It’s no surprise that I use Para to a point that it should be a full time job. There used to be a time in my life where using it meant I got to go to places such as movies, malls, restaurants, etc. However, this wasn’t when I first started using it. I began to use para officially when I was on co-op as part of my afternoon schedule at school. Doing this came with challenges as the bus was later and later every day and this made me wish that I was no longer on co-op and just assumed a regular school schedule to avoid using the bus after numerous instances of them coming late contributed to my annoyance. Another problem I faced with them was the constant busy signals I incurred when trying to book a trip and then the hold music I had to contend with once I got through. In later years, they got rid of the busy signals but instead just opted to put everybody on hold for most of their adult lives which causes me to pull my hair out especially when I had just woken up. Though I wasn’t a fan of the guidance counselor who I brought this up to when trying to request that I be put back on a full class schedule, she made a good point in telling me that I’m going to use Para for a good part of my life. She made this remark as a means of downplaying my reasoning for wanting to switch out of co-op. She cited the fact that my reasons had nothing to do with the job itself and therefore refused to grant me my request. When school was all over and we moved away to Rockland, I was in the clear, (as para doesn’t go there since it’s not part of Ottawa.) This all changed one night when I was going through my wallet and found old bus tickets which were leftover from when I was on co-op back in the day before I moved to Rockland. I decided to put them to good use and asked mom if I could access Para through her office, (as she worked in Orleans at the time.) She agreed on the condition that it would not stress me out if they were late and said I had to book my trip according to her work schedule so she could drive me back home. Each trip had to be booked no later than 9:00 a.m. to go somewhere with the return around 3:00 p.m. as this was the time her shift finished. Little did I know that this would prove helpful to her in the current years for when I lived alone. The problem was that what I used to consider to be fun and something I could look forward to has now become something I wish I could stay away from nowadays.

It didn’t take mom long to establish Para Transpo as my primary means of transportation once I moved out. However, in the past few years, I’ve come to know that the stress relating to this now considered god awful service doesn’t just end with them either coming late or not. As a matter of fact, it is a minimal stress compared to the other aspects of the service which cause me stress. These aspects have caused me to change my view on the way I used to think of them. While it would take a lifetime for me to address all of the separate issues I’ve had with the service, (either by being on hold for too long or some rude drivers/dispatchers,) as well as questioning the common sense behind they way they run the service, I will say that the following are issues I have had with the bus since I have moved out. As it has already been discussed in this entry, I will not include the bus being late. However, it is a stress associated with the service.

1. Rude para drivers including one instance where a driver threatened me
2. Sending separate vehicles for Chris and I when we opt to go out to the same place leaving the same destination at the same time
3. The amount of other pick ups and drop offs before they get me to my stop, especially if they’re already late picking me up, (this is a minimal stress compared to the others as an instance of me being late for something only occurred one time due to the driver’s heavy schedule.)
4. The need to book day in advance rather than to just call when you need them
5. Being told to wait until the next day to call and change an address when the wrong one was put in for where I’m going
6. Sending another bus for me to go home despite one being present who is passing by my home in Bell’s Corners en route to his intended drop offs, (this issue actually caused an argument between me and the dispatcher where I complained about having to wait for my bus which was an hour late at that point when there was already one present who was going passed where I was and hence could have brought me on the way.)
7. The fact that they even assign certain buses to certain locations. I mean, when you think about it, does it really matter which bus goes where? There should be no reason to assign a bus to a certain location. I mean, the bus that I eventually get is not the only one capable of driving to where I live, all of the buses are capable because it’s the same service no matter what bus it is.
8. Being given inaccurate times as to when the bus will arrive when they are late, (this occurs on the app as well.)
9. That god awful hold music
10. Being denied service most of the time when I call for same day trips
11. Days when the app goes on maintenance and is unavailable to book my trips hence forcing me to call in to book a trip that I might need.
12. Checking the app a half an hour before my bus is supposed to arrive to see that it has not been assigned at that time hence I know it will be late.
13. Times when the app does not load when trying to sign in

It may seem as though I have wasted a whole page on the reasons other than Para being late why I don’t like them, but trust me there is a lot more if you can believe it. I’m going to do something I’ve never done before due to a lack of time. I’m going to implement a part 2 to this blog as this blog in particular is being written as a means of releasing my drama and something that Parya will love…..there’s much more than what I have just written now.

Stay tuned for part 2 of “Drama Central” starring Jeff Landry