On the one hand, Sunday is by far the worst day of the week to ride Hampton Roads Transit (HRT). Hourly frequencies everywhere that's running, many routes not operating, etc. On the other hand, between the greenhorn drivers who draw Sunday duty and the others who think no one is watching on a Sunday, it makes for some amusing fiascoes. We had one this evening on Route 20.
For those who don't ride HRT, the weekday daytime routing for the 20 between Military Circle and Pembroke East is straight down Virginia Beach Boulevard. Evenings and weekends (with Route 25 not operating), it makes a loop to Leigh Hospital. Coming from Military Circle, the bus makes a right on Kempsville Road, loops through the hospital front area, continues on Kempsville, left on Newtown Road, then right on Virginia Beach Boulevard to get back on the straight shot. (Vice versa coming the other direction.)
The 6:45 P.M. bus this evening went straight down Virginia Beach Boulevard, as if on the weekday day route. At Newtown Road, the bus turned right, the driver apparently wanting to check for people at stops down there. Then the really fun part: the bus turned left on Greenwich Road, left on Witchduck Road, then right on Virginia Beach Boulevard to get back on route.
That's as far as I've ever seen a bus go off-route. Sadly, that trek probably left a number of people stranded at their stops, having to wait an hour for the next bus.
Don't worry: I've already e-mailed an account of the entire debacle to HRT.
No comments:
Post a Comment