Public transportation is a good idea, it really is. Maryland just happens to have implemented it in a rather sucky manner. And I get to deal with it.
I was actually up earlier today, so I figured I’d stop at Baltimore Coffee and Tea for chai and a bagel to server as my breakfast/lunch. I missed the bus I was aiming at, which was my fault because I was a little late and it was on time. I caught the next one, which was three minutes late.
Got on the Light Rail in Baltimore and off next to Baltimore Coffee and Tea, ten minutes later than scheduled. Well, I still had ten minutes before the next train, and it was probably going to be late, so I went and got my food. Came back ten minutes later to see the back of the train receeding along the tracks.
Now I made my big mistake. “Oh,” says I, “I can just go catch the 8, rather than waiting twenty minutes for the next train.” I walked for six minutes to the bus stop, then waited for another twenty-five. In that time, two buses were supposed to have gone by. None did. From past experience, I really should have known better than to trust the 8 when I needed to have anything resembling a schedule.
I ended up walking back to the Light Rail stop and taking the next train, which was only seven minutes later than scheduled.
All told, if I’d left right after missing the first train, I could literally have walked to work and gotten there sooner than I ultimately did.
Bah.