I’m waiting for the southbound bus at Maple Avenue and Glyndon Street, having just come from the Blockbuster. It’s almost 90 degrees already; the humidity is way up there and the bus stop has almost no shade. The sidewalk has been removed for some cockamamie money-wasting project; they’re going to replace it with brick, but right now there’s nothing but mud and a few patches of asphalt. The bus stop sign is lying on the ground covered with orange plastic fencing, but any bus driver who’s been on the job longer than one day should know there’s a stop there.
So, at 10:36, just about on time, I see the bus coming. Its signboard reads “Not in Service” but I can SEE PASSENGERS INSIDE!! This moron sees me trying to signal, but he blows right past with a blast on his horn.
Not only is this bozo too damn stupid to change his sign when he went on duty, he apparently thought that since a bus stop sign wasn’t in his field of view that very second (even though the stop’s been there for more than thirty years!) he’d just pass me by.
Right then a guy pulled over and tried to get my attention, I assume to ask me directions, but since I wasn’t in any mood to deal with people right then, I turned and walked away, getting mud all over my shoes.
I waited at the stop for another fifteen minutes just in case the bus really hadn’t been in service, but it was getting too damned hot and I retired across the street into the Giant.
Did I mention the next bus wasn’t for more than an hour? Did I mention how much I LOVE being treated like a second-class citizen because I don’t drive?
you’re not going to like this. but it seems to me the person who pulled over and tried to get your attention wanted to give you a ride. it happened to my wife once, the car driver then proceeded to stop right in front of the bus at the next stop and giving the bus driver a piece of her mind about his attitude while my wife got in.
and now, the christian fundamentalist version:
god heard your plea and performed a miracle for you. and what did you do? you spat on his divine hand you heathen! serves you right!
The stop may be out of service (and the pole therefore removed) because of the construction work.
The bus you saw may not belong to that route: it may have been a special.
Failing that, I suggest you file a complaint with your transit authority. I work in the customer service/communications/customer information department of my city’s transit authority and although it’s not my specific bailiwick, I’ve observed that all complaints are logged and taken seriously. (So few people bother to write in that if you do take the trouble, you will be noticed and dealt with.) You may even get Free Stuff for your trouble.
If I’m correct in thinking that your listed location of Vienna is in the DC Metro area, check out WMATA’s feedback site.
Thanks matt! I just submitted a complaint on their feedback form; we’ll see what happens.
I’m almost positive I saw passengers being picked up and dropped off at that stop after the sidewalk was torn up (not certain because I’ve been riding that route for so many years the days all begin to run together).
It’s a pretty pathetic transit system that doesn’t put up a warning sign if a stop is being moved/discontinued/suspended for construction or change of route reasons.
