c/commute-confessions

Just found out the 7:15am bus on my route has been late 80% of the time for the last six months, according to the transit app's data.

Update: The bus driver's choice between a squirrel and a pothole

This morning, our bus driver faced a real choice... a squirrel froze in the middle of the road, and the only other path was a giant pothole. He swerved for the pothole, which made the whole bus bounce like we were on a trampoline. My coffee went everywhere, and the guy next to me yelled, "My back!" The driver just shrugged and said over the speaker, "Sorry folks, I'm not running over a squirrel." Anyone else had a driver make a weird choice to save an animal?

My bus broke down on the 405 and we all just started talking

It was Tuesday morning, stuck in the usual crawl near Culver City. The bus just shuddered and died, right in the middle lane. Driver got on the intercom, said it would be at least 45 minutes for a tow. After the initial groans, this guy in a suit started telling a joke, and then someone else shared their coffee. We ended up having a full on, 20-person chat about nothing for half an hour until the next bus came. It was the most human my commute has ever felt. Anyone else ever have a breakdown turn into something kinda nice?

The guy on the 7:15 bus went from reading a paperback to holding a live chicken in a week.

He told me, with a completely straight face, that his therapist suggested 'animal-based mindfulness' and the pet store on 4th Avenue had a special on bantam hens.

That one week the 7:15 train ran perfectly on time

Every single morning for five days straight, the conductor announced 'on schedule' over the crackly speaker, and I actually got to my desk with a full coffee. Has a weirdly perfect commute week ever happened to anyone else?

PSA: Leaving 7 minutes later for my train in Chicago changed everything

For months I'd sprint to the 7:42 AM Metra, stressed and sweaty, only to sit on a stalled train waiting for a freight line to clear. I was always 10 minutes early for the train but 15 minutes late to work. Last Tuesday, I overslept and caught the 7:49 instead. That train goes on a slightly different route and, I swear, it just sails through. I've tested it all week. The problem was being early for the wrong schedule. The 7:49 is less crowded, moves faster, and I actually get to my desk on time now. Has anyone else found a 'worse' departure time that's secretly better for their commute?

I've been taking the same bus for 3 years and only just realized I could get off two stops earlier to avoid the worst traffic light in town.

A bus driver in Chicago told me something that made my whole week

I was on the 151 route yesterday morning, and the driver saw me looking at my phone. He said, 'You know, I've been driving this route for 12 years, and I can tell you the exact tree where the leaves start to turn yellow first every fall.' He pointed to a spot near Lincoln Park. It made me look up and actually see the city instead of just scrolling through it. What's the coolest thing someone has told you on your ride to work?

I finally tried the bus instead of my bike on a rainy day

My usual 25 minute bike ride to work turned into a wet mess last Tuesday. I gave up halfway and hopped on the number 7 bus instead. The bus was warm, I stayed dry, and it only took 35 minutes total with the wait. Has anyone else found a better way to commute when the weather gets bad?

Tried two different routes to the same job site for a month each

I had a pest control job in the suburbs that I needed to get to for two months straight. For the first month, I took the main highway, which my GPS said was faster. It was a constant stop-and-go mess, averaging 45 minutes each way. For the second month, I switched to a longer route using back roads. It added 5 extra miles, but I was moving the whole time and it only took 35 minutes. The difference was not sitting in traffic, which saved my sanity and a lot of gas. Has anyone else found a longer route that's actually better for your mood?

My bus pass reader glitched out at the worst time this morning

The scanner just kept beeping red when I tapped on, and the driver shrugged and said 'just go ahead'. Anyone know if the MBTA machines have been acting up lately?

Saw a guy on the 7:15 train to Grand Central solve a Rubik's cube in under a minute. I used to think they were just a gimmick.

The 8:05 bus crowd is totally different now

For years, my 8:05 AM bus into downtown was packed with people in suits and office clothes. Over the last six months, it's mostly been people in casual wear or even gym clothes, and it's half as full. I think it's because the big accounting firm on Main Street switched to a hybrid schedule, so a lot of those folks only come in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays now. Has anyone else seen their regular commute group change like this?

