Before I arrived back in Ithaca I glanced at the TCAT website. Lo and behold, emblazoned on my screen, in fire truck red was some of the best news I’ve heard in a long time (I know, my life is sad): NO-FEE OMNIRIDE BUS PASS OFFER. Just as soon as I raised my arms in triumph, my eyes met the treacherous fine print: New Cornell degree entering Summer/Fall of 2005 are eligible for an annual OmniRide bus pass at no cost … blah blah blah blah … BUNCH OF CRAP.
All I have to say is “what the hell?” I mean how unfair is that, not only to us older, wiser and much more deserving students who have paid much more money so far to this university, but to the freshmen also. Doesn’t anybody realize that falling over yourself cursing God trying to ascend the slope or some other insanely large incline is part of the Cornell experience? I mean, now we will be creating an entire class of softies who have simply boarded some cushy bus to get to class. To be fair and to not single out freshmen, this offer is also given to transfer students, professional students and graduate students who do not apply for a parking pass. However, after much thought, I have determined that these people also suck for getting this deal.
What makes this even worse is that I learned in an article in yesterday’s Cornell Daily Sun that this whole scheme was a result of a compromise from the Redbud woods protest. Wow Redbuders, thanks for telling us NOW. I mean, c’mon, if I had known that protesting for Redbud Woods would earn free bus passes I would have rung myself up the Day Hall flagpole by my own underwear so everybody could have received a free bus pass.
Besides, TCAT owes me a free ride or two. As the movie editor, every Sunday I have to work late at the Cornell Daily Sun offices downtown and every Sunday night when bus service is nowhere to be found, I have to seek out a sherpa on the Commons to escort me up Buffalo Street to my apartment in Collegetown. Also the lack of ANY frequent bus service around Fall Creek Pictures Movie Theater forces me to walk double the distance and elevation that Gun Hill Apartment residents get FREE shuttle service for.
The worst TCAT incident that ever occurred to me happened last spring when I got out of reviewing a movie at the Pyramid Mall Cinema. The Route 30 bus came to the stop, stopped, didn’t open the doors for me, even though I was standing right in front of them and proceeded to drive off. This forced me to chase the bus around the parking lot screaming at it in front of hundreds of movie patrons who had just gotten out of another showing. The bus never stopped, forcing me to return to the curb with about 150 people thinking I was some schizophrenic who had issues with public transit.
In conclusion, TCAT owes us all free passes in the worst way, especially me, and that’s my rant.
Archived article by Mark Rice
Red Letter Daze Movie Editor