus routes do you most frequently take to Belmont?

Douglas Murray (DM): Um, yes, I use several bus routes, and I am afraid to say it is based on the time of day. The following are the routes I use most frequently, the 20 Scott, the 56 BRT, that is to get me from my house to downtown Nashville, and coming to Belmont in the following order of frequency route 7, route 2, and route 17. Also, when I have health appointment for example I use route three and ten to get me to my health appointments.

AB: How long does it take you to get from your house in East Nashville to school every day?

DM: Um, it takes me a little bit more than an hour in the morning and it always take less, excuse me more, in the morning because the connections are not as good.

AB: What would you say is your overall all experience with the metro bus? What are your feelings toward it?

DM: Can you be more specific?

AB: Do you think it is a good system, or do you think that it…

DM: I really don’t know, I don’t know to what extent it is a good system. I am sure there are ways in which it could be better, but I think it lots of ways it is a wonderful system. And I have greatly enjoyed, I feel like my eyes have been opened to so many things as a consequence of riding the bus.

AB: What are your primary motivations for taking the bus? Why do you do it?

DM: Hmm, I think my initial motivation, Um, well my motivations are the following, I do feel it is my responsibility um to lower my carbon footprint, and so I think it is the green think to do, to ride the bus. I am always eager to save money, and since Belmont, even before Belmont, paid for us to ride the bus, I bought my own tickets and came that way. I do think I am saving money, especially since Belmont is paying for the busses. I also don’t like the um, the hunt for a parking place once you come to the Belmont campus. When I step off the bus I feel I am ready for life and not concerned about finding a parking space. And then, I suppose this is the biggest advantage is I get to work on the bus, I get a lot of things done. And I am not going to be interrupted.

AB: So when did you first start taking the bus, how many years have you been doing this?

DM: 10 years.

AB: Have you seen any major shifts in time, from when you first started taking the bus? Has there been anything worth noting over the past ten years?

DM: There has been a gradual improvement of the bus system, I think, over the past 10 years. There are also more middle class riders than there use to be. I think that that has improved I guessed the biggest changed has been in introduction of the Bus BRT that only has certain stops along the various roots. I think that that has been a good thing in improve the efficacy and I look forward to the institution of other BRT lines, maybe um, along west end or something.

AB: I have been doing some reading about the Nashville Bus system, and I have found many stories of racial segregation on the Nashville Bus system and racial tensions on the public transportation system? Does that still exist or have you noticed that at all?

DM: I think everybody has to be fully aware that in a lot of ways that the public transportation system um, in many American cities and particularly in the south is very racialized. Many working class African Americans, they have no cars and the busses are the only means of transportation that they seem to have. Particularly early in the morning. I was on, this morning, I was on the very first Belmont number 2 bus. It left music city central at 6:15 in the morning. First of all, it was completely full. I think it was standing room only, and ummm… People did a pretty good job of not taking seats with baggage and such, and there were maybe threeeee… white people one the bus.

AB: And that was the Belmont route?

DM: That was the Belmont route, which you would not think, of course, well those are the men and women who often times have menial low paying jobs that need to get to work very early before the offices and business open. So, and some of them were students that were going to Hillsboro High School. But at that time it was interesting that it was the black, what seemed to be the black students and the black people who do various menial tasks on the bus that early in the morning.

AB: In your 10 years, what have been the most exciting, or most meaningful events that have taken place? Then, on the other end of that question, what has been one of the most frightening experiences on the bus? By that same token, do you think the bus is at all dangerous?

DM: I really don’t think the busses are dangerous. I will say that I use to do a lot of riding on the number 17 bus, which goes down 12 Avenue. And it had a very high, or it has a very high African American ridership and um, there was a man, who was accosting me about my bicycle and was saying how it was a very nice bicycle, which of course was an absolute lie, um, and he said “that’s my bicycle”, ah, he said, “you took my bicycle” and it was very very unpleasant. And would not, I tried to say I am not interested in having a conversation with you and it got a little unpleasant. I did not feel physically unpleasant. I feel the bus driver should have intervened.

AB: Did he take your bike, when he got off?

DM: No, I was afraid he was going to, I was afraid there was going to be a wrestling struggle over this bicycle. Of course, I had paid $20 for it at a yard sale.

AB: So, it doesn’t seem like there has ever been any major, or you’ve never seen any major injuries, and never felt threatened on the bus in well, 10 years.

DM: I’ve never felt really physically threatened. Um, and I do realize that women and girls responses are very different, and so often times they feel threaded. I’ve never really felt threaded. Then too, I’ve never felt, or there have never really been some standout single feel good moments. But I do feel much more closely connected to my city. You know, if you just stay on the major thoroughfares and if you go over things as quickly as possible on interstates and four lane roads and that kind of thing, in some ways you don’t really see the surface of the city. And I think certain parts, certain parts of the Nashville population um, are often times invisible form a lot of people’s perspectives. But the bus, takes you everywhere, and the bus provides service for a lot of people who would ordinarily remain invisible to all of those who don’t experience a ride on the bus.