Just realized my bus driver knows my stop better than I do

Yesterday I was buried in my phone and missed my usual street. The driver saw me in the mirror and called out my apartment building's name before I could even look up. He said he's been on this route for eight years and remembers the regulars. Has your driver ever done something like that for you?

Vent: Everyone says to ignore subway performers, but one changed my whole commute.

I was on the Red Line in Chicago last Tuesday, and this guy with a saxophone started playing 'My Favorite Things' but in this slow, sad way that just hit different. I usually put my headphones in, but this time I just listened, and it turned a stressful trip into something peaceful. Does anyone else have a spot where the usual 'commute noise' actually makes the ride better?

Heard a guy on the bus say he never looks at his phone during his ride

He was talking to his friend about how staring at the screen made his trip feel longer and more stressful. I always scroll through my phone from the second I sit down, so I decided to try his way for a week. Just watching the city go by made the 25 minute ride feel quicker and I got off less frazzled. Anyone else try ditching their phone on their commute?

Showerthought: The great bus shelter debate

Got stuck for 45 minutes yesterday because a guy was trying to fold a stroller the size of a small car onto a packed bus. Driver said he had to, passenger said there was no room. Who was right? Ever seen a commute stall over something this simple?

Heard a guy on the 7:15 bus say he's been taking the same seat for 12 years

He was telling his friend that he's sat in the same spot, third row back on the left, every weekday since 2012. It got me thinking about all the little routines we build without even noticing. Do you have a weirdly specific habit on your commute?

PSA: The average person spends 42 hours a year stuck in traffic

I was reading a city report about the 405 freeway in LA and saw that stat. That's basically a full work week just sitting there. It made me think, is that time completely wasted, or do you use it for something? I listen to audiobooks, so I've 'read' a ton. But my friend just stares out the window and calls it his quiet time. What's the better use of those lost hours? Do you try to be productive or just zone out?

My bus pass reader just gave up on me at the 14th Street station

The scanner beeped red three times in a row this morning, and the driver just waved me on with a tired smile. I realized I've been tapping that same plastic card for almost four years without a single thought about the tech behind it (or what my backup plan was). Has anyone else had their monthly pass just stop working out of the blue?

I was that person who always stood on the left side of the escalator for years

It just felt like the natural side to be on, you know? The tip off was a guy in a suit who sighed really loud behind me at the 14th Street station last Tuesday and said, 'Stand right, walk left, lady. It's the law.' I'd been blocking the walking lane for my whole 6 a.m. commute for probably a decade. Anyone else have a basic city rule they were totally clueless about for way too long?

Update on my bus stop rage: a driver told me to just wave from the curb

I used to sprint and yell, but now I just stand there and lift a hand, and the bus actually stops more often. Anyone else get better results from being less frantic?

On my bus ride this morning, I heard a guy say the average person spends over 300 hours a year just commuting.

He was on a loud phone call, but that number, which he said he got from some city planning report, stuck with me and made me wonder what everyone else does to make that time feel less wasted.

The bus was packed so I decided to walk the last mile

My usual bus was so full this morning that people were pressed against the doors. I had a choice: stay crammed in for the last mile or get off and walk. I got off at 8th Street, figuring the fresh air would be better. It took me 22 minutes, which is only five minutes longer than the bus would have taken with all the stops. My feet are a bit sore now, but at least I didn't have some guy's backpack in my face the whole time. Anyone else ever bail on a crowded bus and just finish the trip on foot?

My bus driver called me out for always sitting in the same spot

I take the 7:15 AM bus from Maple Street every day and always grab the window seat three rows back. Yesterday, the driver, Frank, said over the speaker, 'Hey, you in the blue jacket, you're making my job boring. Mix it up.' I felt a little called out, but today I sat near the front. It sounds silly, but I actually saw a bunch of cool street art on a building I'd never noticed before. Anyone else have a driver or fellow commuter point out a weird habit?