Will Work For Food

I never thought I would be so happy and sad to see a yellow bus in my life. These aren’t exactly the feelings that I thought I would be experiencing now that I am a mature college student, but unfortunately I have not left behind my Magic School Bus days. The sight of the infamous school yellow bus barreling down North Charles, allows for a slight sigh of relief, though my battle with the Collegetown Shuttle has just begun.

You see, these are the trials of a student who lacks the convenience of a car on campus. I guess you could also say the trials of a student who lacks enough love from her parents who are unwilling to shell out more dough atop of her $50,000 tuition for a car. Tough life, right? But seriously, not having a car on this campus really makes a girl have to work for her groceries, literally.

But back to my love-hate (emphasis on the latter ) relationship with the Collegetown Shuttle. Due to flaky friends who are blessed with the gift of a car but can’t seem to share the wealth and my inability to read a public bus schedule, I am forced to depend on this shuttle for my most basic necessities- hummus and peanut butter, which without I would cease to exist. Yet time after time, the shuttle lets me down.

Many days I wait on the curb of North Charles anxiously praying that I will see that yellow bus come into vision. If it actually does decide to show up, I have to swiftly make my way in front of my fellow shuttle riders who are carelessly chatting about their imminent mall adventures. My mission is clear and missing this shuttle is never an option, or that’s at least what I tell myself. Based on the hate part of the relationship, one may infer that I may not always get what I want. Let’s just pretend though that I do push past the Forever 21 shoppers and get on this shuttle and  finally arrive at the Mecca of all grocery stores. This store may be more widely referred to as Trader Joes, and it is there I buy those aforementioned necessities.

Just as it seems that I began my trudge, I now need to return. Unfortunately that yellow school bus is my ticket home. I am praying, wishing, sacrificing my first born child to the gods in hopes that the shuttle decides to rescue me from the shady bus stop where I must ward off the interesting characters who always seem to think I have a “light”. As the shuttle finally squeaks to the curb, I once again turn to my dirty tactics to secure a seat.

One may ask why I continue put myself through all these tribulations week after week. I simply reply to them by stating the blatantly obvious fact that TJ’s-yes we are on a nickname basis - knows what they are doing when it comes to hummus and peanut butter and I trust almost no one else. They also have free samples which are always appreciated as I am a “struggling” college student who doesn’t have a car, remember? If only Loyola could jump on the ZipCar wagon, then maybe I could be spared all this trouble. Until then though, I guess I'll see you at the bus stop.