What’s the legal limit for how many hours you all are allowed to drive in a day?” I asked. “Ten,” he said. “And how many hours have you been driving today?” “Fifteen.”

Most public transportation users choose to get on a bus or a train that’s traveling toward their destination and get off at their intended stop in the order in which those stops come along the route. In contrast, Access-a-Ride users have no idea which direction our rides will travel in or how many stops will be made before our destinations.

You’re lucky I didn’t leave you. It’s been more than five minutes.” “Five minutes?” she asked. “I’ve been waiting for this ride for over three hours. The people in the McDonald’s let me sit down and wait inside, and I didn’t see you when you first pulled up.” “You’re over the bag limit,” the driver added. “The limit is two. You have three. That’s what’s wrong with Access-a-Ride people. You take advantage. You’re spoiled and entitled.”

Rain, shine, and seasons aside, passengers scheduling rides are instructed by call center operators to be outside our pick-up location at our scheduled pick-up time, even though our ride may be nowhere near at that time. We are also instructed to be prepared to wait up to 30 minutes for our drivers in case of traffic or delays. Drivers who arrive within that “30-minute window” are still considered to be on time, even though the passenger may have been outside for up to half an hour at that point. Those 30-minute delays may actually turn into hours-long waits for many customers, as drivers must follow predetermined routes that lengthen trips and exacerbate travel conditions. Drivers, on the other hand, are instructed to give late passengers only a five-minute grace period. Drivers are also encouraged to call passengers if they do not see us when they arrive, but such calls are considered a courtesy, not a requirement.