Hey Dumb@(#*!

Riding the bus is good for the environment. It saves a lot of wear and tear on the car. It saves on gas (though with prices what they are now, that’s not much of an argument). It gives me time to write (like I am now), or to read, or to work. Or even to sleep.

I couldn’t do any of that if I were driving! And, I feel good about the positive impact. But some mornings, it doesn’t seem worth it. Take this morning for instance.

I’m going in early today because I hope to also leave early. (So psyched for my weekend it’s scary.) This means I have to also leave home earlier and since this isn’t a bus I ride every day, I get to guess about which time to expect it. Turns out, I was out there earlier than I needed to be, but that was OK.

The bus rounds the corner and shows no sign of slowing. I start waving frantically. Still, no slowing. I run into the adjancent traffic lane (where luckily there are no cars) and continue to wave my arms as if I’ve caught myself on fire. Dumbass bus driver WAVES BACK and drives on.
Figuring he can still see me in his rear view, I continue waving. Finally, a block down, I see the flash of a brake light. He finally stops. I jog up the block. “We don’t normally pick up here,” he says as I board.

“That’s strange. The bus an hour from now does. So does every other bus that goes by here since P. Road is closed,” I fire back.

“Well, they weren’t picking up on this road the last time I drove this route,” he snarls back, braking in just enough time to pick up a gentleman that I know rides this bus every day.

I couldn’t help myself. “If that’s the case, then WHERE exactly would you pick up all the people who live on this road, since they can no longer go to P.Road?” At this point, Mr. B. chimed in.

“There will be two ladies at the church a few blocks up.” He should know. Unlike dumbass driver, HE is on this bus every day.

Sure enough, the two ladies are there. A block later, another lady. That’s five people along the road “where they don’t pick up.” Clearly, we all didn’t just decide it would be fun to stand out there before 6 a.m. in the cold for the hell of it. Apparently, I and at least four others expected the bus to stop along that road.

Dumbass.

OK. I’ve ranted and that’s out of my system. If it were any other day but today, it might be harder to shake off. But not today. Not today.