05 April 2013

6 Things I Learned at Norman Street - 22

I almost always take the train. However, for my practicum, I need to catch a bus instead because it was more convenient (or so I thought) and travel time is shorter compared to other alternative routes. And I must say, catching the bus is a whole new story. A very annoyingly funny experience.

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1. Know where exactly the bus stop is.
(This is a classic rule for newbies like me.)

First day of my clinical practicum and I was late! I wasn't supposed to be late if I hadn't walked to the opposite side of my bus stop before realizing I was supposed to be on the other side. I only had a few minutes to spare to run to the other side of the highway! Hence, my pissed off self just ran for it. Haha!

Transportation system here in Australia here can be quite confusing (and annoying!), at least for me, given my lack of sense of direction. They even have a schedule. Which isn't followed on the dot at times. It's different from what I have been used to in the Philippines where you can stand on any part of the street, in any given time of the day and just hail (Or ask any of my friends to pick me up). Easy breezy as that. But not here.

2. Do not even attempt to check your Facebook or Twitter account.
So you were a few minutes early. Yayyy! While waiting, you logged into your account to check if there were notifications. Right after you typed in your password, the next thing you knew, the bus just passed by by the time you moved your head back up. Then, everything will feel like a slooowww. Moootiooonnn. Sceeennne. You thought of standing up, running after it and trying to hail it. You wanted to do it. And yes, you could have done it. But on second thought, you just knew deep in your gut, the driver will not notice you. And if ever he/she does, he/she wouldn't mind you at all. Painful reality. Ho-hum.

You got your phone, clicked on Translink app, and checked the schedule of the next bus. Oh crap, the next bus will not be arriving until the next 30 minutes!!! Shoot. Me. Now. So you looked for an alternative route. There will be a bus coming in 20 minutes on where ever street that is. You walked, tried to find that street. Fail. You looked for another route again. You found it! Problem: how can you get across to that stop when there's a sign saying, "do not cross and pedestrians are not allowed?" Time check: few more minutes until that next bus comes! Okay, fine. It was only nearly 6:30 in the morning and I was already tired from running! You walked back to the same bus stop instead and said to yourself, "What the hell. I'll just wait." Pfft.

(EDIT: I ran for my life in crossing that street one time. Haha. A week later, I saw that there was an overpass that I could have used instead. Nice.)

3. Do not expect that the person beside you will hail the bus.
Since I am on morning shifts, I always catch the first buses and I am usually alone at the bus stop. However, one morning, I was surprised to see that there was someone else waiting at the bus stop. I already saw the bus from a far so I ran. Thinking that person would hail the bus, I looked inside my bag instead to find my card. When I moved my head back up, the bus just passed by right in front of us. And I said to him, "WHY DIDN'T YOU HAIL THE BUS???" Turns out, that person was also new in this country. He said that all the buses that came before that had a sign saying 'not in service.' He didn't notice that the bus we were actually waiting for had arrived, thinking it might be another 'not in service' bus. To make that moment more unfortunate, that bus wasn't supposed to be the bus he should take. The driver told him that he should go to wait at the bus stop on the opposite side of the road instead.

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4. Just be early.
There were days wherein I really can't figure out if I was just too early for the next bus, if I was just late for the bus I was supposed to take or if the bus arrived way early than scheduled. I don't know. It is frustrating. No matter how early you are, the bus sometimes is sometimes still earlier. Geez, so much for having to follow a time schedule. If they are late, I will also be late, no matter how early I arrived at the stop.

5. Try dropping off prior to the station you are supposed to drop off at.
This is applicable if both bus stops are near (or can be near if you run for it?) to each other. Running to the next bus stop beats waiting for two stoplights and people who purchase tickets on the spot.

And all of these bring me to number 6. The ultimate realization.

6. You will wish and pray for a car to save you from misery.
Cars are a necessity here. It is even a requirement for some jobs. No matter what kind or type, as long as it is good enough to reach you to places. The confusing bus stops, time schedule, the running, waiting and hailing are making me crazy!!! Therefore, I shall purchase myself with the cheapest but still up and running car anytime soon. A car! My goodness, never in my 24 years of existence did I ever wish of wanting to drive a car! Yeah, I want to buy one. Then hire a driver instead. For me to actually drive? Oh, good luck with that. I should get GPS as well so my brain, with the limited capacity of understanding road directions, won't have to be tortured in the process.
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