The perfect world

Riding to work this morning I was reminded of the vagaries of making connections. A day like today spoils a transit rider.

The 82 bus pulled into the 65th Street station as the downtown train was descending the bridge over the rail tracks in the distance. By the time I walked from the bus to the train tracks -- looking both ways while jaywalking across the street that separates the bus stop from the light right station -- the train was just coming to a stop. I pressed the door access button, climbed the steps into the car and sat down on the first seat inside.

Damn that was easy. Alas, it cannot always be.

In my 20 days of commuting to work I have come to realize that if the driver has to delay for any reason -- wheelchair rider who needs to be secured, very elderly passenger who needs extra time -- the bus will miss this perfect moment and the commute will become just ordinary, with an extra 15-minute pause inserted in the middle.

Here's to the perfect moment and appreciation for its rareness.