As some of you may know, I did not have a driver's licence for the first five years that I lived in Saskatoon. As a result, I considered myself somewhat of a "transit route expert". If there was a way to get somewhere by bus, I knew it ... much to the delight of some residents at my job, and the dismay of others:

"Karen ... can you come pick me up in the van?"
"Walk to 12th Street, and get on the #8. See you in 30 minutes."

Last week, someone had the bright idea that we should take the bus to the Exhibition to save "the hassle and expense of parking". There was a shuttle bus to the Exhibition every twenty minutes, but we took the bus to the terminal to get on the shuttle as well. I didn't mind it back in the day, but now that they have changed the routes, and when I am dragging a whole bunch of teenagers along with me, it goes something like this:

Come on, everyone, we're going to miss the bus.
Let's get going, or we'll have to wait another half an hour.
Come on if you want to go to the Exhibition!!!
Karen, I think we missed the bus.
Well, we'll just wait at the stop if we have to.
I have to go to the bathroom.
Go ahead. We'll be at the bus stop.
Did we miss it?
No, the bus comes at ten after.
Karen, do I have time to go to the bathroom?
Yes.
How long will it take us to get there?
I don't know.
Karen, when does the bus come? I think we missed the bus.
Why don't you call the number and find out for sure?
Okay.
(try to call, but call waiting cuts me off)
Karen, do you know the name of Alice's manager at Boston Pizza?
Alice? What is your manager's name?
Alice went to the bathroom.
Alice went to the bathroom.
Call me back when you know.
Alice, what is your manager's name?
Pete.
Did you find out when the bus comes?
No, Captain interupted my call.
(call Captain back, she doesn't answer, call buses)
The bus comes at ten after.
(call Captain)
The manager's name is Pete.
I think we missed the bus.
(another bus goes by, on the other side of the street, to Lawson Heights)
Why don't we take that bus to the Ex?
That bus is going the wrong way.
(as sarcastically as humanly possible) So???
We are going this way, and that bus is going the opposite way.
(blank stare)
The Ex is that way.
Maybe the bus will turn around later, and go that way.
It will, but, it will take much longer.
One time I took that bus to get ice cream.
Yes - but Dairy Queen is the opposite way from where we are going today.
(as sarcastically as humanly possible) So???
Feel free to take that bus if you want. It will get to the Ex eventually.
DON'T LAUGH AT ME!!!

*names have been changed for reasons of confidentiality

Recently, they "improved" the transit system. One of the changes they made was that buses only come once an hour after 6 PM, when it used to be once an hour after 10 PM. This "improvement" resulted in an hour long wait downtown. This gave Charlene and I lots of opportunity to play games to pass the time, such as "Guess the Gang", "Who's High?", and "Grip Your Purse As Hard As You Can".

It also gave us time to reflect on the fact that it would have cost us $5 to park, ten minutes to drive, and five minutes to walk from our van. Instead it cost us $20 of bus tickets and took us 90 minutes.

As if I did not get enough on Thursday, I decided to return to the Exhibition on Saturday via the shuttle bus. This time, however, I decided to "Park and Ride" by leaving my car at Market Mall and departing from there. This is not a bad system ... if you don't have any other plans for the day. I also wanted to attend a Fringe play at 6 PM, and ended up back that the mall at 5:55 PM. I would have been there at 5:35 PM, but I foolishly chose to use the washroom before leaving the Exhibition grounds, and missed the shuttle bus by a minute.

I am taking my car to Folkfest.