Standing at the bus stop on a typical day,students can occasionally be heard grumbling that the bus is late, they're not going to be on time for their meeting or that it might be faster to just walk.
Some students tire of standing around or don't even bother waiting, while others simply don't have the option of walking to their destination.
"I wait for the bus because I live far away in Faulkner," fourth-year College student Chantel Sparrow said.
She acknowledged that if it's a nice day outside or if "the bus is taking forever," she might be inclined to walk instead.
Second-year Engineering student Zeke Fugate, however, finds himself walking most places he needs to go.
"I don't remember the last time I rode a bus," he said. "It's really inconvenient for me -- it's much faster just to walk."
For many students, one of the most puzzling aspects of University Transit Service is the bus schedules.
"I don't think there is a bus schedule," Sparrow said with a laugh, referring to the seemingly spontaneous arrival of buses.
"The routes always confused me," Fugate said. "One time last year I got on a bus and ended up [riding] it for an hour."
Second-year College student and UTS bus driver Rachel Kammerer pointed out what she considers the main problem.
"A lot of people don't understand how the bus system works," she said.
Traffic jams and other obstacles don't mitigate students' frustration with the system, but Kammerer stressed that it's difficult to avoid these daily hindrances.
"I always try to be on schedule," said Kammerer, who only recently started driving for UTS.
She went on to explain that when a bus is running behind, it is said to be "cold." If a bus gets so cold that the bus behind it catches up, the first bus "deadheads": gives its passengers to the second bus and drives straight to the stop that it should be at to be on schedule.
There are even scenarios in which buses are "hot," or ahead of schedule.
Buses "should never be hot," Kammerer said. "It's such an inconvenience to our passengers."
Despite bus drivers' attempts to stick to schedule as best as they can, they can't account for daily disruptions in the timetables. So whether waiting at the bus stop or meandering about Grounds, the unseasonably warm weather of late should make either decision more enjoyable.
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