Scribblings

A Theater Too Far

Why do we have such a lousy transit system? I’m not only talking about NJ because the problem occurs in any rural or outward lying suburb of any county in just about any state. You have to have a car to get around. Buses run too infrequently, the routes go way out of your way or there just is no service. A kid looking for a job in a rural area is pretty much SOL if he doesn’t have a car.

Billy doesn’t have a car or a driver’s license. In NJ, he won’t get his driver’s permit until he is 17. After that, he’s allowed to drive only with another licensed driver for 6 months. Billy also doesn’t have car insurance yet.

He has this really cool job at a movie theater and enjoys it very much but if we don’t solve this transportation problem soon he may have to give it up.

The theater is just too far from our house. It takes about a half hour to get there which wouldn’t be so bad except it makes for a very long trip for TB or me. Half hour there, half hour back twice a day on the weekends. We might be able to live with that but some nights he is supposed to stay until closing and that’s the real sore point for us.

When Billy was in training, we signed a letter saying we knew he might have to work after midnight on some shifts. The letter said he might work as late as 12:30. They underestimated badly. One night, TB and I waited outside in the parking lot from midnight to almost 2 in the morning. It sucked! We were tired and sleepy because we’re used to hitting the hay by 10 in the evening. The manager there told me that having Billy work that late is perfectly legal because the following day (Sunday) isn't a school day. :P

Billy was able to arrange a ride for himself the second weekend. He came in around 2 a.m. and I was up waiting but it was better than if I was sitting in the car fuming.

Last night, though, he didn’t have a ride. He called to warn us he’d probably not get out until “around 1” and so we left the house later than we would have. That was a long drive and then we sat waiting for another 45 minutes. Finally someone stuck a head out the door and asked if we were waiting for Billy. We answered in the affirmative and she said, “Well, he’s going to be another 20 minutes or so.”

TB and I looked at each other in aggravated dismay. So TB got out of the car and went to the theater door and said oh no, Billy was going to leave right NOW. There was a whole lot of scurrying around and then Billy came outside, apologizing for the “slow” cleanup. Some people just “don’t move very fast.”

Why should they? They are on the clock!

Well, it’s too much for TB and me to sit there late at night waiting for Billy to come out. We gave him a couple of choices: try to get shifts with the guy who gave him a ride or … quit. No more going to the theater at 1 a.m. anymore and then sitting there. So Billy is going to give it a try and talk to his supervisor.

I feel really bad about it. If the movie theater was in town it wouldn’t be a problem. It would take less than 10 minutes to get to town and it wouldn’t “hurt” so much. When I woke up this morning, I felt as if I hadn’t slept at all. That feeling dogged me all day and I don’t like it.

Luckily, he has a ride home tonight!

Unconscious Mutterings:

I say … and you think …

1. Sexy:: passionate

2. Clique:: snobs

3. Pledge::promise
   
   
4. Carbs:: breads

5. Dream Job:: writer

6. Sweeps:: broom

7. Soundtrack:: music

8. Hero:: brave

9. Shave:: beard

10. Christina:: my step niece