Waiting Hours for Septa that Never Arrives

Submitted by nypato123 t3_yh5s3i in philadelphia

This has happened several times, and I'm getting more and more annoyed since it's getting colder out and it's ruined my day more times then I can count. I arrived at the station ten mins early before the next bus is supposed to arrive according to Transit app, but it never comes... then the next one doesn't come and the one after that is late. If it's not coming, then tell me that it's not coming so I don't stand around in the cold wondering where my ride is! It's absurd how much time Septa wastes and how much money I'm wasting standing around not clocked in. I don't understand, why does the real time tracking show the bus is coming when it isn't? Why am I bothering to spend $100 a month for a transpass when I'm going to need to take a $20 Uber to make sure I can get to work on time?

I spoke to an employee before who was also catching the bus and apparently Septa workers can just not show up to work and they won't run the lines at all. I guess screw everyone that has to get to work on time. The kids working retail are held to higher standards than this. But these guys still have the nerve to strike every few years and ask for more money from taxpayers when they make an average of $26 an hour to drive a bus around and still can't do it properly.

23

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

liquidbluenight t1_iuf5fdi wrote

I’ve had similar experiences with buses that look like they’re coming that just disappear off of tracking (either in the Septa app or Transit app) right before they’re supposed to arrive. I’ve had some luck messaging @SEPTA_SOCIAL on twitter - not sure if they do anything, but I think they at least log the complaint.

14

nypato123 OP t1_iugo5en wrote

If they do care, they're not doing much about it and it's only going to get worse as it gets colder.

2

liquidbluenight t1_iugoyad wrote

My assumption is that not everyone who is impacted by this takes the time to contact Septa. Without complaint data, it’s hard for them to see or understand the effects of these canceled buses. Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence, or however the saying goes.

3

anliecx t1_iufq7k9 wrote

Fully agree. Lately, the bus route I use will either never show up or 3 buses will come through back to back. Then the transit app will say the next bus will be 30 minutes. I’ve called multiple times and they give the same old excuses “we’re experiencing driver shortages due to Covid” which I don’t believe. I’m sure it’s about pay. But whatever it is, septa needs to be more reliable.

10

nypato123 OP t1_iugnpy3 wrote

That's the generic message they give, very often as you can see, but the problem with that message is that it's not even reliable because you don't know which bus it's referring to. So if a operator isn't available to drive for whatever reason, every bus they're supposed to drive during their shift doesn't go out but you don't know which ones those are. Also, there isn't even a notification sometimes.

2

Forkiks t1_iuf2fpx wrote

When they striked in 2016, I had to walk 2mi to work and continued walking after the strike was over..i enjoyed those walks.

9

nypato123 OP t1_iugmwso wrote

I walk about a mile and a half each way just to avoid the issues of taking another line but it's too far away for me to walk all the way. I wish I could though.

3

SmokieThaBear1017 t1_iug4e24 wrote

I can't tell you how many times this has happened to me working till 9:30 pm Mon - sat most days it happens at least to one of the routes than run past my job doesn't show up at all I would have ended up stranded if I did have a few bucks for a uber home a few times but when I first started I put my last 25 dollars in my septa card but bus didn't come on multiple occasions on my way to work fucked my hours up my pay was much less than than expected put me in debt

3

nypato123 OP t1_iugoj9p wrote

It happens way too often. Delays happen sometimes, sure, but something's wrong with the system when it starts happening the majority of the time across multiple lines.

1

Golden12345 t1_iufvj8b wrote

> But these guys still have the nerve to strike every few years and ask for more money from taxpayers when they make an average of $26 an hour to drive a bus around and still can't do it properly.

Nerve? "Ask" for more money from taxpayers? Puh-leeze. You have no idea. Don't blame SEPTA. Place it squarely where it rests: On the TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION.

See, this is what happens when a union has you squarely by the balls. Toss them out on their ears for people who actually want to work (and work harder/better/faster in exchange for more money or a promotion)? Hell, dare to tell them no on anything? Out on the picket line they'll go until YOU learn YOUR lesson.

Rinse and repeat...year after year after year.

When will it change? When taxpayers finally get fed up enough to say, "Enough of this nonsense. We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take [TWU's] antics anymore! They've gotta go, and they've got to go. NOW."

But we haven't reached that point yet.

1

BigShawn424 t1_iufrwc2 wrote

I find that buses that disappear still come most of the time.

0

Triple_C_ t1_iug2cfr wrote

I don't understand why anyone would get upset about a driver not showing up. Maybe they had other things to do, or just didn't feel like coming in. I mean, it's not like he has to show up, it's his choice, and his job is protected. So what's the motivation?

−3

Proper-Code7794 t1_iuf1om5 wrote

Or you can just get a car and who pays $100 a month for bus tracking?? Just use Google

−47

MonkeyPanls t1_iuf35o4 wrote

>[...] who pays $100 a month for bus tracking??

I assume OP is talking about the $96/mo they spend on their TransPass

26

Proper-Code7794 t1_iuf6vr6 wrote

I mean it's the bus it's mass transit it doesn't arrive on time all the time. That's just how Transit works. And yes the bus drivers quit. Would you want to deal with this guy for $25 an hour and heavy traffic and junkies.

−25

Wuz314159 t1_iufiz4l wrote

That's not how transit works. That's how transit in America works because the people that run it hate the people who use it. In Japan, you get a written apology if your train is one minute late. In Switzerland, there is a train every 5 minutes in a city of 50,000 people.

11

Proper-Code7794 t1_iuhvxb7 wrote

Wow you just named two of the most expensive places in the world to live I guess that's why they're Transit works

−1

LaurenFromNY88 t1_iuf6ziu wrote

Get some perspective. Not everyone is able to readily get a car. When I lived in NYC I actually got rid of my car because in a city, it’s annoying and costly.

10

Proper-Code7794 t1_iuhw1io wrote

I bet you it was just that New York City was costly to live in and that's why you couldn't afford a car

0