MBTA bus driver 69630

So since I last posted, I have a job!  A friend from church let me know of a job opening at the place he just left and I sent in my resume.  I have been hoping for a job like this so it was very exciting when I got the job.  I am working at a dental office in Boston.  They are an upscale dental practice that is working hard on improving the practice.  I'm working as a front office person.  That means that I make a ton of phone calls, check people in and out, figure out co-pays, deal with insurance and billing, and other tasks of that nature.  Since the job in in Boston I commute in every morning.  There are a couple ways I can get there.  I can take the shuttle from our apartment complex to the T and ride the train in, or I normally catch the bus.

Since I've been riding the bus, I've gotten to see some funny and interesting things.  I've learned the bus schedule, and I try to leave work in enough time to catch the next bus.  This past Wednesday I was leaving work at 5:12.  I know that it's a 7 minute brisk walk to the station from work. I also know that I wanted to catch the 5:20 which drops me off a little farther away from my complex, but it's better than missing that bus and waiting another 10 minutes to catch the 5:30 which drops me off right in front of the complex.  So I knew I had to move it.  (I am my father's daughter, I have to figure out things like how many minutes it takes to get anywhere.) Here's the predicament though... I knew I had to run down into the T station to load more money onto my card because I didn't have enough to pay to get home.  I also knew that the driver of the 5:20 bus is a stickler and he doesn't like to let people get on the bus once he closes the door.  I've heard him gripe at people when they knock on the door.  So I had better get a move on.  I checked the time when I was still a little ways away and noticed I had 3 minutes to be on the bus.  So I started running.  I rounded the corner of the station, I saw the bus there and that the doors were still open so that was good.  I ran down the stairs to the station and loaded some money onto my "Charlie Card" and ran back up the stairs looking over my shoulder to see if the bus was still there! It wasn't!!!! It usually takes them a minute to get out of the station because of the lights, so I knew I could probably still catch the bus.

I ran down the side of the station looking for my bus.  I spotted it, saw the numbers, then... the bus turned off it's numbers and went to "OUT OF SERVICE." I thought that was weird.  I kept going though, and saw that it was full of people, and it really wasn't out of service.  I went up to the door, knocked, and the driver look so exasperated! He let me on, and started yelling at me.  "You really can't do this. How do you even know where you are going? (He starts looking around) There are bus inspectors everywhere.  Don't ever do that again." I said I was sorry and headed to the open seat in the back of the bus.  As I was thinking about it, while trying to get my heart rate down, I realized that he saw me coming and was trying to deter me from getting on the bus by switching the outside numbers to OUT OF SERVICE!!!! What a chump! haha. I think I'm going to write him a thank you note for letting me on the bus and see if he'll be any nicer next time someone has to chase down the bus. 

Dane had a similar experience, but the bus driver was still in the station but had closed the doors.  Dane was with another guy and they walked up to the door, knocked, and the driver totally ignored them.  They kept knocking.... nothing.  Dane and the other guy walked in front of the bus and were waving their hands.  The bus driver refused to look at them.  Dane yelled, "Hey, let us on." Finally the bus driver looked at them but just to give them a dirty look. He WOULDN'T LET THEM ON!!!!!! The bus drove off, and Dane had to wait a half hour for the next bus to come bring him home.  Can you believe that!!!

I know it's a rule that the bus drivers shouldn't let people on after they shut the door, but really... ?  Most bus drivers are chill, and don't let the power of being a MBTA bus driver go to their head.  Oh how interesting the commute has been!