IdiotNOTonaBus.com

So today NOT on the bus....

visual: me leaning over my navy blue bike, waiting for bus number 4. So exhausted, just rocking the brightest of blue lululemon pants, neon pink headband, sweat soaked face and a lingering headache from the previous evening's events. I wait...

So, I am waiting for the bus today late in the evening. I rarely ride the bus at night, so it seems to feel a bit different. I creep myself out and deem everyone waiting with me crazy, killers, or foreigners that are talking bad about me in their foreign language. So I am waiting, as instructed by metro.net trip planner, on the SOUTHEAST side of the intersection. Waiting, waiting....

I roll a couple circles around my bus stop checking out the signage - I really do not know how to read them. However, I did notice that my stop had the large number 1 and 9....but no 4. That's odd. But the trip planner has never steered my wrong before, so I wait a bit more.

Waiting... Waiting....

Well this is insane, I am on 2 wheels. I should just ride home. I am not that far, hell I just ran all the way down here.

Then, I look forward, and literally 6 paces away is ANOTHER bus stop. What?!? I have been at the wrong stop the whole time. Great! This blog should be called idiotonabus.com. or really, idiotNOTonabus.com.... And, why put the bus stops so close to one another bus-stop-planner? It could be confusing!

So, I switch my stop. Roll over there. I see a large number 4 posted along with a couple other numbers. I guess those signs do hold some value. Take note for future. Who knows if I even missed it already. And there are other bikers at this stop. I mean, there are only 2 spot for bikes on the front of the bus. Is this a line thing - do they go before me and I have to wait even longer?

Well, I give the bus 3 minutes and then I am just going to pedal my tired bum home - no bike light and no energy. Real smart idea. So I am waiting....

Hallelujah! Here it comes. Bus number 4. Me and this dude beside me get ready with our bikes. I guess the other bikers are waiting for a different line. Phew! So I am there, ready to pull the rack down and get on this big blue bus.

I am not even kidding, the bus flew right past me. I was so focused on the bike rack and my stop-mate with the bike beside me - I didn't WAVE them down. I had figured maybe my guy beside me would do it, but he is getting on the bus pulling up behind and actually stopping. I mean, maybe I thought that the damn bus would just stop ....we are at a BUS STOP!

Needless to say, I did not ride the bus today. I said to myself, you do not even deserve to be on the bus. You know the rules by now, you know to wave them down. I have no one to blame but myself, well - and my bike.

So for my punishment, I made myself bike home on the sidewalks. That's right. Exhausted and out of steam having to yell out LEFT or RIGHT whenever I come up behind the happy couple walking to their car or cute motorized scooter. I almost gave this one girl a heart attack. I hate the "Biker on your LEFT" shoutout...I just hate it!

What did I learn today? Read the signs. And for the love of God, WAVE!