Tag Archives: public transportation

Wherein Transportation Conspires Against Me

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Yeah, something super-short today because there’s no way, having gotten home after 10:30 p.m., I could have anything longer or more put together tonight.

I did make it to tonight’s film at the Spooky Movie Festival. I missed the first 10 minutes of it and didn’t have a chance to eat until, uh, now, but I made it.

I got out of work at my normal time (about 20 after 5-ish) and that first bus showed up as usual and got me to the Metro station. The train showed up and got me a few stops down to where I was supposed to catch the next bus to take me to AFI in Silver Spring. It’s kind of an express bus, so it moves a little faster than the other route that goes to the same station.

Well, the “other” route buses (yes, two in a row, at the same time) showed up late and I could have caught them. But, I figured, that other one–the quicker one–would be there in a less time than I’d lose on the other route… so I let them go without me.

Then five minutes passed.

Then ten minutes passed.

Then fifteen minutes passed.

(Buses run during rush hour in 20-30 minute rotations…)

Then the next run of the route I’d let go showed up. So I got on that.

And promptly sat in traffic for another 10 minutes before we were even half-way anywhere. Which put me still on the bus–and nowhere near my destination–when I would have been arriving from the buses I’d let go.

I got to the theater ten minutes after the movie started, so I missed the very beginning. Thankfully, that doesn’t seem to have ruined the whole film, as it was pretty solid all the way through.

You’ll get a full review of that tomorrow… ish… (assuming I can shoot it tonight after I eat)

For now, here’s today’s super short vlog on the run, recorded live at the Silver Spring Metro station.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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Blasts from the Past, Signal Knowledge, Private Police, Big Brother Buzz, and Just Some Darn Funny Stuff

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This entry is part 54 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

Today did not start out well.

The bus I normally catch to make it to work on time just plain didn’t show up.

The second bus on that route–the one that will get me to work just a little late, as long as we don’t hit any long traffic lights–was late.

Since that first bus hadn’t shown up, it was also at about 90% capacity when I got on. Total standing room only and a lot of shared airspace and getting friendly with strangers (and their bags).

The first stop after mine filled the aisles of the bus to sardine level.

Then the bus driver spent three minutes arguing with people at the second stop after mine about why he couldn’t fit them on the bus. That repeated for half the stops after that one (since the bus wasn’t getting any less full).

Why there isn’t a “Bus is full” option on the vehicle signage, I’ll never know. There should be.

Because, man, were there some pissed off people.

Rightfully, so, too. Some of them were going to end up being a minimum of an hour and a half late for wherever they were going. I’m assuming most were going to work. You know, a place where being late can get you fired.

This isn’t the first time this has happened in the past year.

Usually, the bus shows up. But more often than not it’s between five and ten minutes late. In a 20-30 minute rotation (depending on time of day). That’s up to a third late. Sometimes more.

Even five minutes late, if the timing is just wrong enough to catch the later traffic lights, is enough to make me miss my first connecting bus. Catching the second connecting bus still gets me to work on time, but just barely. On days I miss that second connection, I’m stuck waiting at the transfer station for another 20 minutes–in order to do a 10 minute bus ride.

I can’t tell you how often I’ve just considered shelling out for a cab from the transfer station.

So my day started with my normally just shy of an hour commute taking me around an hour and a half (from front door to desk). If I were driving, it would less than half an hour.

While I appreciate having public transportation as an option, I really don’t appreciate its lack of ability to hold to an actual schedule.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings.