The bus route STAYS! Wohoo! (work with me here...at least TRY to sound excited!)
Yes, it's hard to believe, I know. We had one of the powers-that-be ride the bus today and we got the good news. I guess they got pretty beat up over cancelling the route without even TRYING to keep it...at least that's the impression we got. They're trying to add a new city to the destination that will encourage more riders (thanks to a friend of mine and me pushing it). That'll mean that our schedule will change "slightly". We'll also have to suffer a 35% rate increase, but HEY!...no one's complaining. If they do, well then they can just drive in and suffer a 400% rate increase.
It's true...it costs 4X as much to drive in as take the limo (bus)...yet we can't find enough riders. Not sure what's up with that. Maybe 10$ a gallon will make people budge out of the drivers seat. Maybe not.
We haven't received any official notification, of course. Nothing in writing. Yet in faith I proclaim "the cancellation of our bus route is cancelled!". It was a good fight. I'm pretty much exhausted. Anyone see my ear plugs? I can't wait for the ride in tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
WooOOO WooOOO
Rode the train today, in case you couldn't tell. Just for fun. Kind of a research project, really. It was one of those "well, we may still lose our bus and I haven't ridden the train for around 5 years...I wonder if it's changed". Uh, no, it hasn't changed.
The train would be a totally sweet ride if it wasn't for the seating arrangements. They're pretty bad. And I should know.
First of all, they don't recline. Not even a little. Straight up. Mom would be proud. But then Mom didn't want me sleeping sitting up...sorry Mom.
Second, you are facing someone the whole way. And I mean face to face. There's an aisle in the middle, duh, and on either side are two seats next to each other facing forward and they face two seats facing backward. Not so bad except where do you put your feet? Two adults would have their knees occupying the same space. For a visual, fold your hands and look at your fingers. That is what the legs of the 4 people look like. Thankfully it's not packed (yet) so you don't HAVE to sit right across from someone.
Third, and I made this mistake this morning, if you are sitting backward, and on the left side of the train, then you get the sun RIGHT in your face the whole way there. That's not really clear is it? If you are facing forward, then it is the right side of the train and if you are facing backward then it is the left side. Let's call it the North side of the train in the AM and the South side in the PM. So out of 4 possible ways to sit( Left, Right, Frontward, Backward), I chose poorly (as the Grail Knight in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" so famously put it).
Fourth, your "seat" gets transferred to a bus when you arrive at your destination train station and you have to ride the shuttle bus to the closest stop to where you work. Not THAT bad, but still nor OUR bus. Plus it takes another 10 minutes to make that journey.
Not the least bit seat related, but there is this "conductor" or something that comes on the intercom before every stop and says "pingggg" (that's not him, btw, that's the "roger beep") "now approaching the Vasco Road Station". Then, and I'm serious, like 1 minute later he says "pinggg" AGAIN..."arriving at Vasco Road Station". And it's not quiet. I think the "ping" is there to wake you up so you hear what he has to say. But, hey, I'm trying to SLEEP here! I'll know when to get off because it's a TRAIN and trains are on TIGHT SCHEDULES, so I'll set an alarm on my phone and it will go off (silently of course, to be courteous to the other poor souls that are going all the way to San Jose or somewhere just as far), and I'll quietly wake up and prepare to disembark. Is that what they call it when you get off a train...like a boat? Is it "disboard"..."unboard"? If you board the train then what do you call it when you, well, get off? Wow, really lost my train of thought there (sorry, but I can see this is going to be fun with all the possible puns involved in commuting via rail).
Note to self: change the alarm on your phone because you have to leave 20 minutes earlier to catch the PM bus to the PM train. Done.
I'm sure the "coolness" factor will wear off over time, but for now riding the train was really cool!
The train would be a totally sweet ride if it wasn't for the seating arrangements. They're pretty bad. And I should know.
First of all, they don't recline. Not even a little. Straight up. Mom would be proud. But then Mom didn't want me sleeping sitting up...sorry Mom.
Second, you are facing someone the whole way. And I mean face to face. There's an aisle in the middle, duh, and on either side are two seats next to each other facing forward and they face two seats facing backward. Not so bad except where do you put your feet? Two adults would have their knees occupying the same space. For a visual, fold your hands and look at your fingers. That is what the legs of the 4 people look like. Thankfully it's not packed (yet) so you don't HAVE to sit right across from someone.
Third, and I made this mistake this morning, if you are sitting backward, and on the left side of the train, then you get the sun RIGHT in your face the whole way there. That's not really clear is it? If you are facing forward, then it is the right side of the train and if you are facing backward then it is the left side. Let's call it the North side of the train in the AM and the South side in the PM. So out of 4 possible ways to sit( Left, Right, Frontward, Backward), I chose poorly (as the Grail Knight in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" so famously put it).
Fourth, your "seat" gets transferred to a bus when you arrive at your destination train station and you have to ride the shuttle bus to the closest stop to where you work. Not THAT bad, but still nor OUR bus. Plus it takes another 10 minutes to make that journey.
Not the least bit seat related, but there is this "conductor" or something that comes on the intercom before every stop and says "pingggg" (that's not him, btw, that's the "roger beep") "now approaching the Vasco Road Station". Then, and I'm serious, like 1 minute later he says "pinggg" AGAIN..."arriving at Vasco Road Station". And it's not quiet. I think the "ping" is there to wake you up so you hear what he has to say. But, hey, I'm trying to SLEEP here! I'll know when to get off because it's a TRAIN and trains are on TIGHT SCHEDULES, so I'll set an alarm on my phone and it will go off (silently of course, to be courteous to the other poor souls that are going all the way to San Jose or somewhere just as far), and I'll quietly wake up and prepare to disembark. Is that what they call it when you get off a train...like a boat? Is it "disboard"..."unboard"? If you board the train then what do you call it when you, well, get off? Wow, really lost my train of thought there (sorry, but I can see this is going to be fun with all the possible puns involved in commuting via rail).
