daniel474•21d agoProlific Poster

Had a chat with a bus driver that changed how I see transfer waits

I was grumbling about a 12-minute transfer wait at Euclid station and the driver just said 'you're not waiting, you're giving yourself a break before the next leg.' It hit different because I'd never thought of downtime as a feature of the commute, not a bug. Anyone else had a random conversation that flipped your perspective on commuting?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryan36921d ago

Saw something online about how bus drivers actually plan their breaks into the schedule so they can stay alert the whole route. That 12 minutes might be built in on purpose for their safety AND yours. Made me think twice about rushing between transfers when the driver is just following the system they're given. Honestly, giving yourself a minute to breathe between legs sounds way smarter than getting all worked up about the clock. Maybe the real problem is how we all decided waiting is the worst thing ever instead of just part of the trip.

faith_carter18d ago

oh man, that 12 minute thing hits different when you actually think about it. i remember one time i got all mad because my bus was 8 minutes late and i had to stand in the rain, only to realize later that the driver was probably just following the built-in break to keep from falling asleep at the wheel. i was out there getting soaked and grumpy while they were literally doing their job to keep me safe. i guess i'm the one who needs a timeout at this point, not the bus. maybe waiting isn't always the enemy, it's just me being dramatic about a few extra minutes of silence.

williams.jenny21d ago

Euclid station has been that kind of headache for me too, honestly. But your driver put it in a way that makes total sense now.