Hey Team,
Why don’t you just go ahead and tuck yourself in and I’ll tell you a little bedtime story.
If you’re trying to get to Los Angeles from San Francisco the SMART thing to do would be to buy a bus or train ticket, show up on time and roll out Autobot style. For some reason, in Brettville, it makes just as much sense to NOT buy a ticket and rush to the bus station in the blind hope that you’ll show up on time.
Yesterday. The facts as I had them:
1. I hadn’t packed my bag - 30 min.
2. I still had to get to the bus station - 90 min
3. It was coming up on 9:30.
4. The last bus to LA leaves at 11:30.
5. I still hadn’t bought a ticket.
No big deal. I leapt into action with all the grace of a sleep deprived vagrant and threw my gear into the backpack, sprinting (metaphorically) for the BART station. This was the part where I was supposed to be stressed out, checking the time repeatedly and willing the train to go faster. Unfortunately, due to an unusual childhood, I tend to get distracted and forget to be stressed so instead I just read “Franny and Zooey” by J.D. Salinger.
It wasn’t until I got off the BART that I looked at the clock and actually started to get worried. I still had about a mile to walk and a ticket to buy with only ten minutes to spare before the bus was scheduled to pull out.
I made it to the station just in time to see the giant blue bus pull in with the “Megabus” logo plastered across the side. Travelers lined up at the door and the driver stepped out.
“Hi, I still haven’t bought my ticket. Can I just pay you in cash?”
“Nope. You have to have a confirmation number.”
“Well, if I give you cash can you give me a confirmation number?”
“Nope. Drivers can’t take payment for a ticket.”
“Okay…here’s the thing: I need to get to LA. I obviously can’t buy a ticket but you have extra seats and I have cash. What can we make happen?”
Without even bothering to look up and in a tone of voice that, if possible, was actually NEGATIVE sympathetic (like a giant sympathy sucking black hole that actually makes the people around him just as unsympathetic), “Nothing.”
“Fine,” I thought. “I’m not one to give up and I still have a couple tricks up my sleeve. Let’s do this Charley.”
With only a few minutes to spare I jumped on the interwebs to buy a ticket online and get the ever-precious confirmation number. I quickly ran into two problems. 1. I didn’t have enough money on my card to cover the ticket and 2. It didn’t matter anyway. They had already closed the sales for that bus.
Sometimes I suck at this game.
On the upside, I’m sitting in a car instead of a bus right now on my way down to LA courtesy of a craigslist rideshare. Cozier, cheaper AND I get to help save the planet.
I’m done.
Brett.
If you like what you read you could always help pay for that next bus ticket! 
Don’t let me stop you.
Another reason I’m convinced Megabus is the worst bus company ever. I took it from Detroit to Chicago last year, and on the day we were supposed to return, they did not come back. They cancelled all trips that day and didn’t bother to notify us. Thank god for the youth hostel since we didn’t have any lodgings for the night.
Comment by missannw — May 10, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
What the french, toast?
I have a saying about buses. Now’s when you’d expect to read aforementioned saying, but no. Not here. Not like this. It may be that I am bored at work while everyone kicks off the first official frisbee game of the season on the nicest day of the year that has me vexed and bitter, or it may be my schadenfreude proclivity and want all to be stuck inside and miserable about it on this glorious, gorgeous spring day. Buses:Brett = Missing Frisbee:Ilott = ;( frowny face.
Pffsh. Buses…
Comment by ilott the douchebag — May 11, 2008 @ 10:57 am