Offering transportation options for those residents who suddenly find themselves without a vehicle for a multitude of reasons continues to be one of the most important concerns in Colorado rural communities. This issue seems come up as more and more residents find they need help getting to out-of-town appointments. Local governments are often able to get grants for these specific needs, yet finding a way to get from Meeker to other towns without someone else driving continues to be a challenge. Presently there is a local business that is trying to take care of this need, but most locals have always relied on the kindness of family or friends.
As an avid Greyhound bus rider throughout my childhood, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that daily bus service to Denver, Grand Junction and Steamboat was available. The move from the Front Range to the Western Slope had been even more stressful without the public transportation option. Living here once again as a non-driver, I am often hesitant to get back behind the wheel. That is the reason I found myself on the last Bustang back to Denver recently. While I was impressed by the Wi-Fi service, the on-board restroom facilities, the comfortable seats, and the price, I was less than impressed with some of the obstacles that appeared before I even boarded.
Scheduling the bus ride was simple, but actually boarding at the time I was given turned out to be impossible. The information I needed was only available to me from the Bustang’s Dispatch Center, where the dispatcher advised me to get in the car immediately. She had never been to this section of Colorado and said I had to get to Rifle within the hour of my call. She added as an afterthought that I should be there be there at least 15 minutes early. We arrived right on time only to discover she had given us a two hour waiting window in Rifle’s Park and Ride pick up location with little shade and an afternoon temperature exceeding 100 degrees.
After waiting almost two hours, I finally actually got a voice on the phone to find out why the bus still had not appeared. A second dispatcher answered my fifth phone call eventually and advised me to stay close at hand so that I didn’t miss the last bus scheduled to arrive at 5:15. Waiting two more hours, with a brief break in the broiling hot sun to pick up something to eat, it occurred to me that a second ride would only be possible if I followed the following rules for this form of travel
- Bustang depends on “first come, first serve” to continue to fill the buses up as they head to their destinations from their the larger, more populated hubs. You cannot pay using a credit card, only a credit card.
- If one is told to stand directly in front of the bench marking the pick-up spot for a full 15-20 minutes in the blazing hot sun, do so.
- When someone advises you must be there 15 minutes ahead of that allotted pickup time BE THERE! RIGHT THERE! Even if they are four hours late AND couldn’t see you out of the wide windshield as you climbed up the parking lot hill behind the empty glass shelter.
- Stay calm after the driver of the late bus waves as it pulls away. Continue to be friendly when the driver is told to turn around after she gets to the Glenwood Canyon and comes back an hour later. Do not yell back!
Plan to enjoy the second excursion as it is soon to get better. Ride ‘Em Cowboy!
By DOLLY VISCARDI – Special to the Herald Times
