Timing

As a non-driver, I am heavily dependent on the local bus system. Currently, my usual trip home from the university involves taking the #17 to the downtown station and transferring to the #16, which passes in front of Shop'n'Save and is thus very convenient. Unfortunately, the #16 stops running after about 6 PM. This has been true (in various configurations of the routes involved) for years, and has been one of my major petty annoyances: when I have a class that runs past 6:00, I have to come up with another way home, usually by mooching a ride from a colleague or a student.

This semester, I have discovered another way home, only slightly less convenient, using the #4 (replacing the #17 after 6) and the #19 (the Collinsville bus, which runs until late at night). The #19 doesn't come as close to my home as the #16; in fact, the final walk is about twice as long, but at this time of year and that time of night (about 8:30) it's comfortably doable.

The only problem is the tightness of the timing: the #19 is scheduled to leave the station about three minutes after the scheduled arrival of the #4. If the #4 is delayed and I miss the #19, well, the next one doesn't come for about an hour....

Tuesday night, it happened. Now, I knew the #4 was running late; I knew that I should ask the driver to call ahead and ask the #19 to wait a bit. I knew this, but didn't act on it, and sure enough, when we arrived the boat had sailed.

I decided to walk.

I've done this before; it's about a three mile hike, easy enough if the weather cooperates. The evening was warmish but not hot, and there was no sign of rain, so.... I didn't count on the humidity. By the time I reached home, after a forty-five minute walk, every piece of clothing I was wearing was soaked with sweat. (I was also suffering a bit of GI distress, but managed to make it into the bathroom in time.)

This mistake, I hope not to repeat.