
The title? Well following JMB's lyrical lead, "dock of the bay" I could have paid homage to 2PAC, but the Beach Boys won out, being more of a match. Otherwise I would have used Dragonette's song of that title, one of my current favourites ^_^ maybe more me...
Getting about in SL can mostly be done by walking, running (if you are feeling energetic), flying and teleportation. To some extent other modes of transport are really for fun. Except when limitations are deliberately placed on regions for the sake of realism.
The ocean is a great resource for swimming, jet ski, sailing, lilos and blow up rings. These are great for beach parties. There are also places you can hang out to surf and scuba. They can be great fun. Here I am trying to look sexy by the ocean.

I have been on Tudor wooden sailing ships down at the docks, but only when they were docked.
Also there are balloons and airships from the small, one or two person things, to vast Zeppelin type blimps.
For a while JMB lived on a space station, believe it or not. So I have been on a space station, but I am not sure if that counts as a method of transport.

So I have a lovely horse to get about on when needed, also for fun. Up till now he has been all I really needed.
Those of you being observant will notice in the pic that though I am in a medieval sim with half timbered buildings I am dressed as a squaw. I had just got back and not had time to change. OK?
I have seen a horse drawn cart too and once got to ride a dragon.
Recently, for various reasons I have been mostly hanging out in a more modern urban environment. You can't fly (except in a copter or something) and you can only tp if someone sends you one/invites you, you generally can't do it on your own.
It is what you might call a “dodgy neighbourhood”. Now I can get to and fro to some extent on the bus and subway if I want to chance it.
Apart from police cruisers if people have their own transport it is mostly a “hog” or bike. I

I bought myself a cute Vespa scooter clone called a Vezpa. I have it in pink and I get about the city on it in (for example) waist high tailored blue jeans and a pink top with blue trim. I was aiming for cool european retro, I so love that outfit. I got a new hair do, shortish and black too.
I am learning how to handle the scooter, but I guess it is quite realistic in how it handles because it is more difficult to ride than some others I have tried. But I forked out around Linden$600 I had saved up so I am persisting. It came with a nice girly crash helmet.. and a coffee machine... so I can now have a virtual cappuccino.

Someone I know who built their own ( that is I must say easier to ride) said they could have done me one with my own paint job for that price. But by then I had spent the Linden$. Isn't that always the way?
I have crashed it several times and went into the bay twice avoiding parked cars, once I almost lost it avoiding running over a hobo.
One time I had to swim for it when I lost it... and another I was rescued from the ocean by a nice guy ^_^ We went exploring the City after.
The other day I was visiting with someone from the City who right now has their home/business at a small airport outside the city. She has a Priv-Jet and I got to go for a ride in it. That was fun and it seemed quite realistic. I don't know how it compares to flight sims that guys seem to love but I thought it was fun. I got to sit in the co-pilot's seat.
And finally...
A gratuitous pic of me in skimpy cut down jeans looking for my scooter keys in the sand after a beach party... ^_^
