The only thing worse than having to stay in Gainesville over the summer is being here while there’s a tropical storm. Regional Transit System buses are cold enough without having wet hair and wearing soaked clothes, and unpredictable bus schedules could leave you dripping with the icy shards of Mother Nature’s wrath.
However, clingy jeans can’t hold a candle to soggy socks (it couldn’t hurt, though). Imagine: you’re walking through Plaza of the Americas, reading an article on your phone from alligator.org when all of a sudden, you feel it.
Your toes squish as you step forward. An uncomfortable feeling grows in your chest. You look down and realize your shoes are three shades darker than before. You will now have to endure wet socks in the frigid, desolate climate that is an RTS bus.
Therefore, this dart goes to you, Tropical Storm Alberto. You disrupted our Memorial Day events, perpetuated the stereotype of Florida’s wet season and generally made life miserable for all residents in the South. May your plague of puddles disappear until the next storm.
Students may never have realized how literal “Rainesville” was until this summer. It seems like it has been raining every other day, complicating commutes and stressing out students. It’s kind of like a nagging cold: You’re going to take precautions to avoid the worst of it, but in the end, you have to let it run its course.
However, despite the cold temperatures, a round of applause needs to be given to the RTS bus drivers.
Having to clean up after soggy shoes is the only thing worse than actual soggy shoes, and keeping buses clean is an often overlooked part of a bus driver’s job. If it weren’t for this part in their daily routine, standing while the bus is in motion would become much more slippery.
Sticking to a time schedule is also difficult when rain starts falling and people suddenly forget how to drive. RTS drivers know people have to be at a certain place at a certain time, and no tropical storm will get in their way!
It’s also no secret that there’s a shortage of bus drivers. Bus drivers are underpaid and underappreciated. It’s one of the reasons why there are fewer buses on certain routes.
The next time you’re sitting on an RTS bus wiggling your numb toes, glance at the shoe prints you left on your way in. They won’t be there long.
This laurel goes to you, RTS drivers.
Quite honestly the most redeeming quality of Gainesville summers is the quiet of Summer A. We grant the sweetest of laurels to open library spots, low chances of being hit on by frat boys on bikes and short lines at virtually every eatery. It truly is sweet, sweet summertime.
Finally, we award food delivery services in Gainesville a sharp dart this summer. Mostly, Cookiegazm. In fact, we’re going to say only Cookiegazm. The well-branded establishment closed its doors for the summer and effectively ruined our nighttime drunken jaunts around G’ville. ‘Til we meet again, Cookiegazm. Parting is such (un)sweet sorrow.
