I am blessed to go to a school with an extensive bus system. Everywhere you go there is a big, red and white monstrosity coming at you with a positive message like, "Have a nice day!" or "Beat *insert team we are playing on Saturday*". Many people vouch for the buses; they are convenient, they are air conditioned, they run pretty regularly, so why wouldn't you take advantage of them?
Here are 5 reasons why I refuse to use the bus system on campus.
1. There are too many lines
If I have a class up the hill from ECV one would think I could take the East-West, but in fact it's a science class so it's actually on AG Hill and that's the line you should get on but not realizing this, one might actaully get on East-West and therefore very, very lost.
2. The App is not always reliable
Once you have learned the basic system (and the token rule: NEVER get on Family Housing. EVER) you can't always trust the app to let you know when the buses are going to get to your stop. 20 minutes could really be anything from 20 seconds to 20 years.
3. Once you get on your bus there are too many people
Air conditioning is only a perk if there are few enough people on the bus to feel the AC at work. Worse than that, with so many people packed into the bus, it's nearly impossible to ever find a seat so you're surrounded but tightly packed, hot, cranky people trying to figure out if they are going the right way or going to make it to class on time.
4. Buses take the longest routes
The most direct way to get anywhere on campus is to walk. Buses take the most round about way and it's not worth messing with. You know you're going to get to class on time if you just walk it. (TIP: Google Maps is a life saver when it comes to walking routes)
5. You gotta get those steps in
Let's be real, it's not worth it to take a bus to Snelling if you know you're going to stuff your face; it's so much easier to justify that indulgence if you've walked off the calories on your way to and from the dining hall! UGA is a totally walkable campus, and it's beautiful! So I choose to embrace that by forgoing the buses. (Also, my competition with my roommate for most fitbit steps is definitely an encouragement to forget the bus).
So to each their own, bus or no bus, it's great to be a Georgia Bulldog (but personally, I prefer to be a bus-less bulldog)
