I take a bus connection route on my way to work every morning. The public transport in my city (in Southern California) is not great but I am lucky that this bus route works for me.
It’s been few months since I started taking this route and there’s so many things I find annoying. Unlike buses I’ve taken before and the underground trains, buses don’t announce the next stops outside of main stops. Second, buses don’t stop at those “other” stops and will skip over unless someone pulls the chain for it to stop. I’ve even asked the bus drivers to help guide me, but most don’t seem to like their job and are of no help really.
I tried to find ways to ensure I get to my stop without issues. I used Google Maps, the official tracking app as well as actual map of the bus route – but online means always show me when I have already skipped my stop. And it’s frustrating. There’s no announcements or any main stops I can put a mental pin on my stop with and bus doesn’t stop. I even try to check my surroundings but I take the bus every early in the morning (at 5:50 AM) and it’s still relatively dark outside. It’s frustrating.
So lately, when I have a fair idea I am near (I track minutes and seconds), I pull the chain. Most of the time, bus is forced to stop for like 5 seconds before resuming again, and I can generally tell the next stop is mine. I don’t like doing this, but if I don’t, I always miss it and have to walk 20 minutes to work when it would take me less than 3.
Yesterday it happened again and the bus driver called me out and was clearly annoyed with me. I apologized briefly but I still don’t know what the solution is.
YTA – It sounds like you’re just pulling the chain whenever you feel like you MIGHT be close to your stop? If so, then YTA. Learn where you stop is, learn the stop before your stop. Pay attention to what’s going on around you (and outside of the bus). Once you pass the stop before yours, pull the chain. It’s really not that difficult.
You take the same route to work every morning and you don’t know when your stop is? YTA. That’s your responsibility.
Yeah OP stay awake the whole trip next time, find a building or other landmark just before the stop you missed. And then pull it at that building next time.
I’m not sure I understand why you’re unable to look at Google Maps and see exactly when your stop is coming up. It’s strange the amount of trouble you’re having for a route you take every day.
YTA what in the weaponised incompetence did I just read, if it’s too dark outside just start navigation on google maps to take you to your bus stop and when it’s like 100m away pull the stop chain.
YTA I truly don’t understand how you can take this route everyday and not know when your stop is coming up
What OP has described is how buses work in every city I’ve lived in or visited, with a bell to stop the bus at a stop or a person at the stop flagging the bus down. Americans are so weird about public transport
OP seems to be pulling the stop cord to work out where they are, stopping the bus and not getting off
>Unlike buses I’ve taken before and the underground trains, buses don’t announce the next stops outside of main stops. Second, buses don’t stop at those “other” stops and will skip over unless someone pulls the chain for it to stop. I’ve even asked the bus drivers to help guide me, but most don’t seem to like their job and are of no help really.
It’s honestly insane to me that this is the norm for you. Trains stop at every stop and announce the station – that’s standard. But that’s a big difference between buses and trains. Buses only serve the requested stops. Many do have signs showing what stop they’re pulling into, but not always.
Pull up the route on google maps, look at the street view for the few blocks before your stop. Memorize a few “landmarks” that you can recognize and pull the chain then.
YTA. You’re making your lack of situational awareness everybody’s problem.
YTA. If you don’t recognize your stop, and can’t figure out where you are via google maps… set google maps to a location a block or two before your stop. Then once you get to that spot, even if you recognize it slightly after the fact, you’re still not past your stop yet. This is a VERY simple issue. The fact you can’t figure it out means that you need to be more cognizant to your surroundings, and spend more time using google maps.
YTA. You take the same route every morning but yet you don’t know where you are or where you need to get off? Come on
I’ve been on these types of busses. I am also old enough to remember when they didn’t announce ANY stops. You have to learn to deal.
I know you said most drivers are not helpful, but telling them when you get on that you need to get off at x stop, they will usually stop there.
Know which major intersection comes just before your stop and pull the chain when you pass it.
Pay attention. Chances are that if you take the route often, there are landmarks you can identify before your stop.
YTA. There are so many ways to fix this, you just need to actually take responsibility for it.
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How is it possible that you have taken the same route to work for months but have no idea where you are? It can’t possibly be that confusing
“I’ve tried nothin’ and I’m all out of ideas!” YTA.