Video cables and Public transportation, a time consuming combination...

So after a meeting with in Apeldoorn, the StudentCar team drove back towards Rotterdam. Driving close to Nieuwegein I decided I would stay over at my parents place to have dinner and spend the night.
The next day it was time to get back to Rotterdam. I just had to pick up a specific kind of video cable to my beamer (yes, I have a beamer and it’s awesome!) on my way.
Now, living in Rotterdam for a while, I have learned that it’s no use to look online when the tram arrives because this information is hardly ever correct. You just go there and hope it arrives soon.

Nieuwegein 10.27am

So I just decided to walk towards the bus stop at the end of the street (yes I know, bus schedules are a little more accurate, but I never take a bus in Rotterdam so I forgot...) and made a quick stop at the electronics store down the same street.

I was in there for like two minutes, and unfortunately left without the desired video cable “Maybe Mediamarkt” the saleswomen said.

Arriving at the bus stop I checked the schedule and it told me the bus to Utrecht Central Station would arrive 10.38am, the bad thing was that my watched displayed 10.39am and the bus was nowhere in sight ...  “Ah. it might be a few minutes late, it would be a REALLY big coincidence I fit passed by just when I was insight that store behind me...”.
But soon you realize that was just the case... and the next one would leave 30minutes later. A small little four-letter word slipped my tongue.

Oke, nothing more you can do about it, as I'd read in Deepak Chopra’s book. ‘Accept the situation as it occurs’. So I walked on my uncomfortable suit shoes to the bus and tram stop in Nieuwegein-Zuid. From my current location about a 15-minute walk, but for someone who dislikes walking (why else did you think I started a car-sharing service ;-) I rather didn't.

Nieuwegein 10.53am

'Lucky me'  I thought when I saw bus 74 approaching just as I stepped on the bus platform!  But this lucky feeling quickly changed into disbelieve and frustration when the bus driver blew by me with a smirky smile on his face!

Why, you ask? Well... 200m from the bus stop there is a traffic light. And on the right lane of the road, a big truck stopped. Mr. busdriver was apparently thinking he drove a 200hp taxicab instead of a slow-ass bus, and thought he could quickly pass the truck and still make it to the bus stop on the far right where that arm waiving, uncomfortable shoe wearing young man stood to get on his bus...

Well of course he was pretty much just a fast as the truck, and in his pathetic attempt to overtake the truck he couldn't stop in tim anymore and decided that the best thing to do was to politely smile and raise his arms as he passed by in a way like ‘Hey man, sh** happens…’

After I gave him the international sign of ‘friendliness’ I grabbed my bags and walked towards the tram stop which was fortunately near by. I even saw a tram waiting there (Nieuwegein-Zuid is the last stop, so trams wait until their departure time) but this tram had it’s ‘no service’ lights on. But there also was this 'historic' tram that said Utrecht CS. Historic or not, as long as it goes to Utrecht soon, it’s fine by me. And it went soon all right, a little too soon…
We’re talking 3meters away; doors closing, bell ringing and the historic little tram drove away… Without Sjoerd…

Still Nieuwegein 11.13am

At this moment I left my parents house 45 minutes ago, missed 2 busses and a tram and was still like only a 1000 meters away from where I started!

So I quoted Deepak Chopra once more, did some ‘whoosa’ exercises and dragged my self back to the bus stop, the next bus came. The 77, which takes 20 minutes longer to get to Utrecht but whatever. I was my best option.

I regretted this choice from the moment I sat down… 2 seats behind me, sat a lady with a baby… This baby just completely damaged my hearing for life… Oh my god, the noise that comes out of something so small!… 10 minutes later I was crying as well… pure torture. Somebody had to get out, them or me… Realizing that the women probably had no hearing left at all, i knew my plea on why she or at least her baby should go out, wasn't going to work.
So I got out at Nieuwegein Centre..  At least I was a few kilometers closer to Utrecht CS.

Utrecht CS 11. 28am

The tram brought me to CS baby free and I headed for the Mediamarkt located just a few 100 meters form the train platforms. Knowing I only had 9 minutes before my train left, I needed to be quick. Get the cable and run back! 

I found the cable quite fast, ran to the pay desk with the shortest line… and once again I was out of luck… The 'promotional code for the demo discount offer' or something didn’t process correctly and after a few tries somebody else was called towards the desk…

No! I said to myself, I will not miss this train as well! So I left the cable at the store and ran towards my train. Just in front of me was an other guy running towards the same train. But down the escalator he stopped running, slightly raised his arms and mumbled a four-letter word… Although I could see it yet, I knew I had once again missed my connection…

As I stood there with watching the yellow-blue train disappear towards Rotterdam, I wondered…

Wouldn’t I be great if you could just rent a car for a few hours and take it when you need it…

Rotterdam, later that day.

I’m now ordered my video cable online… Ebay doesn’t let you wait at the pay desk..

Like a StudentCar doesn’t leave you waiting at the platform…

Sjoerd