Princess versus the MTA

All along, I've always considered my arch-nemesis to be a person. This morning, I realize that it's not a person, but the Metro Transit Authority of New York City.

Let me explain. Since moving to this ridiculous city in 2002, I've been accosted, frightened by, and followed by fellow passengers. I've been made to feel stupid by MTA employees. I've been made late, lost, sent to the wrong part of the city, all because of inaccurate signage in various subway stations or bus routes. Sure, sure, blame it all on my inattentiveness, but I'm convinced that the MTA could be much clearer in its instructions to passengers.

This morning, I was running about ten minutes late. It doesn't seem like that big of a time crunch, but if I leave my apartment at 7:30, I will get to work by 8:30. However, if I leave at 7:40, I will get there at 9. So the fact that I left at 7:50 today, dude, not cool.

I didn't get down to Columbus Circle until 8:35. Stupid subway didn't come for forever. As luck would have it, however, the M31 bus was there at 57th Street waiting for me. Yay. So I got on, procured a seat and took out my book. I vaguely registered that the driver was all of a sudden laying on his horn and we weren't moving. I didn't pay much attention, because this kind of crap happens all the time. I got lost in my book.

I emerged from my chapter 20 minutes later and looked out the window. We were still at Columbus Circle. What the hell? I thought. I realized the driver was still laying on his horn. I looked out the front window of the bus, and see this black SUV parked in the bus lane, and the bus was literally on his ass so close, we were stuck. Obviously, the driver was trying to intimidate the SUV into moving out of the bus lane, but to no avail. Five minutes later, a DOT worker comes up to the bus and pounds on the door. The driver opens it and the dude boards.

"What the hell are you doing?" the DOT worker yells. "There's no one in that car!"

We've been stuck behind an SUV, trying to get it to move out of the way, and there was no one in the driver's seat!

I look at my watch: 9:00. I was supposed to be at work right now. The ride from Columbus Circle to my hospital is a 30 minute ride with no traffic, so now I was going to be ridiculously late.

So thanks, MTA, for making my morning so exciting with your idiotic drivers and their idiotic antics. I hope that strike two years ago was well worth it.