Busted

Seattle’s One Bus Away Reduces Riders’ Running and Wondering Time

There are certain humiliations that are part and parcel of being a regular bus rider. To wit: running through your neighborhood in the morning, half-dressed and hoping you haven’t missed the express; or, making it to the bus stop on time, only to wait endlessly amid scores of riders, all of your helpless bodies craned angrily in the direction of the nonexistent bus. One Bus Away (onebusaway.org) feels your pain. Developed by University of Washington grad student Brian Ferris (after he grew tired of “too many late nights in the rain, wondering if the 44 would ever come”), it gives riders a fighting chance. The service tells you exactly where your bus is, relevant to your specific stop—not merely the main hubs listed by Metro. Find your stop number (listed on the Web site), then either type it into the site (there’s an iPhone-optimized version, too) or call it into the cell phone application (206.456.0609). On the phone, an old-school computerized voice (identical to the one in War Games!) says, “Where is your bus? Let’s find out.” The helpful voice then tells you if you’ve just missed one (no running necessary), and gives the arrival times of the next two (remarkably comforting). Online, you can also search by route number alone. It’s awesome and it’s free. Now all you have to worry about is the weirdo sitting next to you.