[Published: July 17, 2024]
BY KIM RATCLIFF
about cork.
Margaret Hughes and Jeanette Chavez commute from Fremont to Stanford on Marguerite Line AE-F. Over the course of a year, Margaret, a librarian, and Jeanette, an executive assistant for Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, gradually began greeting one another as they waited for the bus at the Ardenwood Park & Ride. They casually chatted whenever they ended up sitting near each other, and eventually exchanged first names.
SAVE LIKE Margaret and Jeanette~TRY OUR CALCULATOR to compute your potential savings!
Margaret and Jeanette each save $4,000+ a year in apparent commute costs (gas, parking, and tolls) and $6,500+ in hidden commute costs (maintenance/repairs, registration, depreciation, etc.) By adopting a sustainable commute, the women also reduce their overall carbon footprint by more than 10%.
Considering a sustainable commute but feeling overwhelmed? Schedule a complimentary 15-minute One-on-One Commute Consultation with Stanford Transportation.
One morning last fall, Margaret arrived at the bus stop. Jeanette noticed that, as usual, she was laden with so many parcels it was as if she'd packed for six months–not a day at the office.
“Look at my new purse,” Margaret said. “It’s made out of cork. And I brought it back from Portugal, the largest producer of cork in the world!”
On the bus, Jeanette settled in one row behind Margaret. When they arrived on campus, Margaret got off first at the Oval. As Jeanette stood to gather her things at the next stop, she noticed something wedged between the armrest and Margaret’s seat—the cork purse. Before getting off, she gave the bag to the driver for safe keeping.
Once in the office, Jeanette pulled up the Stanford directory. “I didn’t know her last name but vaguely remembered she worked in a library,” she said.
Jeanette scrolled through an endless array of Margarets until finally she found her.
At 7:10 am, Margaret's phone rang. A voice on the other end asked, “Is this the Margaret who rides the bus?”
"I hadn’t realized my purse was missing," said Margaret who figured she'd drive to the lost and found in Fremont after work to retrieve her purse. The only problem? Her car keys were in her purse.
Once again, Jeanette came to the rescue and drove Margaret to get her purse. “I felt so grateful that Jeanette went out of her way to help me - twice!” said Margaret. “It reinforces how great my Stanford colleagues are. I've noticed that us bus commuters look out for each other. It's a great feeling.”
The next time Margaret saw Jeanette at the bus stop, she came bearing a snack-filled goodie bag and a cork coin purse from Portugal.
“Needless to say, Margaret and I are now friends,” said Jeanette.
“Friends for life,” added Margaret. “I look forward to seeing her at the bus stop.”
Download or print this calendar to help keep the kindness rolling all year!
