Art Villarreal’s Living Green

Running Late

I’ve spent a while learning the transit system and I seem to have gotten the hang of getting around town. I understand the nature of timing my moves depending on either the time I have to be there or the time the bus is arriving.

Today I thought I would be a little adventurous and took a gamble. I planned on taking an express bus home which would have bought me about 15 minutes. I thought, if I could make the connection downtown, I would not have to sneak out so early from work and still make it home at the same time. I would also spend less time out waiting for my connecting bus meaning less time in the heat. For me, that would be a blessing I would enjoy.

So as I lead off in my excursion, testing the so-called waters, I realized I was doomed to fail. The bus was 5 minutes late. This meant there was no room for error since by I would be dropped off at my connection at 4:35 instead of 4:30. No problem, the express bus wouldn’t arrive until 4:35 or 4:40 at the latest. Halfway through the route, the driver notified us we were switching buses. Grrrrr. No problem the last time I took the express bus it was 8 minutes late. I could still make it.

We switched buses and sat there and waited.

One minute passes.

Two minutes pass.

Three minutes pass. Anytime now!!!

5 minutes later the bus driver finally leaves the switch point explaining that he hasn’t driven an old bus in a long while. Thinking to myself, maybe if you speed up I might make it. Then, one stop before my connection, figuring I still might make it, twenty people want to get on.

“This is not the 36?”

“No it’s not,” the bus driver says.

“Well the bus says it’s the 36,” the angry patron says.

“No, it’s the 26, “ explains the bus driver. I’m thinking to myself, “you have got to be kidding me” as I was three bus cross my path 3 blocks away. Anyone of those could have been my express, but the driver spent too much time trying to find the right code to get the sign righ

I had to take the 51 down to my side of town, which is no problem, only I’m going to be 30-40 minutes later getting home and I have to smell the “sweet” aroma of homeless person trying to get out of the heat. In any case, I will attempt this new adventure tomorrow. If it works, I will probably do this from now on. I hope the driver isn’t late tomorrow.

Cya,

Art