Guys, this one hurt. This #RUScrew fucked me big time because important, valuable time was lost.

So it was my first week on campus and finally the week was coming to an end. I only had one class on Fridays and it wasn’t too early in the morning. What sucked was that I had work in the morning. On Cook/Doug to make it worse, too. I lived on Livingston at the quads so you already know that that bus ride took a minute.

But I was a happy camper that first week. I woke up early, showered, and even went to the dining hall to get a nice breakfast. That was an accomplishment because what student chooses breakfast over sleep? I was naive.

So I tracked the RexL timing while eating and when time came, I left the dining hall to hop on the bus. I worked my shift from 11:00-2:00 at a building right by College Hall. My one Friday class was at Busch at 3:20 so when I got off of work I knew I had plenty of time to go back to my dorm. I was more tired than I expected and was CRAVING a nap. It was great that College Hall was the last stop on Cook/Doug too because I went straight back to Livi.

I debated getting off at the Student Center but then decided that I really needed the sleep so I’d just get off at the Quads instead. That sleep was about to be YUMMY.

Imagine my horror. Just thinking about it feels like I’m getting fucked over again. The bus JUST DROVE PAST THE QUADS. #RUScrew

Before I knew it, I was back on the main roads traveling BACK TO COOK/DOUG. I kid you not I was speechless for a solid 5 minutes. I knew for a fact that my mouth was hanging low out of astonishment. I finally gathered the courage to ask a girl next to me, “hey did the bus forget to stop at the Quads?” and she replied, “no the bus doesn’t go to the Quads.” That sounded insane because I’d literally watched in slow motion as we drove PAST the quads.

I was mad. Like highkey mad. I’d been robbed of my nap time – nap time that I had created by giving up my food time. So I was hungry AND sleepy. I sat like the most sour faced person in that bus as I did ANOTHER LOOP around that farm of a campus called Cook/ Doug. My face was the literal definition of a “resting bitch face” at that point. Water fell on me from the bus AC, making me even more annoyed. Nice, I didn’t know it was supposed to rain inside busses, Rutgers. I couldn’t even go directly to Busch from Cook/Doug because I had to grab my homework from my dorm. That was the first day that seeds of pure irritation were planted in my head about the Rutgers busses.

I soon realized how annoying the RexL was. It never stopped at the Quads, which meant that regardless of whether I was getting breakfast or not, I’d have to account for that extra 13 minute walk to the student center from my dorm. What was worse? If I missed a RexL that was it. You might as well just take a nap at the student center because the next one sure as hell wasn’t coming for another 30 minutes.

But it didn’t stop at the RexL. That was just the beginning. You couldn’t risk having class on another campus at that prime 3:20 period, god no. If you did, like me you probably watched as 3 B busses would pass you before you even had enough space to get on. By then you were already late.

While I never had classes on College Ave last semester, this semester I realize the same is true for the 4:30 time period. The LX busses are even worse because they are so TINY that 5 packed busses will easily pass you until you get on. Even when you did get on, you would either be standing the whole ride as someone’s backpack continuously smacked you left and right, or sitting down uncomfortable close to someones waist. And guess what? You don’t know if the bus driver is going to take one of those spontaneous 10 minute breaks at the student center. This happened to me just last week friends – as you all might’ve witnessed me walk in late to our very own Creative Writing class.

Friends, there are some HEAVY improvements that must be done to the bussing system, starting with the RexL stopping at the Quads. Yes. I’m still salty. I don’t kid when I say I want to petition for it. I expect all of you to sign it, of course. Also, maybe add more busses in circulation during rush hour? We all just trying to get that “edumacation” out here.

But while these improvements have long ways to go, take some of this advice:

1. Leave for class early if it’s during rush hour. You’ll either get there 15 minutes early or 30 minutes late, and trust me the first is the better option.
2. Work around the bus drivers break schedule by tracking the number on the bus. Each bus has a number next to the rearview mirror for the driver. You can click on each ETA on the bus app and see if it’s your bus number arriving at that time.
3. If you live on Cook/Doug, may god bless your soul for working around your late bus schedule and insane walking distance to the bus stops. Only god can help you survive any #RUScrews.