The commute from hell

While the snow is falling (again) outside I figured I nmight go ahead and tell a little story about the ineptness that is Pittsburgh. 

For those that didn't check out my photo entry (and really why not, it was quite good by my meager standards) Friday night/Saturday morning and afternoon saw the the city of Pittsburgh get dumped with about 2 feet of snow.  That by almost any standard is a large amount, in fact it was the fourth largest snowfall in a 24 hour period in the city's history, or at least since they have been keeping records for such things.  The result was something like a nuclear winter, people just sort of milling about outside, no traffic, very few businesses open, just a whole lot of nothing.  The city was unique in its quietness, which made taking photos all the easier.

That being said by 2pm or so on Saturday the snow had stopped, and while the city was all but shut down there was ample time to begin clearing the main streets and getting the city in a semi functional state for Monday and the beginning of a new work week.  Public transportation on Saturday was all but non existent, with only one bus running in the East End and that was only between a a couple of communities, nothing in the city was moving.

By Sunday a few of the bus routes had opened up, nothing to write home about by any stretch.  I had planned on going grocery shopping and doing my weekend trip to breakfast but with very little moving I opted out of that plan and stayed in, monitoring the city's port authority website to see when and if the buses would start running again, since I usually use public transportation to get to and from work most days.  Not that I couldn't walk, but at about 4 miles it takes me close to an hour to walk into work from where I live on a normal day.  Obviously trying to do it while trudging through snow would make that walk a little longer, so I wanted to make sure my bus, the 67H, would be running come Monday morning. 

By Sunday night the Port Authority had posted on their website that they hoped to have about 50 more routes open for Monday morning, but they didn't specify which routes those would be so I was up early enough Monday morning that I could make plans for either taking the 67H, walking into Oakland and taking another bus or just plain walking.  I wake up and check the page and I am geeked that the 67H appears to be running.  So I go ahead and get dressed and head out to the bus stop.  I think about getting my corner store coffee for the wait but the store owner is late in getting in, the store hasn't opened yet so I figure I am better off just waiting for my bus, don't want to miss it after all.  As I am standing there one of my bartenders from Jimmy's walks by, I see him most mornings while waiting for the bus and he and I usually chat for a few minutes.  While we are talking I see two buses headed in the opposite direction, which to me is a good sign, if buses are traveling the boulevard then chances are better my bus will soon be arriving..  Next I see the store owner  but I decide I better just remain planted, after all I have seen two buses, it is only a matter of time until mine arrives, right?

Except it never does, I end up standing there for better than an hour and no bus.  At this point I could either go home and just say I can't make it in, try walking but that means I will be two hours late until I get there or cut across Oakland and see if I can't catch one of the many buses that travel 5th Avenue in hopes that I can get in a late but at least I will be there.  I opt for plan C and start the walk across Oakland and arrive at the required bus stop where I actually don't have to wait too long, maybe 15 minutes, before a bus arrives.  All looks good for me making it to work except the city did such a poor job on the roads that traffic is literally backed up from downtown for 2 to 3 miles, all single file, wilth cars getting stuck on the side streets, and even on the main drag.  It is a nightmare.  It goes so bad that about halfway there I just get off the bus (an option that was also employed by about half of the bus riders I might add) and walk the last mile and a half and still beat the bus into town.  All told, a commute that should have taken 15 minutes tops took 2 and a half hours.  All because the city of Pittsburgh, with two full days to work on the street, still couldn't get them passable by Monday morning.  But we all sleep safer knowing that the mayor made sure that his street was plowed.  Fucking bastard!