Friday, 24 October 2014 02:17 pm
Something must change
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deckardcanineFor nearly four months, my routine commute has involved two buses each way. In the morning, I go to a single-line stop that gets little activity and whose drivers have become habitually tardy. Once earlier this week, my Metro app indicated that consecutive morning rush hour buses would be spaced about 55 minutes apart, implying that one usual run was skipped entirely. Once I lost the better part of an hour when a bus had to offload after a car grazed it.
Evening travel, while more negotiable in terms of which line I use, is arguably worse. I'm not punctual about leaving the office, tho I've learned not to go for a bus if I leave very late. Even if I plan a good time to head for the first bus, there's no guarantee that I won't have to wait a long time for the second. Last night, for example, my app predicted a 17-minute wait; after what felt like 5 minutes, it said 16. Thus, not for the first time, I decided to walk/jog a few miles. It probably took more time, but I'd rather spend it exercising than waiting in place with little reading light. Of course, walking that distance at night is pretty dangerous.
Even under optimal conditions, it's a pretty long commute that requires me to get up early and come home late. The ride itself isn't very comfortable either, sometimes rattling too much to do a crossword puzzle. Neither waiting not walking will get any easier as winter approaches, and I wouldn't dare try either in snow.
So why don't I revert to the relatively comfy and reliable subway on a regular basis? Mainly because it costs more than twice as much to go where I need and saves little if any time with a circuitous 14 stops. An extra $2 per ride will add up fast.
And forget about driving. I have more reasons not to own a car than I care to list.
After nearly 7 years in the same house, I'm finally taking seriously Mom's suggestion to look into an apartment in walking distance of my office. It'll be a pain to move, but that pain will pass.
Evening travel, while more negotiable in terms of which line I use, is arguably worse. I'm not punctual about leaving the office, tho I've learned not to go for a bus if I leave very late. Even if I plan a good time to head for the first bus, there's no guarantee that I won't have to wait a long time for the second. Last night, for example, my app predicted a 17-minute wait; after what felt like 5 minutes, it said 16. Thus, not for the first time, I decided to walk/jog a few miles. It probably took more time, but I'd rather spend it exercising than waiting in place with little reading light. Of course, walking that distance at night is pretty dangerous.
Even under optimal conditions, it's a pretty long commute that requires me to get up early and come home late. The ride itself isn't very comfortable either, sometimes rattling too much to do a crossword puzzle. Neither waiting not walking will get any easier as winter approaches, and I wouldn't dare try either in snow.
So why don't I revert to the relatively comfy and reliable subway on a regular basis? Mainly because it costs more than twice as much to go where I need and saves little if any time with a circuitous 14 stops. An extra $2 per ride will add up fast.
And forget about driving. I have more reasons not to own a car than I care to list.
After nearly 7 years in the same house, I'm finally taking seriously Mom's suggestion to look into an apartment in walking distance of my office. It'll be a pain to move, but that pain will pass.
