Never being one to shy away from or hide the ridiculously stupid things I do, let me share with you today's blunder.I decided to try out the lovely Valley Metro today. Valley Metro is the public transportation that services the majority of the Phoenix area. With gas prices on the rise, and my stress level on the rise due to a rise in traffic (are we sensing a trend here?) I decided it might be worthwhile to try public transit. But enough about that... I spent a lot of time carefully planning my route on the Valley Metro website and was pleased to discover there was a route that picks up near my gym (half the distance I would drive to work) and could get me to work in about 40 minutes. I started out on route 56 which heads up to Arizona Mills Mall. It was a nice peaceful ride (I was reading my TIME magazine), not overcrowded and not reeking of urine (although I have been stuffed up so who knows). At Arizona Mills Mall I needed to make a transfer to route 92 which would then quickly shoot up 48th street and have me to work just after 8am. But that's where things went wrong. Oh I boarded the bus for route 92 all right, unfortunately it was route 92 heading SOUTH... not NORTH. After a mundane tour of Tempe areas that I already see on a weekly basis we returned again to Arizona Mills Mall where we had now become the northbound route. I finally arrived at my destination, only an hour later than I had originally planned.
Looking at the above image, which shows my "detour" in red, brings even more hilarity to my story. Had I known the southbound route that we were taking (which was really more east than it was south) or just realized that most bus routes will travel along the same roads, I could have departed the southbound route, crossed the street and picked up the next northbound route which comes along every 10-15 minutes. I decided I deserved the punishment anyway for not being more conscientious about what bus I was boarding. Nonetheless, it made for an interesting morning, and the best part is I still feel less stressed than I normally do when driving myself to work. Plus when I get back to my truck I'll be outside my gym, giving me one less excuse for not going.
We're all entitled to like different things, regardless of how stupid some of those things may be. Along those same lines we also have the freedom to rant about the things we don't like. Today on my way to work I saw two things that I really didn't like. I only managed to get a photo of one of those things though and let's face it, we all love pictures.For those that don't know I drive a pickup truck. A 2006 Toyota Tacoma to be exact. It's no sports car or luxury vehicle but I've grown up driving trucks and I just like them. (See first sentence of blog.) A truck is great for when you want to get outdoors and travel somewhere that might require a little higher clearance than your average sedan. If you're in the habit of hauling things or helping friends move, a truck is probably your choice vehicle. If you're a plumber, electrician, or work in construction, you probably drive a truck because its features better help you do your job.Now, I'm no plumber or construction worker. I'm a software consultant. However, I was raised in a hardworking, blue-collar family and I maintain a rather blue-collar personality. I enjoy being able to help friends move, or occasionally haul something around when need be. I also enjoy the outdoors and my truck allows me to go some places a car can't. This is why I own a truck and it's my opinion that this is true for most people who own trucks. Then there's this guy (on the left):
<rant>What is wrong with this guy!? First off, as he drives down the I-10 I can't help but notice how the bed of his truck is wobbling, displaying his shoddy workmanship. Beyond the obvious though this man has stripped this truck of all its handy features! He's sitting lower than most of the cars whizzing by so the occasional off-road adventure is out of the question. You'll notice directly to his right is the exact make and model of his vehicle, sans stupidity. Furthermore, hauling anything in that bed more than a few pounds (given his poor workmanship) would probably push his bumper to the ground, sending sparks flying. Hell, I bet he bottoms-out when going over speed bumps!I'm appalled whenever I see something like this, even more so in this case because it's a Tacoma. If that's the look you're going for, save yourself some time and buy an old El Camino.</rant>Wow, I really thought I'd be more up-in-arms while ranting about this. I guess Friday has a way of calming me down.
