In the fall of 2008, a confused and slightly overwhelmed freshman took her first steps on the campus, desperately trying to get to class on time. She was going as fast as her legs would take her when it happened. Down by the West Turnaround she tried to use the crosswalk leading away from Brotman Hall and toward the Child and Family Center when a speeding shuttle bus hurtled around the bend, its white paint illuminating with the reflection of the sun. She quickly jumped back onto the pavement and the bus zoomed by, the driver never even acknowledging the fact that he had almost run over an innocent freshman. Well, that freshman was me.
Over the ensuing semesters I have developed somewhat of a personal grudge against the shuttles buses on this campus. Maybe it’s partly because their drivers seem to have a vendetta against me, but it’s mostly because they are absolutely pointless. Every day I walk from parking lot 11 down to the journalism department or one of the dreaded language arts buildings, and every day I see a group of five to 10 sad individuals, sheepishly standing around, shuffling their feet and counting the seconds until their beloved shuttle bus comes to sweep them off to whatever their destination may be.
Meanwhile, I am hustling across campus, weaving in and out of the slow walkers and swiftly dodging what I like to call walk-blocks ― those fine citizens who decide to hold conversations in the center of the hallway between the LA buildings and the lecture halls. I may get to class slightly out of breath, and possibly sweaty, but I will get to class at the same time as those shuttle-takers, and if I were them, I would be embarrassed.
The shuttle buses are nothing but a waste of time from start to finish. Let’s begin with the wait time. First of all, you had to walk to the shuttle stop to begin with. You exited your vehicle, parked your bike or hopped off Long Beach Transit, and from there you walked to the shuttle stop. So why stop at all? Why not just keep going past the shuttle stop and continue on down to your class? Instead of spending a few minutes standing around with complete strangers, waiting to be chauffeured to your next class, be proactive and get yourself there. It truly isn’t that much of a time saver. And if you’re one of those people who need the shuttle in order to get to class on time, you could always just ― oh you know ― get to school a little earlier. I can guarantee that waking up ten minutes earlier is not going to kill you.
The worst part of it all, though, is the ride itself. I have to be honest here, I do give into laziness at times and take the shuttle every once in a while, but it is always a living nightmare. It never fails to be crowded, and it’s just my luck to always have to sit next to that creepy guy who sings under his breath, unsure of whether I can hear him or not. Of course, that’s if I’m lucky enough to get a seat. The majority of the times I’ve taken the shuttle, I’ve had to stand. Now, this wouldn’t be a problem if I were tall enough to reach the handrail on the ceiling, but I’m not. The shuttle leaves me no choice but to stand on my tiptoes in order to reach the rail, which completely defeats the purpose because I’m still swaying uncontrollably. Or I have the pleasure of not holding on to anything and falling on top of the lucky few who do have seats. Trust me, nothing is as horrifying and embarrassing as falling into the lap of a complete stranger while the contents of your purse slowly spill out onto the next seat. And in the end, you’re still barely on time.
The shuttle bus may seem like a convenient way to get to class, but in reality it’s just an uncomfortable waste of time. We should all do ourselves a favor and just walk. For those of you who aren’t fond of the gym, this would be a convenient way to fit some cardio into your schedule.
Alexis Reza is a junior journalism major and communications minor and assistant opinions editor for the Daily 49er.
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