Getting to the bus stop just as the 15x pulls away has to be one of the most discouraging things a City College student will experience. It’s enough to send any easily persuadable student right back to their cozy bed.
The choice that City College students make to move to Isla Vista comes with the heavy burden of transportation.
Not having a car means not dealing with money for gas, parking or those pesky friends that always ask for rides. Unfortunately, it also means the 15x line of the Metropolitan Transit District is my semi-reliable magic school bus.
There has been talk about the prices of transportation changing, but according to the City College website, the $26 fee that comes with registering for classes means $700,000 each year goes to MTD from City College students.
Maybe I have to throw $700,000 at the bus as it races off without me to get it to stop.
With over 18,000 students at City College, it’s understandable if the buses to and from the overpopulated Isla Vista might be a little crowded.
But in reality, the amount of students on these buses surpasses “a little crowded,” and getting cozy with fellow bus riders is something every student will quickly grow accustomed to.
Even for someone who is proclaimed, “people person,” that much face time in a noisy bus doesn’t sound appealing. Unfortunately public transportation is the only option for most students.
The 15x line is scheduled to make a stop at designated places, every 15 minutes. Even with such frequent pick-ups, the droves of students crowd the doors and cross their fingers that they score a seat.
The drivers for MTD try their best to accommodate as many students as possible, but with their passengers already squished shoulder to shoulder, some are turned away.
I give credit to those who drive these buses; they do get students from point A to point B. The issue is getting from home to school, on time.
The choice between a bouncy bus ride to get to campus early or staying in bed only to rush to the bus stop is simple: the fuzzy blankets win the battle every time.
After a long weekend, the struggle to get ready for class on Monday might be a challenge. At times that walk to the bus seems to be pushing it, but students will make the trek to the bus stop, IDs in hand, ready for their day.
MTD does advise students to arrive at their stops a few minutes early and buses won’t wait for late passengers. Unfortunately, students aren’t warned that sometimes their ride might just not show up.
A month-long trial of a longer, “slinky bus,” was tested but MTD reinstated the old one. If they kept the larger bus, the 15x would be a more reliable mode of transportation.
The unreliable bus system that is set-up connecting City College and Isla Vista causes students anguish. With their lengthy travel time, some show up late to their classes. A tardy and a bad bus ride is not the best start to any day.
