Monday, December 1, 2008

The Wrong-Way Bus

The day is wrapping up much better than it started. As I type this, a beautiful and very vivid sunset is streaking behind the skyline. I love views like this!

The day began cold, blustery, and snowing. It was trash day, so I got semi-drenched taking the trash outside. When I left for work, it was really starting to snow. I hustled across the street to the corner where the bus usually stops for me in the morning. I waited. And waited. And waited.

The snow came down harder, the wind whipped up stronger, and I was starting to get really cold. I looked up in just enough time to watch a bus – I’m guessing it was my bus – go down the main thoroughfare a block away. That’s its normal route. Except right now, that route is CLOSED about four blocks down. (Which is why the bus now goes directly in front of my house.)

Maybe that was an extra bus or maybe it was a late bus making up time, I thought. I waited five minutes and then called the transit center. “Has the No. 5 switched back to its normal route?” I asked.

“No, ma’am. That road is closed,” came the answer. Duh.

“OK. I know that. So why did my bus just drive down that road about five minutes ago?”

“I’m not sure. Where are you and we’ll get somebody out there.”

I ran back home where the mother greeted me at the door. “What’s up?” She had apparently been watching me all this time. I quickly told her what I knew. It gave me a minute or two to warm up. Then I just stood on the porch which at least kept snow off of me and cut the wind a bit.

The next bus would be along in about five minutes anyway by this time. Then, I saw a bus come off a side street, go right past my house – and proceed down the closed road AGAIN. (I think the driver probably got chewed out for going the wrong way, got told he had passengers waiting on the route he was supposed to follow, and then tried to go back.) By the time that bus turned around and came to the proper side to pick me up, the other bus was already ahead of him. I boarded the other bus. Leave me out in the snow, will you?! Hah!

There were tie-ups everywhere even though we got very little snow. People are just stupid. They drive like maniacs and think they aren’t going to slide. I saw a report that said state police reported upwards of 60 wrecks this morning. Crazy.

4 comments:

MonkeyGirl said...

It was crazy this morning! It took me forever to get to work and I still can't figure out why.

Jayne said...

Ten years of dispatching has taught me that people freak out the first time it snows, as if it never happens in this part of the country. WHY they do this, I don't know, but it sure is annoying.

Vicki said...

Wow, that was nice that they were going to send someone your way. I don't want snow, maybe we won't get it down here...

NV said...

MG -- It was plenty ucky, that's for sure!

Jayne -- You are SO right!

V -- Yeah. Would've been easier on both of us if he'd have just stuck to the route in the first place.
:-) Luckily, the snow amount was negligible.