Broward County Transit October 3, 2012

I've been too busy to write, but that does not mean things are fabulous  on the buses. I won't go too far back, just two days.  On October 1, it was pouring rain most of the day which makes commuting of all kinds its own brand of misery, but waiting in the rain for the bus that may or may not arrive to pick you up on time or otherwise is uniquely miserable. I had been pretty fortunate with my connections that stormy day. My bus from work to the connection stop pulled in a couple of minutes early.  This happens on rainy days because people who don't have to be out are not out which means fewer stops.  Anyway, at the connection site, it was raining in torrents, and the connecting buses weren't there yet.  At this point, my fellow riders got off the bus. I was flabbergasted.  The bus we were on wasn't scheduled to depart for ten minutes or so and, optimistically, the connecting buses were not due for about five minutes.  Oh yes, it must be the wonderful new shelters that were built with the best interest of riders.  Well, no - not actually.  The new shelters are about one-third the size of the old ones; no one can be sheltered from anything in those.  The driver was out of his seat for a break from sitting making it obvious that he wasn't leaving imminently. Still, I was the only one left.  I had no intention of stepping out there until I absolutely had to.  When my bus arrived a couple of minutes later, I hopped out and ran the thirty feet to the bus and got drenched even with my rain gear.  Drenched.  That's how hard it was raining.  You can only imagine the others.
To my surprise, we had a new bus driver on my last bus home (bus number0741) .  In literature, lots of water is usually interpreted as a renewal, a rebirth, a new beginning.  Could it be that that ride would be a gentler, but still effective ride home?  I get crazy sometimes.  A cockeyed optimist, I guess.  The woman was so rude, I almost missed the old driver who pretends to be a deaf mute.  She yelled at a passenger for accidentally indicating a stop prematurely.  Hey, it's hard enough for us passengers to see out the bus windows with all the advertising wraps on the buses, not to mention the white muck (to be discussed in the future) that never gets cleaned, then add pouring rain in the dark.  Really, she scolded loudly a grown man who had already apologized for his error!  She was every bit as aggressive in her driving as the last guy, muttering to the drivers in front of her as if they could hear her barrage of complaints.  She arrived at the special junction, discussed in previous posts, six minutes early.  Again, the rain makes that easier...fewer stops...  The twist here is she didn't wait until her scheduled departure time.  She left six minutes early.  The joining bus wasn't even in yet??!!!!!  So, in torrential rain, the passengers expecting to transfer to my bus got to wait out in that pouring rain in an ineffective shelter for more than thirty minutes.  I can only hope they called often to complain about that situation.  The riders need to call in, clog the lines, but they also need to write to their Broward County Commissioners.  The county treats the riders of Broward County Transit without regard for service or wellbeing.  Maybe I'll start handing out addressed envelopes with letters of discontent addressed to the commissioners.  Hmmmm.  I'm percolating.

Until next time...

I remain Condemned to Broward County Transit

 Broward County Transit  September 17, 2012

This morning's bus arrived five minutes late.  It doesn't sound like much, but in order to transfer to other bus routes, buses need to be on time.  With only five scheduled minutes to spare for my connection,  my commute to work was in jeopardy.  In order to make the connection, three of us had to jump off the bus prematurely and run to an alternate location to pick up the next bus.  For those in sneakers, it might be okay, but those of us who are dressed to work in offices find the situation more difficult.  As much as the self-important attitude displayed by so of many of the drivers honks off the riders, it's not always their fault.  

It seems like those people in charge of the schedules are also responsible for the miserable service doled out by Broward County Transit.   

The evening bus driver on one of my routes drives like a madman.   I appreciate that he is an "on time" driver, but in order for him to be on time, he bullies all sorts of vehicles if they are going too slowly.  He honks the horn repeatedly while he rides up so close to the backs of cars, I doubt the drivers can even tell what type of behemoth vehicle is looming in their rear-view mirrors. This is not safe for the people in the cars.  Buses don't stop that quickly, and the car's occupants could be injured, maimed, or even killed before anyone on the bus even had to brace themselves.  (On some buses there are cameras focused on the road in front of the bus.  Is anyone watching?)

So, it seems that those of us who are condemned to Broward County Transit are victims of  irrelevant, unachievable bus schedules which cause ill-will, frustration, and hostility. They also put the lives of the occupants of other vehicles at risk.  

Regarding ill-will, this afternoon, a woman got on the bus complaining about the 14 Route.   She is certain that the driver is late on purpose so that she and several others consistently cannot make their connecting bus.  She was serious.  This is how people who ride the buses feel.  There is a LOT of ill-will out there.  Asked by a fellow passenger (not me) why she doesn't call to complain.  Oh....let's think....why doesn't she call?....Hmmmm....  could it be that nothing gets done about it and no one ever calls as promised by all of the "customer service" representatives recording the information??

 Anyway, who creates the schedule?  Who approves it?   I would bet that the people in charge of scheduling have never taken the bus.  If they have, they've only take a token ride; they've never had to rely on the buses to get to work on time or to get home to the kids.

A lot of problems could be solved with schedules that are achievable.  I challenge everyone in the Broward County Transit offices and every County Commissioner take the buses for an entire month, never driving in their convenient cars during that entire time.  They should experience what it's really like.  

I continue to be,

Condemned to Broward County Transit