Bloody Buses
For what would normally take 15 minutes bus drive from my place to the city, it took almost an hour. The traffic was crawling at a pace slower than if I had walked myself with a broken leg. When the speed eventually picked up we were halted to a stop by the traffic lights. Traffic lights which we were stuck at for four whole “cycles”.
We were going in a North direction and needed to turn West. We could not turn West as the cars going that way had piled up from the next traffic light which is about 100 metres away. Whenever the light turned green for us we would have to wait until the cars on the left of us going West started to move again as there was absolutely no turning space. When they started to move we could finally move around that damn corner, but alas-our light had turned red. We sat in the bus for four cycles. With each cycle of the traffic light going for around 5 minutes each we were stuck for almost 20 minutes.
I usually leave the house at 8am to get to the city at 8.15am where my connecting bus service leaves at 8.37, which then gets me to work at 9 on the dot. But not today.
After nearly 55 minutes in my first bus alone I get to the city at 5 minutes to 9am and I know there is a “back-up” bus to the Uni at 9.54am. I run off the first bus, up the stairs, across the hall and back down some more stairs (thats how our bus station works-to get to each platform you go up stairs and back down stairs-stupid, huh?) and have missed the bus by literally seconds. I go back up the stairs to look at the timetables and maps and see if there is another bus to the Uni. I see the bus I usually catch comes at 8.00 to 8.37 at regular 7 minute intervals. After that, the next service is at 9.42am. I find another bus that will leave at 9.30, so I walk slowly to the platform and trudge down the stairs. Half an hour later I get to work. I was late by one full hour-yet I left the house at 8am!
You would think that a bus to one of the biggest University’s would have closer intervals in bus services, especially coming from the centre of the city. I suppose they think Uni students don’t need to get to class on time, or that the only people who catch the bus to Uni are students.
QOTW (though I should make it Monthly since I always forget it) When has public transport, or any transport for that matter, let you down and [how] did it affect you, and what did you do about it?
To be honest, I don’t use public transport too often but I believe it’s more reliable than that of where you live.
Comment by Tom - September 25, 2007 9:07 am
Oh, I could write novels on this topic. For instance, two weeks ago to the day, I waited forty minutes for a streetcar and was late for school. Almost every day I have troubles with rude people, loud people, or people who think they’re entitled to luxuries that no one else can have. I HATE public transport!
Comment by Clem - September 25, 2007 12:05 pm
I did some calculations last year and found out that every year I’m in school, I spend a total of 15 days (that’s 360 hours) on the bus. Everything that’s wrong with me is a result of all that bustime.
Comment by Leila - September 25, 2007 1:13 pm
Hi there! Thanks for visiting my blog yesterday! =)
Traffic. Augh. It’s not that bad here in San Antonio, TX. I mean, you get traffic anywhere you live I think. Specially if you live in a main city but… we’ve lived in Los Angeles, and near Washington D.C. THAT was bad! I hated it!
I used to take the city bus to and from school when I was little… it sucked. I hated it but we had no other choice. It took us over and hour to get to school and back home.
Nothing like having your own vehicle for transportation. =)
Comment by Bonita in Pink - September 26, 2007 12:46 pm
You were stuck for four cycles? You’d think traffic would stop to let the bus through. Incredible. People drive so obnoxiously these days. Makes my job as a learner driver especially nice.
I’ve had some strange times on buses. The ones around here are notorious. When you want one they don’t turn up, and when one shows up at least five of the same are right behind it. Grr. I hate it when it’s foreign people with no idea of their surroundings that do the route. They miss stops, take wrong turns even come off at the wrong motorway junction. Luckily I’ve never been late to something cause of a bus, mostly coming home.
Once a lady bus driver told us she was taking a different route because they closed the road we had to take into Portsmouth. She was awesome - she got us there a bit late as opposed to a few hours later! Some guy swore at her for not stopping exactly where he wanted! He wanted to be dropped off randomly on some road. She’s a bus driver, not a taxi!!
Another time I got on a bus drunk after a night out with loads of friends. At the same time all these young teens got on because a Lostprophets gig had just finished. I personally like Lostprophets - not a personal favourite of mine, but I will listen to them. I asked them how the gig was to which they replied it was rubbish and they’d changed since their first LP. I lulzed at the thought of these kids getting the first Lostprophets LP. They’d be, what, 8? Then I sorely remembered I got their first LP when I was 14/15… about their age now. Although it made my laugh more. Drunkenly. They were not amused.
And those are my lengthy tales of bus travelling. I’m sure there’s more but I’ll spare you.
Comment by Lil - September 26, 2007 1:01 pm
Your bus incident sounded terrible.
One day last week, the bus came five minutes early, I was running to it from my last class and missed it by seconds. Had to turn up 30 minutes late to my “date”.
What did I do about it? Mass text sorries to him.
On the first day of school this year, I was fifteen minutes away from home when the bus broke down. Then it took them half an hour to get the next bus over. Grrr. It was an omen for my entire year.
Comment by Rilla - September 26, 2007 1:37 pm
Can’t say I’ve ever had trouble with public transportation - it’s the private stuff that’s let me down. I’ve given up on relying on my parents to pick me up from school, because they always forget me and I’m stranded 20 miles from home. The worst was either when I was forgotten at an airport after returning home from a trip (my parents thought I was coming back a week after I actually did - I would’ve been stuck with no money for a week had I not borrowed change) or when I was left in an empty area of town in the dead of night. Scary stuff.
I love public transport. Maybe it’s growing up in a small town and not actually riding a real bus until the age of 14, but I love riding buses and taxis. Some of my greatest memories involve public transport (Miami city buses have a voice recording that says “stop requested” that plays whenever somebody wants to get off! You have to pull a yellow string to signal the next stop! Exciting).
Comment by Katie - September 26, 2007 11:10 pm
I used to LOVE when public transport would screw up. Used to be a fantastic excuse to go have breakfast, a coffee and a cigarette and walk to school missing multiple classes and just blame CityRail! Our train system screws up so often here. People jumping on tracks, technical difficulties, doors jamming - the list goes on… and when you ACTUALLY have somewhere to be; it’s unbearable.
Comment by Paddy - September 27, 2007 3:30 am
An hour late? Poor you!
The major bus stations here have the whole “upstairs-downstairs” thing when you want to get to the other side, too
I’m pretty lucky; even though I use public transit a lot (which should provide lots of opportunities for problems) the routes I take are quite popular and pass by often. So even if I miss a bus, it’s not a big deal and I’m just a little late.
Comment by Kaylee - September 27, 2007 12:35 pm
I avoid public transportation as much as possible. I get severe motion sickness and it’s much worse on buses, etc. Of course, I can’t say I’ve ever actually done any because I’m only 12 and I pretty much live in walking distance or have my parents drive me to everywhere I go.
Comment by Mari - September 27, 2007 5:27 pm
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Comment by dakota - September 29, 2007 4:38 am
Hi Bobbi-lee. Sorry for taking so long to finish, but the review you wanted is finally done
I put my website as the page the review is on. I hope you find it somewhat helpful. I tried my best =P
Comment by Annie - September 29, 2007 4:14 pm
The bus system in my city is notorious for never showing up for it’s scheduled time of arrival which left me being late to just about everything. Outside of that, I really did hate our public transportation system in general, something very unsanitary about it. One time, while loading on the bus, I passed by this seat that had throw up on it. Two days later, it was still there! Needless to say, I’m glad I have a car now.
Comment by Kiera - October 2, 2007 6:52 pm