SEPTA

Had my first really bad experience with SEPTA today. I say this as I have been taking the train three days a week for much of the past six months without any real problem. I usually get the 7:16 train and am able to walk into class just before 8:00.

This morning, however, I arrived at the station at about 7:10 and got in line to buy my tickets. As I was waiting, at about 7:13, a train pulled up - but it was too early for the 7:16 and looked like the express which usually goes right by. I tried to get through the line as quickly as possible, but missed the train. I didn't think this would be a problem as the regular train should have been coming. Shortly after the train left, however, an announcement was made that the 7:16 was cancelled and that the express would be making all local stops.

There are two things that bothered me here. One is that they could have announced BEFORE the express arrived and left that it was the train to get on. Second, they easily could have held up the train a few minutes to put it on time with the regular 7:16 for this and all subsequent stations.

I guess, however, they felt it was going to be fine as the next announcement also told us that the 7:25 express would stop at my station and two others on the way in to town. Good, so instead of having to wait until 7:45 I could get on the train about 10 minutes late. I could live with that.

However, the express didn't stop. Many of us were quite dismayed as the express came down the tracks but did not slow down and sped right past the station. Either the driver forgot or someone forgot to tell him/her to stop. Needles to say we were not happy but could do nothing.

And of course there was no other announcement.

The upshot was that I was 30 minutes late for my class - I had to effectively cancel my class. I now will try and go for the early train just in case. (This was not exactly an isolated moment - the 7:16 has been late three times before this in the last week.)