What a 2 min late can do....
Last thursday (26th April 2007), it made me realize how much valuable a min can be. On each occasion I was late by one or two minutes, and if I had queued up all the time, then it wont be more than 20 mins, but the output of the time lost was more than one hour.
1.12 pm : went to QUINCY station to take train, even I didnot know which train to take, I knew the station where I had to go will be dropped by the train coming through this station. I was asking a person there, which train to take, and the answer was PINK, which I see standing outside. Then when I rush to there, the sound came " DOORS CLOSING" and then train started moving. I was a min late there. I saw the time table there, and tried to figure out, at which time next train comes. It was after 6 minutes. I lost SIX minutes there, but not only six minutes, the train was late and took 9 minutes to come there. I waited the train and took the train. It was 1.22 then. I had to catch 1.35 metra and hoping that, this train would take me to metra station in time.
1.33 pm: arrived at CLINTON station from pink line train and then had to walk to get into metra. I didnot know how much time it would take to walk from clinton to metra as it was my first time from that route. I run there to reach the metra station, when I reach there, it was eventually 2 min late, and the metra 1.35 train had already left. I was TWO min late here. I didnot knew what to do as the next metra train was at 2.35 only. So I sit there for almost 5 minutes by taking some cool breath, and then returned to Clinton station as it wud have been waste of time if I have waited the train for 1 hour. Since the route was new, I asked again one of the person for my way to brown line, while asking the train had left again. So had to wait for another 7 minutes there.
1.52: I reached at LAKE station to change my train from pink line to brown line. But this was the time, when brown line train arrives at late. I was waiting for it, and then at 1.57 the brownline train came. I said thank god, and went to train.
2:17: At fullerton station I had to change brownline to red line for my way to home. So I changed there. Also since there is reconstruction of the station at fullerton, the train is always late there. So I had to wait for some 2-3 minutes over there. And then I took long red line train there.
2:52: I got up at howard station from red line .I was tired from travelling that day. Had I catched the 1.35 metra train, I wud have been home and sleeping. I waited for purple line train to get to DAVIS so that I could catch the metra train at 3 in DAVIS. the schedule for purple line train was 1.55, and it wud have taken me to DAVIS in 3 min. And in DAVIS, I could have catch up the metra at that time. But due to some problem in the rail link, the train was late and arrived at 3.07 only. I took that train and then traveled to DAVIS. It was 3.11, and the metra was missed and also the PACE bus, which would have taken me to home was also missed by 1 min. The Pace bus also left the place at 3.10. I was so tired, and didnot know what to do. I was hungry too, and already I was late for the job. I called uncle, so that he can drop me to my job, but he was bg at that time. I was sure, I would be getting an hour late at my job
3.25 pm : I took the next pace bus available from DAVIS, and came home. The bus was little late, of 5 min. So I was at home at 3.47 pm. I was relieved that I was at home. But no excuses to be made as I had to go to job. I was tired but I had to go and report the job place by 4.30 pm. to get there I again have to catch 4.15 metra, which I couldnot catch in this period of time. I was so tired and wanted to bath. Again I called uncle, and he told me he will take me to my job, then I was relieved and do my things nicely.
I was thinking at that time, had I got the 1.35 metra, then I would be at home at 2.20 and I would have lot of time to sleep and take bath, and then go to job. just 2 minutes late made my day so much horrible.
1.12 pm : went to QUINCY station to take train, even I didnot know which train to take, I knew the station where I had to go will be dropped by the train coming through this station. I was asking a person there, which train to take, and the answer was PINK, which I see standing outside. Then when I rush to there, the sound came " DOORS CLOSING" and then train started moving. I was a min late there. I saw the time table there, and tried to figure out, at which time next train comes. It was after 6 minutes. I lost SIX minutes there, but not only six minutes, the train was late and took 9 minutes to come there. I waited the train and took the train. It was 1.22 then. I had to catch 1.35 metra and hoping that, this train would take me to metra station in time.
1.33 pm: arrived at CLINTON station from pink line train and then had to walk to get into metra. I didnot know how much time it would take to walk from clinton to metra as it was my first time from that route. I run there to reach the metra station, when I reach there, it was eventually 2 min late, and the metra 1.35 train had already left. I was TWO min late here. I didnot knew what to do as the next metra train was at 2.35 only. So I sit there for almost 5 minutes by taking some cool breath, and then returned to Clinton station as it wud have been waste of time if I have waited the train for 1 hour. Since the route was new, I asked again one of the person for my way to brown line, while asking the train had left again. So had to wait for another 7 minutes there.
1.52: I reached at LAKE station to change my train from pink line to brown line. But this was the time, when brown line train arrives at late. I was waiting for it, and then at 1.57 the brownline train came. I said thank god, and went to train.
2:17: At fullerton station I had to change brownline to red line for my way to home. So I changed there. Also since there is reconstruction of the station at fullerton, the train is always late there. So I had to wait for some 2-3 minutes over there. And then I took long red line train there.
2:52: I got up at howard station from red line .I was tired from travelling that day. Had I catched the 1.35 metra train, I wud have been home and sleeping. I waited for purple line train to get to DAVIS so that I could catch the metra train at 3 in DAVIS. the schedule for purple line train was 1.55, and it wud have taken me to DAVIS in 3 min. And in DAVIS, I could have catch up the metra at that time. But due to some problem in the rail link, the train was late and arrived at 3.07 only. I took that train and then traveled to DAVIS. It was 3.11, and the metra was missed and also the PACE bus, which would have taken me to home was also missed by 1 min. The Pace bus also left the place at 3.10. I was so tired, and didnot know what to do. I was hungry too, and already I was late for the job. I called uncle, so that he can drop me to my job, but he was bg at that time. I was sure, I would be getting an hour late at my job
3.25 pm : I took the next pace bus available from DAVIS, and came home. The bus was little late, of 5 min. So I was at home at 3.47 pm. I was relieved that I was at home. But no excuses to be made as I had to go to job. I was tired but I had to go and report the job place by 4.30 pm. to get there I again have to catch 4.15 metra, which I couldnot catch in this period of time. I was so tired and wanted to bath. Again I called uncle, and he told me he will take me to my job, then I was relieved and do my things nicely.
I was thinking at that time, had I got the 1.35 metra, then I would be at home at 2.20 and I would have lot of time to sleep and take bath, and then go to job. just 2 minutes late made my day so much horrible.
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