Since returning from Germany I have happily returned to using OC Transpo to get around the city. I remember the very first day I returned to work via OC Transpo I was impressed–the bus was fast. Eventually my honeymoon with transit wore off and the reality of riding the bus kicked in. Don’t get me wrong–it’s not bad, it’s just not consistently fast.
I am a seasoned transit rider. I understand the variance of transit, the extra time spent, etc. I think it’s awesome that I can use my mobile phone while travelling on the bus (unlike drivers in Ontario–ha!), but I pay for that in time. I don’t usually complain about the bus.
Usually. But getting through downtown at rush hour is brutal. I remember it being bad before–taking 15 minutes to go 4 stops–but it is currently at least twice as bad. There is some construction happening on the Mackenzie King bridge and this holds up busses significantly. I’ve sat on a bus through red lights (plural) without moving. The bus I took today was on-time when we hit Bay station, but 18 minutes late at Laurier station. And this bus hit downtown after 6 p.m.
Last week I left work to play squash with Adam J. In the perfect world I would have been on campus by 17:30, maybe 17:35. I barely made it to the gym for our 18:10 squash time.
Yesterday I got off before Kent station and walked to Bank St. for a transfer. I got on my second bus before my first bus even got to Bank. Brutal.
Buy a car.
yeah, I go through it every day. Now that the construction is done, it’s much better but always a pain at rush hour