Having waited for an hour longer than I should have, the shadiest bus I had ever seen pulled up in front of the San Francisco Cal Train station. I had helped my girlfriend, Ana, move back up to school that weekend and I did not want to get on that bus at all. I couldn't decide what the main reason for that truly was at this point. Either it was because by doing so, I would have to leave the arms of the most astounding, incredibly beautiful girl I have ever known, or because it may very well signify my impending doom on this trip. I'm pretty sure it was a little of both.
As the view of the city started to fade more and more in the reflection of my sunglasses, I turned my attention to the details of this wonderful vehicle I was now in. Slowly I came to the realization that this bus had no window shades to speak of, which is not a big deal as long as a little A/C was- Oh good. None of that either. Sleeping seemed like a good idea to pass the time, so I tried that for a while. Just as I started to slip into sleep, I was promptly awoken by everyone yelling in panic as the bus skidded to a sudden stop on the highway. A blowout ahead had caused following vehicles to swerve into the other lane and continue on their separate journeys. This happened again later when a big rig began switching to our lane about mid-bus.
Keep in mind that due to lack of A/C, the alternative air supply is now the two emergency exit panels open on the roof. This was a great idea why?
a) Because the entirety of available air is just so hot due to the climate in central California.
b) Because throughout central California, there are cow farms turning the hot air into hot, stinking air.
c) Because bugs have a tendency to fly into open windows, especially in farmlands throughout central California.
d) All of the above.
If you answered 'a', 'c' or even 'b', you're close but wrong. Answer: 'd', as in disaster.
Many hours pass by of this, and the bus exits the freeway and pulls into a truck stop in the middle of nowhere. the bus operator comes on the line in a foreign accent: "Thank you for riding California Shuttle Bus, this is your stop."
Haha... no it isn't.
He cuts in again, "We have to switch buses, I apologize for the inconvenience, but the other bus will take you the rest of the way to LA."
Ah! Well at least the other bus will have working air conditioning and-
"I am sorry", he says, "but the other bus has the same A/C problem as this one."
Yeah.
After loading up on Arizona Green Tea, I take my spot in the new bus as the drivers finish switching the luggage to the corresponding buses of the passengers. Soon, we depart from the stop in Lost Tales (that's what the area was called- no joke) and head toward the Grapevine. Time passed quickly at that point, I think mostly because I was so focused on watching the TV directly above my head. Not because anything interesting was on, nay, but because it was shaking violently with every pothole and small bump in the road. Once to the Grapevine, the violent shaking stopped and was simply replaced with an unbearable lack of speed.
The bus traveled up the side of the road at a steady 4 mph. Murmurs started and frustration took hold of many passengers already sick of the trip. It felt like mutiny was afoot, to be honest. An old lady actually started cursing behind me and questioning whether we'd all make it or not. The bus made it, and after a while longer pulled into LA. When we arrived at our last stop, it was soon discovered that during the luggage switch made earlier, the drivers had mixed up the bags and half of the passenger's belongings were on their way back to San Francisco. As bad as I felt for them, I luckily had only a backpack on me so I wasn't affected. As good of a trip as that was, I climbed into my friend Luke's car and was more than ready to go home.
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