To Whom it May Concern,
Today has been a very frustrating, disheartening commute just to make a counseling appointment. First, the 87 that was Sierra Bound at 1:01 showed up 2 minutes early and when I was running and would have made it to the door only 10 seconds later the driver shut the door and drove on, only to be stopped paces later by a red light. Thankfully the 82 was scheduled to come only minutes later.
I have already mentioned on a form one of the Rt. 30s at CSUS at 1:21, which did not properly label itself "Not in Service" and as a result all of us stepping in the rain to catch it only to be told he wasn't picking up.
Rt. 30 Downtown - CSUS (Not certain, think the number was 2815, driver Caucasian, balled)
The Rt. 30 coming back from J and 28th was late, but I wasn't overly concerned about that. I had just started walking away because my Google Maps app said the next one wasn't due 3:47. The bus was supposed to have been there at 3:11, although I would not have caught it if it were on time. I turned around and saw a bus approaching, and it was about 3:21 or so. I mentioned as I was getting on that I thought I was going to have to wait nearly a half hour for the next one. In turn, he said, "Does it say that we might be a little bit late?" (First off, no, second off, 10 minutes when many times the 30 comes every 15???) Well I wasn't overly upset but didn't appreciate his remark, so I said nothing. After a pause, he says "I guess not." Still trying to keep it cool, I simply explained that I had an app that gave a few coming transit times for any given stop and showed it to him, saying if it was past the due time it wasn't going to be there anymore and I wouldn't know if there was even one coming. He said a few more things, whatever they were, and another passenger chimed in on the conversation. To this moment I don't even know who the other passenger was actually defending, but I was hearing "This isn't San Francisco...", "This world isn't perfect..." etc. I mentioned to the other passenger, "Well if he would at least give a darn, it would make my experience a little nicer."
Bus Driver: "So if I gave a darn, I would be expected to run a bunch of red lights?"
He's really not getting it; I just didn't want him to be so dang insensitive, adding more salt to a wound that would have otherwise vanished in seconds. I just moved further back on the bus so as not to deal with the driver. Another passenger gets on.
New Passenger: How are you?
Me (fuming, but not at him): I'm trying to be ok.
New Passenger: What's wrong?
Pause, as he's evidently a nice man but I'm not sure how to answer that.
Bus Driver: She's mad because she has this $100 gadget and it doesn't work.
Now even angrier and wanting to defend myself, I basically explained to the new passenger what my app does, and for that matter it's an app on a cell phone, not a "$100 gadget that doesn't work."
New Passenger: Oh, I put my foot in something..
Me: No, you didn't do anything wrong. You actually cared.
It's time for him to get off, and I don't want him to leave thinking anything is his fault and I sincerely wish him a nice day, as he does the same in return.
Bus Driver: You're the only one who... (and he just goes on, as I'm trying really hard not to hear him. In the midst of asking me where I'm going, he's just spouting off more and I would have gotten off early were it not for all the rain.
Did he need to keep harassing me? At that point I just wanted a silent ride the rest of the way back to Sac State and I couldn't even get that!
Thankfully when we finally got back to Sac State, there was an 87 ready to go (I believe at 3:35 since I had boarded at 3:22). I just confirm I'm getting on the right bus and ask "Is this one to Marconi?" And he affirms. So I try to pull out my pass but he says "Just move on." I've taken my seat and then flashed my pass before, so I didn't think anything of it right away when he just wanted to get going. However, when I sat up and held my pass up where he could see it, he says "I see your pass, now please sit down." I'd already dealt with one rude bus driver, I sure didn't need another one. I'm 38 years old; did he really need to speak to me like I was a child? Unfortunately, I didn't get that number. I could only give you the times available and that the driver on the 87 Marconi Bound was very dark complected black and that he would have probably departed 65/University at 3:30.
I thought your drivers were supposed to be hospitable and set their passengers at east, not alienate us. Is this the kind of treatment we deserve? Whatever happened to customer service? I wasn't a problem passenger, just flustered about punctuality issues and the careless, biting attitude that went with it! I may be a student with a 6 month long pass, but it still comes out of my tuition expenses, which have gone up AGAIN! Our fees go up and we are still treated like dirt! Today, the only driver who was polite to me was on the 30 going to my appointment (2329, just to give the kind lady the credit she deserves). We need help getting from A to B, we don't need to get emotionally abused and alienated in the process! No, this "isn't San Francisco", so I guess "Sacramento Transit" isn't obligated to be kind to its passengers, and therefore CUSTOMERS, just because this "isn't San Francisco"???
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