Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 44,126
Likes: 6,342
From: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Yesterday I had an event to attend after work, at Queens College (QC), a remote location. So I took the subway into work. Easy.
Getting from Brooklyn to Queens (which are separated by a legal border, not a natural boundary) involves taking a subway through Manhattan. QC isn't near any subway, so I took a bus from the subway to the college and got lost. QC is a wonderful college but every time I go for any reason, the trip is hellish. The bus driver berated me for paying in the wrong manner. Jeez, the City is all up in arms about people who evade the fares, and I PAID. He just didn't want me to insert my card in the box designed for it. There's a new procedure which I just didn't know about. He kept ranting at me, even after I said I didn't know and will do it right next time. "You could get a $100 ticket if you don't have a ticket." All right Buddy, I get it. But I'm sure driving a city bus has got to be one of the most irritating jobs there is.
Going home was even worse. On the first bus, the driver just stopped and said LAST STOP! I didn't know where I was. I did my best to figure out what bus to take next, all in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Lots of walking. Google Maps misled me to the wrong stop. I missed the bus that goes directly to Manhattan (where I live). Then while I was at the wrong stop, the bus to Manhattan stopped at a red light, right where I was. I waved to the driver who shook his head and pointed to I-don't-know-where. He refused to open the door just to hear me, and then he moved on. A woman there said that that bus comes only once an hour. I ain't waiting another hour for that. The woman helped me find a bus that would take me to a subway. I ended up walking several miles as reported by my digital gadgets. These bus drivers and confusing systems are probably why people think of New York City as a rude place. And they are why I generally avoid buses. The subway is complicated, too, but it's better documented, and I know it well.
So how was my commute? I'd say hellish. But I'm healthy, and I got some exercise.