Current mood: 
tired
Getting back was a different story. I tried to catch the very same 67A trip as last Friday, but this bus did not have a rack. I ended up bicycling all the way to the Wilkinsburg station of the East Busway. And there I sat for nearly a half hour, waiting for a bus in service that would both stop and have a bike rack. Nearly 10 buses were headed back to the East Liberty Garage, all with racks. Fat lot of good any of those did me!
Finally an EBS arrived with a rack, a huge articulated (i.e., bends in the middle). I almost freaked when the driver pulled almost past where I could squeeze myself and the bike past the end-of-station barrier, but I managed somehow. I cannot believe he didn't see me: I was wearing my orange safety vest, had a helmet on, and was standing right there with the bike in full view.
Downtown, when my 11C showed, it too was rackless. No biggie; the 11C is not a designated bike route, so I wasn't too surprised. I noted that it was bus 5021. Headed across the 7th Street Bridge, I was passed by bus 5022, a 500 which would get me to West View. I charged ahead, caught the bus at a traffic light, and Yay! it had a rack! While the light was still red, I mounted and boarded, and off we went.
Somehow, though, I managed to munch a knuckle while loading the bike that time. I'm still not sure how I did that, as I've had plenty of practice, and have never done it before. I had riding gloves on, too.
The trip there required an hour and five minutes, but the trip home 2.5 hours. It took me 25 minutes to bike from the Expo Mart next to Monroeville Mall to the Wilkinsburg station, about as long as waiting for the bus at the Wilkinsburg station. I thought about biking home from there after waiting so long, but the idea of a mid-day 25-mile ride didn't quite thrill me.
Anyway, one more trip under my belt!
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