Public Transportation- The Final Frontier

So, ever since we've moved, I get the pleasure of driving into work on Hwy 30... I HATE 30... it kills me... without traffic i can get to work in 10 minutes, but with traffic... anywhere from 30 to an hour.... it drives me crazy! and Dallas drivers are SO rude! I fully understand that there are people who have commutes worse than mine, and I hate to be a whiner, but seriously...

So...

Last Friday after a particularly aggravating day in traffic, I decided I'd had enough of driving myself to work. Why should I suffer daily behind my steering wheel, when Dallas has public transportation? I've lived in Dallas for over 2 years and NEVER taken a DART bus. I decided that it was high time that I explored the DART system. Besides, there are some major selling points with public transportation:
1) Saves gas and money
2) Multi-tasking, and I LOVE to read
3) Could end up saving time because buses can use the HOV lane

I got up early Monday morning, packed my commuter bag, and hit my first snag of the day... My inability to get out the door on time.... I ended up JUST missing the bus I'd planned on taking, i seriously watched it drive by when i was about 50 feet from the stop. So, I got to stand there for 10 minutes waiting for the next one.

Finally I got on the bus and was surprised by how crowded it was. I dont know what i was expecting, but when i got on nearly every seat was taken. I actually had to sit right next to someone... GASP!

My next snag came as soon as I hit downtown. I only had one bus change, but that required finding a stop in downtown, walking a block, and catching another bus that would take me into Uptown. It turns out... I didn't know downtown quite as well as I thought i did... I ended up panicking, my head full of visions of missing my stop and ending up somewhere in Ft. Worth without any clue how to get back to Dallas. So, rather than miss my stop, I jumped from the bus about 10 stops too early with no clue which direction to walk to get to my next bus... oops...

8 blocks later... panic walking all the way... I found Main/Lamar and my next bus stop. I FINALLY got myself to work... and it only took an hour!

First thing I did upon reaching my office... PRINT A MAP!

The ride home was much better planned, but it turns out two of the drivers that work my route had called in sick... so not only was my bus home late, it was also uber-crowded. The trip from office to front door took about an hour and a half...

So, in review... Didn't save time... The three dollar day pass means I didnt save money... and I was concentrating to hard on my destination to get much reading time in...

But, I did meet some nice people and had one crazy adventure.