(no subject)
The air conditioning is up too high on the bus. I cover my chest with folded arms, but am still convinced that my hard as rocks nipples are magnetic for gazes of either lust or disgust. I take the bus because it's cheaper than the T but sometimes I think I've made a mistake when I'm the only little white girl curled up in a blue plastic seat because she's freezing and doesn't want to take up a lot of space when there are so many people who are forced to stand. I must admit that I don't often offer my seat to someone else. Most of the time I can't discreetly get the attention of the pregnant woman or elderly man in order to offer some temporary comfort. But sometimes I just don't care if some twenty something year old woman decides to bring four kids under the age of five onto the bus. How could she expect to get five seats together at rush hour, to have room for a baby carriage when people are entering and exiting the bus at nearly every single stop? I can't stand the way they narrow their eyes at you when you politely ask for them to move out of your way when your stop arrives. Would you rather I jumped over the stroller and hit your baby in the face with my converse? Just because you have children doesn't mean that the entire world is going to make everything easy for you.
But what annoys me most about the bus is when people sneak in through the backdoor or don't have to pay at all because the cash machine is broken. If I have to pay for my seat, everyone should have to pay. Why should I be penalized because I had the forethought to put money on my automatic swipe Charlie Card before I boarded? I still maintain there should be a college student discount for public transportation. Nothing exorbitant, but just an added incentive to take the T or the bus instead of walking or hailing a cab. Sure, not all of us are poor, but some of us are struggling and deserve a break.
I guess its the Silver Line (downtown, waterfront I've yet to experience, but that will happen later today) that annoys me most of all. It's advertised as the above ground subway but it's just a glorified bus route that only services one very long street. It gets caught in traffic like any other vehicle and is always crowded. The electronic displays at the bus stops are never accurate and the drivers will never wait for you if they see you running to catch the bus. The worst part is that almost every time I've taken the Silver Line two busses arrive together. So when they say that it's only 10 minutes or so between busses during rush hour its wrong because when two busses arrive together its then twice as long for another (pair) of busses to arrive. And then of course both busses do not allow passengers to board so you're forced to cram between people. If you're vertically challenged like me it is even more frustrating because you can't reach the top bar for support so you are either reliant on strangers to keep you from falling or you practically have to be a contortionist to reach one of the bars on the back of the seats or by the exit.
But I will soon be free of the Silver Line and most busses (except for my jaunts to Central Square, which are usually pleasant after 7pm or so) after this week because my co-op comes to an end tomorrow. I'd like to say that I'll miss it, but really I'm ready for a change. Readjusting to classes will be difficult, but I'm ready for my mind to be expanded again, to have time during the day to accomplish things and to generally not have the pressure of a 9-5 job. I'll miss always having free time when not at the office, but I will get used to a different schedule and take full advantage of all the summertime opportunities available in Boston.
But what annoys me most about the bus is when people sneak in through the backdoor or don't have to pay at all because the cash machine is broken. If I have to pay for my seat, everyone should have to pay. Why should I be penalized because I had the forethought to put money on my automatic swipe Charlie Card before I boarded? I still maintain there should be a college student discount for public transportation. Nothing exorbitant, but just an added incentive to take the T or the bus instead of walking or hailing a cab. Sure, not all of us are poor, but some of us are struggling and deserve a break.
I guess its the Silver Line (downtown, waterfront I've yet to experience, but that will happen later today) that annoys me most of all. It's advertised as the above ground subway but it's just a glorified bus route that only services one very long street. It gets caught in traffic like any other vehicle and is always crowded. The electronic displays at the bus stops are never accurate and the drivers will never wait for you if they see you running to catch the bus. The worst part is that almost every time I've taken the Silver Line two busses arrive together. So when they say that it's only 10 minutes or so between busses during rush hour its wrong because when two busses arrive together its then twice as long for another (pair) of busses to arrive. And then of course both busses do not allow passengers to board so you're forced to cram between people. If you're vertically challenged like me it is even more frustrating because you can't reach the top bar for support so you are either reliant on strangers to keep you from falling or you practically have to be a contortionist to reach one of the bars on the back of the seats or by the exit.
But I will soon be free of the Silver Line and most busses (except for my jaunts to Central Square, which are usually pleasant after 7pm or so) after this week because my co-op comes to an end tomorrow. I'd like to say that I'll miss it, but really I'm ready for a change. Readjusting to classes will be difficult, but I'm ready for my mind to be expanded again, to have time during the day to accomplish things and to generally not have the pressure of a 9-5 job. I'll miss always having free time when not at the office, but I will get used to a different schedule and take full advantage of all the summertime opportunities available in Boston.