|
Fed Up
I have just about had it with the WashU shuttle service. Last year I rode the shuttle every day and it was always on time, and I mean always. Considering varying traffic, it was uncanny how often it came exactly when it was supposed to. However, often the drivers drove recklessly, listened to loud or bad music, and the shuttles seemed blocks away from breaking down.
This year, WashU subcontracted out control of their shuttle service to an outside company. Normally, you would expect WashU not being in control of something to be a good thing. However, this has certainly not been the case. The shuttles have been replaced with space-age steel crafts with a fancy stop notification system and a digital route display. The drivers no longer listen to horrible mix tapes, and they even drive a little more carefully. The problem is that the shuttles are now hopelessly off schedule.
And "off schedule" is a bit of an understatement. Today I waited over 20 minutes for a shuttle to take me to campus. This is unacceptable considering that the buses leave every 15 minutes. The evening shuttles, when the schedule shifts to 30 minute intervals, are even later. And by the time they arrive, they are so crowded that no one can fit on them, but that's no big deal since the next shuttle is literally trailing right behind. How is this useful? Instead of a shuttle every 30 minutes, we get 2 shuttles every hour at the same time. Splendid.
I understand that construction has caused traffic to pick up, but this has been going on all semester. You would think they would start running more buses or something rather than just allowing the ones they have to be ridiculously late every single day.
Comments
The shuttles are run by Huntleigh Shuttle Port, the same service that does the Med School and SLU shuttles. Also, Huntleigh ran the shuttles during our freshman year, and they weren't any good then, either.
I wonder if maybe Huntleigh isn't run by a WU alum? That's generally why the University picks crappy contractors (like McCarthy Construction)
Posted by: Brian at October 21, 2003 8:02 AM
Who's the alum involved in McCarthy -- I had no idea it was related to Wash U. I have a friend at Alberici who complained to me once that Wash U throws all their work to McCarthy. Hard to believe they're always the low bid.
Posted by: rkc at October 22, 2003 4:05 AM
Michael McCarthy, Engineering School class of 1962 (majored in Engineering Science, whatever the hell that was). He's a trustee of the University, as well as at the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Director of Mercantile Bank.
He currently resides in the middle of nowhere, Nevada, but comes in for the University's Board of Trustees meetings.
Posted by: Brian at October 22, 2003 12:37 PM
|