Note to self: change the alarm on your phone because you have to leave 20 minutes earlier to catch the PM bus to the PM train. Done.
I'm sure the "coolness" factor will wear off over time, but for now riding the train was really cool!
What's NOT cool about trains? See text above.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
The Plot Thickens
Riding the bus lately has been, well, boring. Just the way it should be. All the usual suspects are in all their usual seats with little interruption. At least as far as I can tell...I've been pretty much comatose.
We have heard, however, from 'the powers that be' that our route cancellation has been put on hold pending an investigation. Can you imagine? It's really quite exciting to think that we could actually have some effect on decisions made by the higher-ups. I'm really encouraged...maybe one person CAN make a difference. I think I might even vote this election.
The excitement, though, has its place. I absolutely forbid myself to think about it once I start heading for the bus. Day dreaming (really early morning dreaming) can be a curse when you're trying to go to sleep. Ones' mind must be empty. Ones' eyelids gently closed. A couple of deep breaths....in....out...in...you're out. Throw in a little tantalizing thought and you blow the whole routing. Ones's mind must be empty...
If the bus DOES go away (may it never be!) I think I'll ride the train. Stand by...researching train schedules. Hmmm...will I have to rename my blog? Nah. It'll just be a new chapter. I WILL change my picture though...trains are just COOLER than busses. Ask any kid.
We have heard, however, from 'the powers that be' that our route cancellation has been put on hold pending an investigation. Can you imagine? It's really quite exciting to think that we could actually have some effect on decisions made by the higher-ups. I'm really encouraged...maybe one person CAN make a difference. I think I might even vote this election.
The excitement, though, has its place. I absolutely forbid myself to think about it once I start heading for the bus. Day dreaming (really early morning dreaming) can be a curse when you're trying to go to sleep. Ones' mind must be empty. Ones' eyelids gently closed. A couple of deep breaths....in....out...in...you're out. Throw in a little tantalizing thought and you blow the whole routing. Ones's mind must be empty...
If the bus DOES go away (may it never be!) I think I'll ride the train. Stand by...researching train schedules. Hmmm...will I have to rename my blog? Nah. It'll just be a new chapter. I WILL change my picture though...trains are just COOLER than busses. Ask any kid.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Bus Drama 101
Ah, this is the life. The daily bus drama has never been finer than this last week. This is, well, like the ultimate bus drama...no more bus.
We've been fighting the cancellation of our route for the last week and a half and have basically gained no ground. Oh, they say that they are trying to keep it alive, and they're working on alternatives, and the like, but I'm afraid they might not be quite as motivated as we are. It's just a hunch.
There were some pretty nasty emails written, so I hear, that don't shed a kind light on the 'powers that be' at the bus HQ. They were brutally honest, to be honest. Here's a few snippets:
"we feel that 'the bus company' made this decision prematurely and without communication or regard for the riders of the route"
"There have been no appeals for new riders or any communication that something would need to be done"
"Recognizing that the cost of fuel was rising dramatically, we all expected a rate increase, but it never came"
"Was any consideration given to restructuring the route to include other stops?"
"At this time, given the rapidly increasing price of fuel, you should be expanding, not contracting"
"This approach goes against the entire concept of mass transit"
"Was this the only alternative? Why were we not contacted with options before the decision was made? Was this really very well thought out?"
"There have been no advertisements. It seems like a few well-placed billboards on I-5/205/580 leveraging the increase in fuel costs could dramatically increase ridership"
And the best for last...reducing our carbon footprint! "It seems that the reduction in pollutants, an the resultant positive image this presents to a population concerned about global warming and high levels of carbon emissions, would be a significantly important factor that should be considered as well."
I wish I could claim to have written these, but I cannot. Aren't they all just brutal? Every one of them is pretty much common sense articulated.
Oh, by the way, I would comment on todays drive in, but I can't remember it. I was COMPLETELY out. Looking forward to that same level of awareness going home.
We've been fighting the cancellation of our route for the last week and a half and have basically gained no ground. Oh, they say that they are trying to keep it alive, and they're working on alternatives, and the like, but I'm afraid they might not be quite as motivated as we are. It's just a hunch.
There were some pretty nasty emails written, so I hear, that don't shed a kind light on the 'powers that be' at the bus HQ. They were brutally honest, to be honest. Here's a few snippets:
"we feel that 'the bus company' made this decision prematurely and without communication or regard for the riders of the route"
"There have been no appeals for new riders or any communication that something would need to be done"
"Recognizing that the cost of fuel was rising dramatically, we all expected a rate increase, but it never came"
"Was any consideration given to restructuring the route to include other stops?"
"At this time, given the rapidly increasing price of fuel, you should be expanding, not contracting"
"This approach goes against the entire concept of mass transit"
"Was this the only alternative? Why were we not contacted with options before the decision was made? Was this really very well thought out?"
"There have been no advertisements. It seems like a few well-placed billboards on I-5/205/580 leveraging the increase in fuel costs could dramatically increase ridership"
And the best for last...reducing our carbon footprint! "It seems that the reduction in pollutants, an the resultant positive image this presents to a population concerned about global warming and high levels of carbon emissions, would be a significantly important factor that should be considered as well."
I wish I could claim to have written these, but I cannot. Aren't they all just brutal? Every one of them is pretty much common sense articulated.
Oh, by the way, I would comment on todays drive in, but I can't remember it. I was COMPLETELY out. Looking forward to that same level of awareness going home.
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