Route 301

Now that we live out in the sticks I cannot walk to my downtown theatre jobs any more. I get to take the bus. Good 'ole reliable public transportation. This really isn't a big deal. Especially since bus fare is $2.50 each direction and parking is $27 a day.

We happen to live right next to a major bus route. It is called the BRT, what is stands for I don't know, but it is the express bus to downtown. It takes me 25 min on the bus and 20 in a car. It stops almost right out side our little circle. It comes around every five minutes in peak times, every 10 minutes on the times surrounding peak times and every 15-30 minutes in the middle of the day and evening.

Yesterday was my first real example of how bad this could be. Yesterday was a holiday. So the buses were running on holiday hours. I called to see if parking was on holiday rates and it was not. That meant there were only buses every half hour, and about 10 minutes sooner than I am used to. So I hurried my butt out the door to make it for this earlier bus. I had 6ish minutes to walk about a minute and a half. As I stepped onto the main road from our circle I see the bus at the stop. So I run. (I forgot to mention that I have a tray full of cupcakes that I was volunteered to bring for the birthday of our Scrooge.) The bus waits for me. I hop on and it is already full. I guess lots of people took the holidays as Monday and we are all trying to fit on one bus that is usually one every five minutes. I put my cupcakes on the "my bag is too big" holder and stood. The bus was like a sauna. I had my coat off before the next stop. To make matters worse the driver had a very heavy foot, both on the gas and the brakes. We lurched out in the sauna for about 15 minutes before I had to start calculating my options.
-sit down, then I won't be able to see out the front window
-open a window, I am so far away from one I wouldn't feel it if I opened it
-get off at the next stop and wait for the next, half an hour later I would be late
-just breathe through it and hope for the best.

When we were rolling over the Center St Bridge I almost thought I couldn't make it those last couple blocks. As we pulled to a stop I grabbed my stuff and was off the bus so fast. I sat on the wet, granite steps of the building we stop in front for 10 minutes before the feeling of throwing up had passed.

I felt sick for the rest of the day. Then I had to get on the bus to get home. In comparison, the bus ride was much more pleasant. Except that I still felt that my stomach was upside down from the first ride. Seabands and all I still felt like I might just chuck on the good ole 301.