I decided to conduct a social experiment yesterday: taking the bus. For someone who's never ridden Muncie's public transportation, who's always had a car or access to one, this experiment was shrouded in an illusion of romance. Romance in a daring, slumming for fun kind of way. I also thought it would be a noble deed for the planet, doing my part for global warming. But mostly I was bored. The experiment began a little too well when I arrived at the bus stop three blocks from my house, the bus pulling up right as I reached the corner. A quiet little jaunt downtown. But then I got gutsy (stupid). I loaded myself and my daughter (in her stroller) on a random route that I assumed would go past at least one convenience store so I could run my insignificant errand. Little did I know that forty YMCA day-campers were about to board my bus. I was soon to learn that this bus ran the route from hell, zig-zagging through random neighborhoods, people boarding and exiting but never the kids. They stayed. All of us at standing room only, me holding the stroller with a death grip. And no CVS in sight. Nor Walgreens. The bus finally squealed to a halt at the park, and we got off, and I walked and walked and walked because I was stupid not to bring a schedule or a watch or my fucking car.
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One day, back when I was driving this shady little Dodge Neon, my car died at Target. I had class in an hour, a class that I couldn't miss, so I finally just gave up and decided to get on the MITS bus.
It was billed as the bus that drove from Target to Wal-mart. Next thing I know, I'm at the Muncie Resevoir. It was awful.
For being an "award winning community service," they sure could use a little route-strategizing.
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