If you go to Yeshiva University, you've probably been on the shuttle that goes between the Beren and Wilf campuses. You've also probably seen my first article about crazy shuttle stories. Often referred to by people as "the shidduch shuttle," because people taking it are going to meet their date, this shuttle holds more than just awkward encounters between males and females. People have quite a few hilarious recollections of their time spent in a van with 15 of their peers. Here are some more stories I've curated regarding crazy shuttle experiences.
1. One time I was on the shuttle to the Heights and the entire time the shuttle had been dead silent. As we were pulling off the highway, out of nowhere, this girl at the top of her lungs breaks out into song. I can't remember exactly what song it was, but it was definitely girly pop. Everyone remained silent in shock.
2. The guy next to me on the packed shuttle kept making jokes about how he was basically on sitting on my lap. The worst part is they were stupid things like, "Don't worry I'll pay for your therapy that you'll need after this." The shuttle ride lasted 45 minutes.
3. I was on a late shuttle on a Thursday night and one girl was eating Golan. A second girl said she was starving so she bought a piece of chicken for $10.
4. I was headed uptown, and these kids held up the driver at 34th and Park because they were waiting for a friend. When the friend took a while to show up, one of the girls said, "Do you have his number?" to which one of the guys replied, "No, but I have his Snapchat."
5. One time the shuttle I was on got stopped by the police for having the wrong license plates and we all had to stay there for over an hour until they let us go.
6. My friend and I were bashing the shuttle app--without knowing the guy next to us helped create it.
7. The local driver asked us if it was okay if we stopped to pick up his food. We said yes but only if he waited ten minutes for us because we were just picking something up and would need another ride. So then he just ate his food while he waited.
8. A very inebriated guy kept trying to sell everyone a product called "love handles."
9. This one time I was on a shuttle and it got pretty heated. The first topic between the girl and guy next to me was the Ashkenazi girl telling the Sephardi guy that she would never date Sephardim. The Sephardi guy did not take that well. He tried a rebuttal by saying that his father told him never to date Ashkenazi girls. He said--in the most articulate way of cours--that girls can't learn Gemara, objectively speaking. She was not happy about this. She felt she could "shteig" (learn intensively) (her word) with the best of them. She happened to know who he went out with, so she called her up right there on the shuttle to ask her how she ever could have went out with him. He literally wrestled her in order to get her phone away from her, saying "Why are you making a scene" She was screaming "I'm shomer negiah (doesn't touch members of the opposite sex), I'm shomer negiah, haven't you ever learned that Gemara?" I don't know what their relationship is but I like to imagine it was a first date."
10. One time the driver said he wanted pizza so he drove us to get pizza.
11. I was on the shuttle once about 2 years ago and there was a massive debate about whether or not Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks wears a toupee.
12. One time we were coming back to Stern and the driver decided to drive backwards on the highway.
14. There was the time a guy took out weed to make the shuttle smell better. Someone evidently had not showered recently enough, so one of the guys decided to help him out by masking the smell. I don't think he actually lit up, but the smell of marijuana made it all the way to the front of the shuttle.
15. The drunk guys on the shuttle all had to pee so they tried to make the driver pull over. Instead, he let them open the door in the tunnel and try to pee as the driver kind of pulled over and slowed down. Eventually, they realized it just wasn't working so the driver had to completely pull over and they all got out and peed in a line by the river.
16. I'm the girl who threw up on the shuttle.