Early = Late ?

Last Wednesday was the first day of my last semester at the University of Utah. (More on that later.) On Friday, I left the house at 7:45 to catch the #5 bus to school. The bus, according to the printed schedule and many months' worth of experience, turns the corner a block west of my house and hits the nearest bus stop at 7:48 each morning. So I walked out the door, locked up, and descended the stairs to the sidewalk in front of my house. It was then that I saw my bus turning the corner.

I tried to sprint and catch the bus, but to no avail. It's the third day of the semester, and I'm going to be late for my 8:15 class. Wonderful.

I've used the Utah Transit Authority off and on for most of the last fourteen years. The idea of a UTA bus arriving at—and consequently departing from—a scheduled stop early is a thought that would never have entered my mind. Live and learn, I guess.

Instead of turning around and heading back for the house, I kept walking. I knew that the next #5 wouldn't roll around for another half an hour. So I headed toward 21st East, where I know that route #13 passes my cross street every half hour. And wouldn't you know, I made it to the stop just as the bus pulled up. So I made it to my class only ten minutes late, which was much better than the twenty-five minutes I would have missed had I waited for the next #5.

I guess those two points I spent on AK: UTA Bus Routes (General Skill, 11-) really paid off.