My train station has been closed since July 1st for renovations and will not be reopened until December 31. I have been either walking to the next stop (7 blocks away) or taking the bus home. I would prefer the bus because A) I could catch up on my reading or knitting and B) it drops me off or picks me up a block away from my apt.
I hate the bus for the following reasons:
1 - Children - I know some of you have children of your own and I am sure they are delightful little people. The children I am referring too apparently only live in my neighborhood; maybe you have seen/heard them? They are the kind that don't obey their parents and are really loud and obnoxious. I am just trying to unwind from a long day at work I really don't appreciate kids screaming, nagging, fighting or being overly LOUD on the bus when I am there.
2 - Old People - in particular the old woman that was using a walker that made my bus stop on the corner of St. Nicholas and 109th street and made the bus driver let her on via the backdoor wheelchair access. For God's sake woman WHY didn't you hold onto the rail? WHY? Can you believe that because she didn't hold onto the rail the bus driver could lift the platform, we all had to get off the bus and wait for the next one. The old woman wouldn't move, she wouldn't hold the rail, wouldn't let someone hold onto her arm and the rail, and wouldn't get off the platform. She just stood there.
3 - Loud people - I am talking about that older woman who was talking to her friend (who was standing right next to her) this past Sunday about how she killed her cat in a fit of rage. Yet she now has a new cat that she loves but occasionally hits. WTF! She actually had this conversation on a crowded bus and she looked about 50 something years old. (and I know I might be guilt of being loud myself but if I am on the phone I try to make my conversation short and if I am talking to a friend that is with me I am not too loud so the whole bus could hear our conversation.) Oh and this also applies to loud teens coming home from school with all their giggling and reindeer games makes me just want to hit them.
4 - Frequency - Sometimes the buses are dead on schedule but lately not so. Just tonight I waited and HOUR - yes and HOUR for a bus. During that time there should have been 6 buses pass by. There was only 1 bus and it was only going as far as 125th street. I live up past 181 street so that did me no good. In addition, if I am taking the bus to work in the am it never seems on time. I think the MTA took some of our line busses out of rotation to fill in a shuttle bus that goes between the two train stations. Does the shuttle bus do me any good when it goes only one stop? Um NO!
Come on MTA get your shit together before I issue a formal complaint. Cause if I do I will expect you do something about the children and old people as well ... and don't even get me started on the tourist or people with many bags - they are next one my list! But really I am not a bitter old curmudgeon - I'm not.
