Yesterday morning on the way to work... I pulled the little cord for my stop. The bus stopped. I got up, I went to the rear doors like the instructions tell you to do when exiting the bus. I pushed. The doors did not open. I pushed again. No opening for the doors. Then the bus took off. With me in the doorway. So, I ran up, and pulled the cord again. The bus driver didn't let me off the damned bus for two more blocks. It's already sort of a hike (literally, there is no sidewalk) to my office from the bus line. I was on time for work, but a little bit irratated.
Then there was a small fiasco on the way home involving my bus being late and my narrowly missing my connecting bus home. For the record, the bus driver offered to hold the next bus for me, but I just didn't think that seemed fair... holding a bus during the evening commute for one passenger. Plus, I really thought I was going to make it.
We arrived at the transit center, and all the buses were still there (around here all of the buses depart the transit center simultaneously every half hour). I had to get past three buses to get to mine. I run over there, and they start pulling out. I still think I am going to make it. The bus then drives off as I arrive at its door. I chase it, but does it stop? No.
Okay fine. I stopped and got a schedule for the two buses I will be riding... then I went and visited some friends and caught a much later bus.
Then this morning, I was late getting out of bed. I missed my bus. Then I narrowly missed the next bus. I was up in time that if I had a car that worked, I could have been early to work. So, I left my boss a message saying I would be 45 minutes late for work today.
The morning bus ride wasn't too bad, some man kept telling me I look just like Nicole Kidman. I had never been told that before, and I took it as a compliment... The first bus was a nice new one. It was really a nice ride. The second bus was apparently purchased used from TARC judging by the signs. It was drafty and clackety and old. Plus it was the one I was riding while I was being late for work. On the plus side, the driver was really nice and let me off not at a bus stop, but at the nearest intersection to work.
So, basically, I am grateful that this bus system exists, and I don't have to ride my bike to work every day, but I am just not getting the hang of it. I used to ride TANK all the time. Their terminal was indoors (when I rode it) and the schedules were easy to read (I cannot decipher a LexTran bus schedule). The busses ran more like every 15-20 minutes. There were many transfer points.
I need to get my car fixed. Soon.