Ah, the OC Transpo. A reliable conversation starter in the City of Ottawa, but not the most reliable transportation system. Here are stories of how OC Transpo has let people down in the past (and maybe the foreseeable future):
Splash Mountain
“I was waiting for the 10 Hurdman that was supposed to come at 2:06 — it didn’t come till 2:45ish and when it did finally come, it drove straight past me and splashed me as it passed by 🤩”
~Class of 2023
At least it’s a main character moment… right?
Vape Nation
“During COVID, most times I go on the OC Transpo there’s at least one person who has the uncontrollable urge to take their masks off! The worst was when a group of high school kids took off their masks and started vaping in the middle of a packed bus literally in my face. I can’t stand it!”
~Class of 2024
I honestly wouldn’t expect anything less.
Money can buy happiness
“I was standing at the bus stop and the bus was empty and still drove right past me. It was freezing cold and so I ended up calling an Uber so that I didn’t have to wait 30 minutes for another one.”
~Class of 2022
Uber > OC Transpo. Or better yet, STO (Gatineau’s Transportation System) > OC Transpo. iykyk.
OD
“One day, I was sitting on the bus at a window seat. A guy came in with some friends and sat down next to me. A few stops later, his friends went to get off the bus, but the guy wouldn’t move. Turns out, he had overdosed. His friends, who knew they could get in trouble for doing illicit drugs, left the guy on the bus with me stuck in the seat next to him. I tried to get the attention of other passengers and eventually, the bus driver came back and tried to wake him up. He didn’t move and they carried him away while I ran off the bus in fear.”
~Class of 2023
That’s so scary, I’m so sorry that happened to you.
Feels Bad
“The fact I’m riding it rn instead of driving my BMW that doesn’t exist.”
~Class of 2023
One day my friend, one day.
111 more like 666
“The fact that 111 Baseline is never on time to go home after class at 6 p.m. :( Numerous attacks, i.e. weird people making an act or even terrorizing you on board; the smell, lmao the list is endless.”
~Class of 2025
I personally love the chaos of the 111. Like why does it just not go to Carleton on the weekends… Everyone in Hog’s Back is a student at CU.
Power Struggle
“Why do they always make eye contact with me then drive away without stopping to pick me up? What kind of messed up power dynamic is that?!”
~Class of 2023
It’s the lifeless eyes: They want you to know they hate their job.
Running man
“I was on the 7 going to Carleton. It was nighttime in October so it was pretty cold out. There was a Black man standing at one of the bus stops on Bank and instead of letting the guy on, the bus driver slowed down and then sped up and totally ignored the guy who clearly was running after the bus. I couldn’t believe what had just happened because it was very obvious that the man had been standing at the stop waiting for the bus. Other people on the bus had noticed as well.
It was frustrating for many reasons, one of them being that when it’s late the 7 only comes every 30 min (and that’s if it’s on time!!) so that man would’ve had to wait so long on Bank street at night for the next bus. I got up and went to confront the WHITE bus driver and he basically stumbled on his words and was trying to make an excuse but couldn’t really come up with one. I was so embarrassed for him but also angry.
When I got home I sent a report to OC Transpo clearly detailing everything that had happened and that I felt like the bus driver discriminated against the man waiting for the bus. I sent in the report and never heard back from OC Transpo.”
~Class of 2022
The fact that you confronted him and followed up… You are a great person.
Victim
“How SLOW it is. It’s never on time. I had to wait up to an hour a few times because the bus simply did not come. The drivers also sometimes just ignore your presence and drive by you after you’ve waited 30 minutes for a bus.”
~Class of 2023
A moment of silence for everyone who has been ignored by an OC Transpo bus. Thank you.
Triathlon
“I was riding the O Train from Blair when it first opened. I was heading to a psych midterm, it was my first year and my first midterm, but I was feeling pretty good about it! So anyway the train breaks down two stops in and everyone had to get off and cross to the other side to get picked up. Side note — I had sprained my ankle a day or two before this so I was limping (this will be important later).
So the delay to get everyone off the first train and onto the second train across the tracks and then wait for more people to get on caused me to be running a bit late. My class was on the other side of campus from the bus stop (when I FINALLY made it). If my ankle had not been sprained I might have made it on time, but I was out here speed-limping my ass across campus to my midterm and I was about 10 minutes late. Happy ending tho, I got a solid 90 on that midterm 😎. But ya, OC Transpo is garbage.”
~Class of 2023
WOOO for a happy ending!! Not common with OC Transpo :(
Invisible
“Their buses literally never follow their schedule. The 7 St-Laurent is ALWAYS LATE or cancelled. I’ve had the 10 Hurdman literally pass me at the stop three times (and I was perfectly visible like standing right at the edge of the curb).”
~Class of 2023
Okay Google, play All By Myself.
Commuter Nightmare
“I have to drive about 20 minutes to get to my nearest bus depot and by the time I got to school, my commute would be a total of an hour when I first transferred here. But it was in October of that semester (2019 I believe) they decided to change routes, so instead of taking a car, bus and then another bus, there was also an unnecessary train I had to take too, now totalling my commute to about a 1hr30m to 2hr. That would mean I would spend in total at least three hours travelling each day I had class (some of which would only last half that time). In a lot of cases, buses would even arrive much later than expected.
I recall this one time when the weather was quite bad and it was really cold around December when I had to travel back home, the bus that I had been waiting for did not arrive for 45 minutes after the expected time. Once I finally got on, 10 minutes into the ride, the bus breaks down and everyone had to wait on the side of the road for another 25 minutes. Now, the bus depot that would be my only ticket to getting to school is shut down due to renovations of OC Transpo. So when things go back to in-person, I am unsure how I will be able to get to school in most situations where I cannot take the car (my family needs it daily for work, appointments and other errands).”
~Class of 2023
The worst part is driving around Ottawa isn’t that much better but the speed makes it worth it.
Cat vs OC Transpo
“They are legit always late. I had to wait to take the bus to the vet with my kitten once and they literally didn’t come for 30 minutes (in the time at least five buses should’ve come) and my poor kitty almost turned into a cat-sicle!! We had to cancel and go home and I was soooo annoyed!”
~Class of 2023
Listen, you can mistreat students BUT NOT THE ANIMALS.
Bus App
“When the bus app says it will be there in there in 5 minutes. You wait an hour. Then there’s three at the same time and they’re all full so you have to wait another hour.”
~Class of 2022
The bus app is a better game than temple run. I said what I said.
Moral of these stories: Always have a poncho or umbrella on hand (even if it’s not raining), the bus will likely pass you two to three times but it’s not you, never trust the bus time app and honestly you’re better off saving up for a car.
Thanks so much to everyone who submitted their stories! OC Transpo is definitely a hot topic and I’m glad we all had… similar experiences! Next Carleton Confessional is in celebration of the one-year anniversary of the column! Click here to submit your dating app horror stories.
XOXO,
-CC