The bus has saved me many times. It’s been my salvation from Wisconsin’s weather, school and the occasional bus stop creep, it’s also been the bane of my existence.

See, the bus seems and is great for multiple reasons, it’s inexpensive, it’s eco-friendly and it’s good for people watching. It also works as a good escape tactic when you tell people you have to go wait for your bus, unless they decide to be polite and follow you. For the most part, I like the bus, but there are a couple aspects about it that irk me, and I’m sure my fellow commuters would agree.

For one, the bus schedule is unreliable. Sometimes it’ll arrive early and sometimes it’ll arrive late, you never really know until you’re waiting at the bus stop catching your breath as the taillights pull away or glancing at your watch every five seconds. To be fair, once you’re actually on the bus it is fine and you can expect to get to your destination on time, that is assuming you left on time and approximately one hour or more before.

From the point of view of a commuter the bus is unreliable for different reasons, and it depends on the day and the time. Usually you can blame it on traffic or sometimes there was an accident. Time is another big factor, if it’s a busy time like the beginning or end of the work day then the bus makes a lot more stops. If there’s a delay combined with multiple stops by the time the driver arrives there may not be any more room. Other times it’s the weather, as any driver knows rain, snow and sleet are no car’s friends and especially not a bus, especially in Wisconsin.

It’s not always outside factors though. Sometimes the world’s slowest driver is behind the wheel or a passenger was being obnoxious. In all fairness though it’s rarely the bus driver, most of them are decent and considerate people who drive at reasonable speeds and wish you a good day. They also willingly put up with drunk people during Summerfest, NYE, among other holidays sometimes for free.

The second aspect of the bus that causes some annoyance is the passengers themselves and their lack of bus etiquette.

Regular bus riders know the unspoken rules of riding the bus. It’s the infrequent riders or newbies who need to learn. Here’s some free advice for new riders. If you’re the only person getting on the bus at that stop sit wherever you like, but if there’s a line of people move your feet towards the back. This makes it easier and more efficient for everyone to find and have a seat.

Overall the bus is great and I’m thankful I live in a city with an effective mode of transportation. That being said, if it could be on time that would be even better.