There's this one space near my house where I can hear if a bus is coming, but I can't see it. And when I hear a bus, I better be running, because to make it to the bus stop, I need to cross a fairly busy road.
Yesterday, I was in just that predicament. And I ran. World record running. I could have bested a Jamaican sprinter. Granted, that sprinter is probably 73, had one too many rum and cokes, and is missing a toe due to an unfortunate fishing incident... but still, pretty fast. And the bus stopped! Good thing there is someone getting on at that stop, embarking on an adventure that very well might have changed his life.
I zip across one side of the northbound lanes, which thanks to a light that just changed a couple hundred metres away, has zero traffic. As I reach the island, the southbound traffic in both lanes actually stop for me just so that I can make it to the bus. If Ottawa drivers get a bad rap, certainly the rap-givers never saw that sight!
Just as I run right behind the bus and start to head for the door, I hear that all familiar engine churn. "he can't be serious!" Slowly, but just fast enough, he takes off. Those cars that stopped for me star honking to no avail. Seconds later, the bus, now in the far turning lane, stops at the red light - the one that allowed me to cross the street in the first place, where he waits over a minute before he can turn.
Waiting 4 seconds for me to board would have made no difference. Especially when he was already three minutes early.
If that wasn't enough, the bus I used to get home from work was eight minutes late arriving at the stop, the one just after the start of a route. Usually at night, the driver will leave a few minutes late just because there are few stops made, but not eight minutes.
OC Transpo claims that their "on time" percentage, the number of buses that are not early, but no more than five minutes late, is a whopping 58%. Their goal is to have 90% on time service. I'm not sure about the frequent buses I used to get between school and work, but certainly I would consider today to be a poor day for bus service. They really need to start using time points use synchronized onbaord clocks, set up more time points, and watch mirrors for people who are running! Especially if that same mysterious "they" want to justify the second (and a whopping one at that) fare increase in a year, both off the heels of the cold, cold winter '09 bus strike. Yep, I'm still displeased about that one.
Of course, I've had wonderful experiences. There are some remarkable drivers out there that go out of their way to just be nice to us poor public traniters... some even on those routes that I use all the time. I just didn't get them yesterday. Those are the drivers that should be coaching everyone else.
And on a completely unrelated note, here's why you don't give kids markers when they ask for them in your store (that doesn't sell markers). Especially not permanent ones:
No, I didn't give the marker.
Yesterday, I was in just that predicament. And I ran. World record running. I could have bested a Jamaican sprinter. Granted, that sprinter is probably 73, had one too many rum and cokes, and is missing a toe due to an unfortunate fishing incident... but still, pretty fast. And the bus stopped! Good thing there is someone getting on at that stop, embarking on an adventure that very well might have changed his life.
I zip across one side of the northbound lanes, which thanks to a light that just changed a couple hundred metres away, has zero traffic. As I reach the island, the southbound traffic in both lanes actually stop for me just so that I can make it to the bus. If Ottawa drivers get a bad rap, certainly the rap-givers never saw that sight!
Just as I run right behind the bus and start to head for the door, I hear that all familiar engine churn. "he can't be serious!" Slowly, but just fast enough, he takes off. Those cars that stopped for me star honking to no avail. Seconds later, the bus, now in the far turning lane, stops at the red light - the one that allowed me to cross the street in the first place, where he waits over a minute before he can turn.
Waiting 4 seconds for me to board would have made no difference. Especially when he was already three minutes early.
If that wasn't enough, the bus I used to get home from work was eight minutes late arriving at the stop, the one just after the start of a route. Usually at night, the driver will leave a few minutes late just because there are few stops made, but not eight minutes.
OC Transpo claims that their "on time" percentage, the number of buses that are not early, but no more than five minutes late, is a whopping 58%. Their goal is to have 90% on time service. I'm not sure about the frequent buses I used to get between school and work, but certainly I would consider today to be a poor day for bus service. They really need to start using time points use synchronized onbaord clocks, set up more time points, and watch mirrors for people who are running! Especially if that same mysterious "they" want to justify the second (and a whopping one at that) fare increase in a year, both off the heels of the cold, cold winter '09 bus strike. Yep, I'm still displeased about that one.
Of course, I've had wonderful experiences. There are some remarkable drivers out there that go out of their way to just be nice to us poor public traniters... some even on those routes that I use all the time. I just didn't get them yesterday. Those are the drivers that should be coaching everyone else.
And on a completely unrelated note, here's why you don't give kids markers when they ask for them in your store (that doesn't sell markers). Especially not permanent ones:
No, I didn't give the marker.
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