Game Changer

 In Austin, the paratransit system has a thirty-minute window.

That means that when you schedule a ride to be picked up at 8 am, the vehicle can arrive between 8 - 8:30 without being late. Once the vehicle arrives, you have five minutes to board and then you are considered late, and the vehicle can leave. 

The thirty-minute window is super frustrating. 

With ride share services like Uber and Lyft, you can track your vehicle and see where it is on a map. 

Metro Access never had that option. 

Now it does. 

Yesterday I FINALLY figured out to access it. 

And it is a GAME CHANGER. 

Before, I used to just wonder and wait around and then when the thirty minute expired, I would call dispatch, often have to wait on hold, then be told, "Oh, it will be there in five minutes," which often turned into way more than five minutes. It was a very frustrating process.

Yesterday I went to the store, and while I was waiting for my return, that's when I finally figured out how to see the estimated pick-up time and where the vehicle was. And it was mesmerizing, and ultimately calming, to see that little vehicle chugging along towards me. I didn't have to sit on hold and wait for dispatch. I just had to watch that little engine that could. I had to wait a long time yesterday. But I didn't mind as much. Because I knew what happening. I had some control over the situation. Not that I could make the vehicle come faster. But that I could see where they were and approximately when they would arrive. This also meant that I knew when to go outside and be ready to board.

My ride this morning is arriving in approximately fourteen minutes. 

Because I know this, I had time to write this blog post. 

Less wasted time.

Less frustration. 

Persistence in finding this option finally paid off. 

librarianintx