It’s Monday morning. You’re heading out for school and you’re running a little tight on schedule, but Google Maps is telling you that your bus is coming on time. Surely you’ll get to class on time, right? Potentially. Or you see two “not in service” buses, the subway slightly behind schedule, and the TTC instructor telling you to get off at the station right before yours just to wait for the next one. Why? They mentioned it in the announcement, but deciphering that mumbling is rare. You question whether to call an Uber or just get to school whenever you do. The subway finally comes, but now you’re trying to get to class at a pace that ensures you arrive on time while trying not to break a sweat. You finally get to class right before it begins and tell your friends you’ve got quite the funny story for them—which may or may not have been that funny to you 10 minutes ago, but it’ll make for a good laugh now.
It’s a common experience among the commuters. Public transportation can make you feel at ease, question why you didn’t take the car out this morning or leave even earlier than you planned. The buses and subways can often provide a reliable and consistent mode of transportation to school, work, sports games, or a night out. You get to avoid traffic and extra time spent circling your destination to find somewhere to park. As every student knows, a route that can save you even five minutes can make the difference between a brisk walk or cross-country run to the finish line that is your classroom door. There are long school or work days where you just want to get home and relax—maybe even get started on some work—and public transportation affords you to choose both options. You can get little tasks done, like sending emails or reviewing readings, or take a moment to admire the scenic views of Toronto construction.
The increasing fares and service delays can make this convenient source of transportation unsuitable—there are certainly aspects of the commute to be improved! However, if you keep working on yourself just as much as the TTC works on itself, no delay can make you late. Eventually, you’ll become fluent in conductor, and your runs to class could highlight the hidden talents of your inner athlete.
