CATA bus can be an adventure

by Bridgette Gregory

CATA bus Bridgette hangs on CATA bus stop CATA bus at night

It’s raining hard enough that you don’t want to walk, so you are going to use this thing called the ‘bus system.’ You wait the usual seven to 10 minutes, which seems excruciatingly long since it is cold and rainy.

Finally, the bus arrives. You walk to the door and fall, face first, into the bus. Great first impression. This is what they mean by ‘convenience’? So you think the bus system sucks. And you truly believe that the drivers are out to get or ‘forget’ you. You are not alone.

Laurel, a freshman, prefers her bike to a bus. Her refusal to use the bus stems from “grievances with the bus system back home.” She didn’t trust that system and her mistrust extends to the CATA system on campus. Like most students, Laurel worries about getting to her class on time. But taking the bus means getting up earlier to factor in the time for the bus. So she only uses the bus system after class, when being late doesn’t matter as much.

Susan uses the bus system to travel outside of campus. She prefers riding to walking long distances to the mall and her friends’ apartments. Susan believes the buses are “convenient” for getting to such places without a car of her own. However, she prefers to “walk or ride a bike” to class. She is afraid to be late for class if the buses run late. Susan mentioned that once she waited for a bus for forty-five minutes. “There ended up being an accident,” she said.

Bus driver Lamarr says that weather and traffic conditions affect whether the bus will arrive on time. Unfortunately, just when you need the bus the most, it is most likely to be late. On rainy days, there are more students using the bus, therefore it takes longer to load and unload passengers, which means the bus will probably run a little late.

Lamarr has some advice for freshmen – ask the driver for help. He said that bus drivers can usually tell when it’s someone’s first bus trip. The student looks confused and out of sorts. If you get on the wrong bus or are not sure how to get somewhere, just ask the bus driver.

“You get some that aren’t, but, most drivers are helpful,” said Lamarr. Tell the driver where you want to end up and then they can help you. Don't ask, “Does this bus go ‘there’?” Just tell the driver where you need to go and ask about the best way to get there.

The CATA website has some tips for first time riders: http://www.cata.org/msu/tips.html. Using the site and the campus map are the best way to become familiar with the CATA bus system.