Nine Forms of Transportation That I Have Encountered

Transport from one part of the city to another or even from one part of the world to another is essential in the modern times. There are various forms of transport in the world, for instance, airplanes, ships, etc. to travel from one part to another. But we also need simple means of transport in my part of the world like rickshaws and autorickshaws to move from one region to another with low fares. In this article, I refer to the forms of transportation that I have experienced over the span of years to date. I feel amazed to reflect that I have set foot on nine forms of transportation so far. Here goes:

1) Airplane

During my childhood, I traveled a lot with my family for vacations to our country from abroad. I have traveled several times back and forth from my country to abroad during higher education- an MSc in Germany that I earned and a PhD in the US that I couldn’t complete. I last traveled abroad to the US in December 2011 to attend my youngest sister's marriage ceremony.

2) Ferry

I traveled by ferry at some point during the journey with family when I was a child to my mother's place, Naogaon. It took a long time to travel, and memories have become obscure. I know it takes much less time now because of improved highways or the possibility of flights.

3) Boat

My relatives once lived in Rampura near the TV station. We stayed at their home during our vacation. Near the Rampura TV station, there were lakes and boats. My Dad suggested we ride on boats on the lake. I was just a child and dreaded the water. But when everybody got on the boat, I also got on it. There was a heavy depth of water while the boat sailed. The boatman used oars to move the boat. The water waves scared me. Soon an island was in sight, and we asked the boatman to stop. We got on the small patch of green island, took photos, had fun moving around, and got back to the boat before darkness prevailed.

4) Ship

During my childhood, we lived near a seaport. An English ship had come to the port, and the captain invited Dad to visit the ship. He probably got introduced to him while he crossed the sea to the other side by the ferry to attend the university to teach as a professor.

So, my family and I visited the ship one afternoon. A flimsy ladder was there, and strong men caught us, the girls, and carried us over the ladder on board the ship. The inside of the ship was spectacular and decorated with various cabins, which looked like rooms in a home. We came out in the open space of the ship. I remember the icy cold wind making me shiver all through. We had snacks inside, and finally, as darkness set outside, we returned home.

5) Train

I have much experience traveling on trains. I went to Cox Bazaar Seabeach twice- once during childhood with family and later as an adult with university classmates. But that’s not all my experience with trains.

I traveled everywhere I wanted to go by S-Bahn and U-Bahn trains in Stuttgart, Germany. U-Bahn trains were really for small distances. I traveled to many places near Stuttgart. Even when I came for vacation to my country, I traveled first to Frankfurt by train and then made the airplane journey to my country. It was quite an encounter.

6) Shuttle

I traveled by shuttle bus within the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington in the US. The payroll office was far away on another end from my apartment. So, I used the shuttle bus then.

7) Personal Car and Van

We had our car rides when Dad drove us to various places in Dhaka. It was a Toyota Starlet in the late 80's. We enjoyed our rides a lot. After Dad's demise, we hired a driver to drive the car to different places. After seven years, the car started giving us trouble. So, we sold it and bought a new car. It also catered to service to us conveniently, but after several years, we sold the second car also.

When I was in Arlington, my sister's family took me for rides in their cars and sometimes vans to various places for sightseeing or attending cultural programs. They also drove me to their place in Dallas and dropped me back at Arlington by car or van.

8) Rickshaw and Autorickshaw

These transports were widely used by my family and me when I was a student and also, a teacher when our car was not at hand, or we didn't have a car at all. These times were gone with the wind. They were no easy times, yet we didn’t take it to heart that much. But the transports were a means of travel with cheap fare.

9) Car Rental

It is also a type of transport my family uses. It is usually convenient for carrying out errands or visiting places. You rent the car for a few hours and pay the fare for the day to the driver accordingly.

Summing up, the nine forms of transportation that I depicted here were all interesting to set foot on. I had much experience and fun riding, flying, sailing, and moving in them. These encounters will remain in my heart for all ages to come.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2023 Rosina S Khan