Last weekend I visited Universal City, between Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. I got there later that usual so I went on the tour, had dinner, and left.
When I left the Red Line Subway in Union Station, I went to the street-level MTA “Patsaouras” bus terminal, for the freeway bus that would get me home.
None came. I wound up having to hail a taxi. The fare was almost thirty dollars. (I have a complaint pending.)
What I would like to know is: What have other Dopers done when their ride/bus/train/whatever didn’t show up: How did you get back home? (especially late at night or no a weekend)
Usually I’ve been able to call someone for a ride home, although I did get stranded and have to call a taxi once. Husband had taken the car and was out of town for a week. I got on a late bus to come home from work, and didn’t realize until I was standing at the bus stop that the bus I needed to switch to had already done its last run for the night.
I took a bus as close to home as I could get, and then called a taxi from a shopping center. It ran me ten bucks, but walking would have taken me a good hour.
American Express/Visa/Mastercard–don’t get lost without 'em.
I WOULD HAVE GONE NUTS.
“Idjit”
Only time I’ve ever been stranded involved car troubles. First call is always to AAA. Failing that I call gramma - she fixes all 
Funny you should bring this up.
I was stranded last night at the University. It was 4:30 PM and it was getting pretty dark out. The next bus didn’t arrive for an hour, and no one was home so I decided to hoof it.
Now, there are two ways I can get home. The school sits on top of a large hill, and has one paved road leading up it. If I go that way, it normally takes me about an hour and a half to get home (mainly because I have to double back on myself). There is another route down the hill though (which takes about 45 min) but it involves an old logging road which goes through some heavy forest. Now, when I say heavy forest, I’m not talking about a wooded city park, I mean wilderness. I normally don’t mind walking this way, but it’s getting dark out and I’m worried about the wildlife (with good reason as we shall see). But, stupid me, I decide to throw all caution to the wind, figuring I can be down at the bottom before it gets really dark. So, anyway, I’m merrily making my way down this old road, while around me the woods get darker and darker. Not a problem, I think, I’ve got plenty of time. So about half way down, I see a tree where no tree should be. So I look at bit harder, and I see it move. Oh joy (did I mention that it is now getting to the point where it is hard to distinguish things, and I’m all alone?).Looking a bit harder, I realize that I am now closer to a moose than I ever wanted to be. I whistle, thinking I can scare it off the path so I can get by, and it works. It charges off into the woods and I begin to sally forth, only to see a second one on the path. It’s at this point I had several thoughts:
[list=A]
[li]It’s the rut (moose mating season)[/li][li]I’m currently looking at two cows[/li][li]Where there are two cows, there is usually a bull[/li][li]A bull moose during the rut is the most dangerous animal you can come across[/li][li]If a chased by a moose, you are supposed to run up a tree.[/li][li]There is no way I’m getting up a tree. It just isn’t going to happen.[/li][li]Therefore, if I’m chased by a moose, I am dead meat.[/li][/list=a]
Since I am not yet tired of life, I decided to turn back. I had walked for about a half an hour, so I was looking at a half hour hike back up to the top. It was now very dark. I hate walking in the woods when it is dark. I feel like I’m the equivalent of a extra-value meal in a red flannel jacket. (Did I mention that it was cold? Very, very, cold? And that I was horribly underdressed? If not, It was, and I was). I make it back to the highway, heaving like the bejeezus (I figure that if I’m in some moose’s territory, it probably wouldn’t be prudent to stop and rest) and still looking forward to a 1 & 1/2 hour walk.
And the moral of this story? While moose may seem “cute” from a distance, they are big, dumb, ugly, and frankly, IMHO the tools of the devil (I mean really now, a 45 min walk stretched into a 2 & 1/2 hour one? Wouldn’t you be peeved?)
I did eventually make it home though, albeit a lot colder, and a lot later than I would’ve wanted (and with several large painful blisters to boot). It’ll be a while before I try that way again I can tell you (and a brief note to all interested parties: Sandals are not, under any circumstances, a winter shoe. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Please, learn from my mistakes).