Adventures in Mass Transit, Part 2

Can you name Part 2 differently than Part 1? Too bad, I just did it!
So...after work (leaving early, you'll remember), I trotted down to NE 8th St. Okay, trotted might be too strong a word. Walked fairly quickly (for me) might be more accurate. I did the 1/2 mile in 10 minutes, if that counts, thus proving that I CAN, indeed, make it to the bus stop each day within my 16 minute limit. Once again I was early and caught the bus before the one I was going to catch.
Wow. They sure hire some lovely people to drive the bus, don't they? Mr. Lovely did wave me through when my Orca Pass didn't work, I'll give him that, but I think it was because he didn't want to wait for me to fumble for the change to pay with.
We got closer to downtown Bellevue and he showed how truly wonderful he could be by 1) blasting his horn and yelling at the driver next to him, 2) even going so far as to call him a "dumb-a**", and 3) running a red light!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
Every time we were able to go, he slammed on the gas and when we had to stop he slammed on the brakes. We didn't get in any accidents. That's a good thing.
So, I'm once again stuck between the 2 Starbucks' and wondering if I'm ever going to survive this bus thing and along comes the Everett bus. YAY! A peaceful ride back to my car at the P&R! Except I forgot that it was Friday, and we had to take the freeway. Well, we only arrived 7 minutes late, so I guess that's okay. And I'm not sure what happened to the hour and 5 minute commute idea. That must have been without the walk time from work to the bus stop, which I neatly forgot to count.
Overall, the whole bus experience was okay. I'm not discouraged yet!
And about that Orca Pass...I now have this vague memory of the HR lady asking me if I was using the thing or should she cancel it...My bad!! Cost me 5 bucks, because I didn't have change, but it was a cheap lesson, I suppose.
Note to self: Bring change for the bus, just in case!

My Adventures with Mass Transit, Part 1

Taking the bus. Wow, I never thought I’d be doing this again! But there comes a time in everyone’s life when circumstances all come together and there you are, doing something you never thought you would.

In my life, a lowered income, the threat of $5.00/gallon gasoline, a long commute, an aching tendon in my clutch-pumping foot, a changed bus schedule, a roommate moving out, and my company supplying an Orca pass, all conspired to make me a bus rider again, for the first time since high school.

That’s a lot of conspiracy going on, isn’t it? I’ve been checking the bus routes and when I first started working here, it was a 4 hour trip. The next time I checked it had come down to 2 ½ hours. Then when I checked yesterday, it was only 1 hour, 5 minutes (if I can walk fast enough after work to get to the bus stop on time!).

So off I went this morning, leaving home at 6:26 to make it 1 mile down the road before 6:43, driving to the Park and Ride near my house, finding a parking spot, getting to my “Bay”, and lo and behold! the bus number I wanted was just pulling up! Of course this was the bus before the one I was trying to catch, because I had left so early...

I waved my Orca pass, it beeped (yes! I’d sorta been holding my breath, a little, maybe), and I found my seat at the very front of the bus, near the driver, because I can see my stop better from there. (…?) I pulled out my glasses and my Kindle, and settled down to read a book - on my way to work!

Then I pulled my glasses off, put my Kindle away, and checked to be sure we hadn’t arrived in Bellevue while I wasn’t looking, even though we had only left the S. Everett P&R 5 minutes ago. >>sigh<<

After two more of these compulsive incidents, I finally just left the Kindle in my purse and watched traffic. We arrived at the Bellevue Transit Center right on time, which was 21 minutes before my next bus. Wouldn’t you know that this non-coffee girl got set down smack-dab between two Starbucks? They don’t even have good hot chocolate there! (Sorry, Amy, but they don’t!) This is probably a good thing.

So I once again pulled out the Kindle, only to immediately put it away. Busses come early, you know. And if I’m reading, I can’t see my bus show up. The bus finally arrived, and then sat there for 4 minutes, because it was ahead of schedule.  At least it was warm inside. We pulled away from the stop, and then I got really nervous. Some of the stops were quite a way between. How would I know when to pull the little cord to ding the bell to alert the driver that I wanted to get off?

I finally moved to the front (two seats up) and told the driver which stop I needed. She let me know it was the next stop, so I sat right there to make sure she stopped for me. I didn’t want her to forget, or get distracted and miss the stop or anything. Good thing that guy pulled the cord that dinged the bell, just in case!

When I got off the bus I had to cross the street, and the light took forever. The bus dropped me off at 7:51, so I only had 9 minutes to get to work - a block away. I made it to work in time to fill my water cup, get a cup of tea, and log in just before 8:00.

Whew! I can’t wait to see what the evening’s adventures bring! Of course, I’m getting off work 15 minutes early so I can be sure to be at the stop on time…

I know what you’re thinking, but this time it makes sense! After work my stop is ½ mile away, and I have to get there before 5:16, getting off work at 5:00. I’m overweight and out of shape, so I’m not sure how fast I’ll be able to walk it. It should take about 10 minutes. Aaaahhhhh! I don’t have enough time! I’ll never make it! Oh wait. Today I have an extra 15 minutes. I’ll let you know how that goes. J

(This really is what goes on in my head. And it’s probably the same kind of stuff that goes on in your head too; you’re just not crazy enough to admit it.)

Almost forgot the points game: 100 points to anyone who can tell me which bus I take from work to the Bellevue Transit Center.