Meal Time Parking Woes

(Meal time in the Canteen)

Finding a bus parking lot to park the bus at the interchange during Meal Time is always a nightmare.

Meal time bus parking is always terrifying at the interchange. Be it either lunch or dinner, the meal time window been planned in such a way that, it will most probably commence right after the morning peak period (i.e. 0945hr onwards) or before the start of the evening rush hour (i.e. 1730hr onwards)

Woodlands Regional Interchange, WRI is considered to be one of the biggest bus interchanges in the Northern Corridor of Singapore. WRI that was built in early 1990s, in my view, it is already up to its max or full capacity.  WRI hosts some 22 bus service route and maned by some 350 strong BC on each shift. During meal time, progressively, some 350 buses and its BC will take turns to return back to the interchange to park the bus and for their meals. From my observation, there are some 5 parking lots “free” every other minute on the clock for grab. So by just a simple imagination, the BCs are actually jostling for these “free lots” to park.

 As more and more buses been added to service newly sprung up townships or neighborhoods or extra buses been added to reduce the interval waiting time, WRI will certainly get more and more congested by the days. Looking for a lot to park my bus will definitely get more frustrated as the day goes by. 

This is a daily grievances and heartaches for me in order to find a place to park the bus; so that I can temporary leave the steering wheel and quickly run to the canteen (as show in the picture); and have my meal within an average of 22mins. Friends, are you able to enjoy your meal with such a short time?

I now no longer eat and chew my food; I just swallowed my food as fast as possible.  Whatever, time left from this allocated meal time, I will find a place to “charge battery”. Sometime I need to slow down my swallowing process, so I log-on to my Wi-Fi network to check on my “What’s Apps” and E-Mail.

Previously, while working from the office desk, meal time break is easily a 60mins affair. But now, it is a mere 22mins. How lah ?, Just have to accept it for now, lor.  But the question is that can this situation be improved to a more dignify level? 

 

(Picture showing a 20M  long bus, its rear is very close to the stone pebble kerb) 

The other day, it is a bit unfortunate to me; I have a commotion with another Bendy bus BC during meal time. My bus was blocked from reversing fully by this 20M long bus; I could not get out from the bus parking lot.

When a Bendy bus of some 20M long been parked beside and to the right side of the 12M bus. Because of limited reversing gap at the interchange, as shown in the picture above, for sure, I will not be able to reverse my bus fully from the parking lot as the bendy bus, rear portion, is completely blocked my right exit way.

Since I still need to continue my service duty, I got the Time-keeper help to page for him (the bendy bus BC). After a few paging, as I was waiting in the driver’s seat, he came over with rage and shouted at me; why I disturb his meal time and claimed that, he still have few more minutes to go before his allocated meal time is up.

Even though, I am already late for 8mins from my scheduled departure time, I can fully understand and empathize with this angry Bendy bus BC. I stayed calm and told him in Mandarin, “hao de, che zhang, wo deng ni”. Literally, in English, Okay, please go back to finish your meal and I will wait for you. Nevertheless, he is still not at peace, and he went straight to the Time-Keeper office to complain about me that, I have illegally parked at the bendy bus designated parking lot, which is not been allocated to a 12M bus.

Yes, I agreed to his statement; but, there is also an exception to this rule is that, during meal time, this rule can be compromised and it is the duty of the bendy bus BC not to park on the right side of the 12M long bus, on a first-come-first-own-basis.

The time keeper asked me this question, “who came here first to park”. I told him; of course I am the first to park here. After uttering some “4LW”, the Bendy bus BC jumped into his bus, reversed his bus and left. Now my right side is clear from any obstruction, and I am able to reverse the bus fully to continue with my revenue-able service to the commuters. However, the pax waiting at the designated berth was certainly not happy as I am already late by 15mins form the scheduled berth picking up and departure time. Not a good day for me lah.

Kena Sai (Malay Hokkien for – got shit) !! for that day.