The two stars are for the few good drivers I've had who have been very enjoyable and good at their jobs.
NOW FOR THE HORROR STORY PART.
So I'm coming back from a trip out of town and I decide to take the campus shuttle back since it'll drop me off right outside the gate instead of me having to lug my crap one block up a hill. And once this semester that has worked just fine. Tonight, however, was not my night.
I'm standing at the station on Shattuck with this girl who is also heading back up to northside. The first shuttle to come is a southside shuttle, and I, knowing a "to-your-door" shuttle was coming 3 minutes later which would get me back sooner, decided to wait for that one. HUGE MISTAKE APPARENTLY. On the website apparently there is this magical fairy text that talks about how "to-your-door" means "to-your-door unless you live in a dorm then get your ass on another shuttle you fool."
When the shuttle arrives and I tell the driver I need to get to Foothill (don't start me here, that's another can of worms) I get lectured by the crabby old driver on how his shuttle doesn't normally go there blah blah I should have got on the southside shuttle blah blah but he'll take me anyway since the northside shuttle isn't running. That information of course, isn't made available unless you call 10 minutes after that shuttle was supposed to arrive and you're standing there in the cold being told to wait for the next shuttle which could pretty much arrive whenever.
Now I'm actually on the damn bus and the girl who was at my stop gets dropped off and now it's my turn since I'm only like 4 blocks away. The driver then proceeds to stop a block away to inform me that I could either get out here and walk or he could drive me to East Gate where I could transfer to the other shuttle. A portion of my fees go to fund this damn service and I cannot receive the service of being driven ONE FREAKING BLOCK to the gate of my complex. It took every fiber of will in my body to not start screaming like a rabies patient at the driver but I withheld. However, if I ever happen to run across the fellow again, I can assure you that I will deliver a tongue-lashing to behold. You'll probably be able to hear it in Oakland. Yes I am crazy but that's not the point here is it?
So in conclusion,
+1 star for having somewhat decent schedule
+1 star for the pleasant drivers I've encounterd
+1 star for not being as cramped as AC Transit (at times)
+1 star for being clean
-1 star for never explaining what routes will be running when and leaving it up to chance
-1 star for "to-your-door" meaning "some doors are more worthy than others." seriously ridiculous.
and to that driver: minus a billion stars because I am not afraid of you and no longer pity your Sunday-night-bus-driving existence for making me feel as if it was some great act of charity and boundless benevolence to drive me even close to where I needed to go. you, sir, are a regular Angelina Jolie.
and to anyone that finishes this: 5 stars! how did you survive/tell me your secrets because really I think I stopped making sense a looooong time ago! read more