My Morning Commute and How I Missed The Bus

So, I have never taken the bus to work. For the past two weeks of my internship, I’ve driven my gas guzzler of a SUV up and down I-540 to get to work at Triangle Transit. After filling up the tank twice in two weeks, $40 each time, I had reached a tipping point, especially since I pay for the gas myself. Also, rush hour traffic is no fun. There’s only so much music that can entertain you while you’re cramped in a car for an hour. Not only is it expensive and tedious to drive to work, it is harmful to the environment.

Long story short, I decided to take the bus to work this morning, but I missed it. I watched the bus fly by from afar.

Last night I was excited to take the bus in the morning. I used the GoTriangle Trip Planner to find the route number I needed to take to get to work from my house. I was also able to find out the departure/arrival time and the location of the bus stop I needed to wait at. The planner even gave me walking directions from my house to the bus stop. I decided I’d get a ride from my house to the bus stop, though I could have walked or biked.

I also packed light so I wouldn’t have a lot to carry onto the bus. I made sure to bring my iPod and a book, so I’d be entertained on my commute.

With my route number, bus stop address and arrival time written down on a sticky note, I went to bed prepared for my adventure the next day.

I woke up early to catch the Triangle Transit 201 at 7:56 in the morning. I got a ride to the bus stop. I got there a few minutes before the arrival time, just to be safe not to miss the bus. Then, I waited patiently by the sign.

I didn’t notice, however, that I was waiting at the stop where the bus drops off in the afternoon. The stop that picks up in the morning was on the other side of the street. Just as I realized this, the TT 201 sped by. I missed the bus.

[Lesson 1: Make sure you know what side of the street your bus drops off and picks up at.]

[Lesson 2: Use the GoTriangle Trip Planner to plan your bus commute.]

Since I don’t give up easily, I am going to take the bus home. We’ll see how that goes. Check back next week to discover the outcome of that endeavor.

Maybe next time I’ll be able to tell you what the inside of the bus looks like!

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