Oh Eff You, Translink!
I am having the WORST time commuting this semester. If it's possible, it takes me between 30 and 60 minutes LONGER each way and each day to get to UBC and it's starting to really, really PISS ME OFF.
Today, seven buses passed me at 41st and Granville because they were jam-packed with people. Every time the doors would open I would be shoved out of my place in line as other UBC-ers (the bastards!) slithered their way on there to take up the remaining cubic foot of space. Now, I'm not sure if you know this about me, but I'm not a small person. And I kid you not, I was body-slammed out of line not once, not twice, but thrice! If I wasn't such a pleasant and agreeable individual, fisticuffs may have ensued.
Then when I finally got on bus #7, I was practically sitting in the bus driver's lap until we got through Kerrisdale, at which point I took refuge in the wheelchair space and guarded it with my life (and some gnashing of teeth!).
To top things off, I was rubbed against by so many other people who obviously don't share my affection for bathing and who felt it was appropriate to get all up in my grill! Ok, in fairness, they had nowhere to go but up in my grill, but STILL. STILL!!!
Helloooo, earth to Translink! In your quest to grab as much money is humanly possible you have enticed more and more people to ride the bus, offering passes for long-term commuters, claiming that it really is fun and easy to ride the bus... but we need enough buses to take us places or it's not going to work! For the amount of money I'm going to be spending on stress-therapy/fisticuff-related lawyer fees, I could probably rent a pad in Vancouver :p!
And I see near-empty 351s leaving White Rock in the evenings. It maketh no sense to me... why not switch to short buses in the evening, and spend what you've saved in gas and operation costs on a few more buses where we actually need them, eh? Eh? I'd ride the short bus ;).
Ok, enough whining. I think I've achieved what I came here to achieve, although Baby Mac's keys have been stabbed to death as a result of my de-stressing.
Honestly, I know I'm lucky... but I honestly also know that this is driving me slowly crazy... and I needed to whine.
:)
Today, seven buses passed me at 41st and Granville because they were jam-packed with people. Every time the doors would open I would be shoved out of my place in line as other UBC-ers (the bastards!) slithered their way on there to take up the remaining cubic foot of space. Now, I'm not sure if you know this about me, but I'm not a small person. And I kid you not, I was body-slammed out of line not once, not twice, but thrice! If I wasn't such a pleasant and agreeable individual, fisticuffs may have ensued.
Then when I finally got on bus #7, I was practically sitting in the bus driver's lap until we got through Kerrisdale, at which point I took refuge in the wheelchair space and guarded it with my life (and some gnashing of teeth!).
To top things off, I was rubbed against by so many other people who obviously don't share my affection for bathing and who felt it was appropriate to get all up in my grill! Ok, in fairness, they had nowhere to go but up in my grill, but STILL. STILL!!!
Helloooo, earth to Translink! In your quest to grab as much money is humanly possible you have enticed more and more people to ride the bus, offering passes for long-term commuters, claiming that it really is fun and easy to ride the bus... but we need enough buses to take us places or it's not going to work! For the amount of money I'm going to be spending on stress-therapy/fisticuff-related lawyer fees, I could probably rent a pad in Vancouver :p!
And I see near-empty 351s leaving White Rock in the evenings. It maketh no sense to me... why not switch to short buses in the evening, and spend what you've saved in gas and operation costs on a few more buses where we actually need them, eh? Eh? I'd ride the short bus ;).
Ok, enough whining. I think I've achieved what I came here to achieve, although Baby Mac's keys have been stabbed to death as a result of my de-stressing.
Honestly, I know I'm lucky... but I honestly also know that this is driving me slowly crazy... and I needed to whine.
:)
posted by Sara at
10:36 a.m.
4 Comments:
Oh now we can start the "whose got the worst transport system debate" ;)
London: to rid a bus anything further than off away from the bus stop: £1.50 (that's about C$3.25).
To take the tube: mininum price: £3 (that's about C$6.50).
Tube average summer temperature: 40C (yep, that's illegal for cattle but okay for humans, apparently).
to drive in central London: £8 (that's about C$18), and that's before parking (another £8 miniumum for a day's toil or £5 ($12) AN HOUR I saw in one car park near my office).
Oh and we can have 300 nationalities of the great unwashed sticking a smelly armpity in your face. We love those rivers of sweat running down our backs when it's 10 degrees outside and 30 degrees in the carriage and we're dressed for autumn. So joyful.
Oh and my tube ticket costs me £1000 ($220) a month, and has frequent breakdowns and delays (oh and the ever-present "person under the train" or "passenger action" (i.e. they jumped under a train but lived). That's pretty much my daily commute of an hour each way (and I only live 10 miles from work, so given that it's hot, sweaty, smelly and the most expensive transport system int he world, Shannon, you wouldn't enjoy it if you had to live here).
By
Mike, at 1:12 p.m.
Hardly whining. More of a vent. Trust me, I'm a counsellor ;)
I don't know if this is wicked or not, but your rants always give me such a laugh. Good thesis-defense prep (distraction? break?).
By
Anonymous, at 6:19 p.m.
oh mike. no one wanted to start a debate except for you, you ornery tyke! :p it's not a competition, it just sucks all around apparently!
jess: you make me feel oh so used... but in a good way. glad i can help you procrastinate. hope all is going well with that by the way!!!!
By
Sara, at 1:57 a.m.
Admittedly i don't need 2 peopel to have a debate, I can do that all on my own.
And the ;) should give it away...
Sara: We don't get a fudged word of the day for security any more.
By
Mike, at 8:39 a.m.
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