How-To-Guide: The Anteater Express
There are fewer things in life as reliable as the Anteater Express, UCI’s free shuttle. Do you have friends who take hours to respond? Well, the Anteater Express would never do that to you. Just get to the bus stop and they’re waiting right there for you. Miss them the first time? No worries, another bus is about to arrive in 7-13 business minutes. What’s a business minute? Well, that’s not the focus of this article.
As someone who doesn’t have a car, transportation from American Campus Communities is essential for me to attend my in-person classes on time. Although the 30+ minute walk to campus sounds appealing (to each their own), the weather in Irvine tends to run pretty hot in the fall quarter, which means you’re likely to show up to class both tired and sweaty. Some students bike or scooter to campus, but once again those options require you to invest some money into them.
There are 3 different bus lines with routes and stops that take you all around campus: the ACC Apartments, Arroyo Vista, and University Town Center. They run on all the weekdays from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm (until 7:30 pm on Fridays) which means you’re basically guaranteed a way to class if you don’t have a car, bike, scooter, unicycle, or any other mode of transportation. You can download the TransLoc app on the Apple Store and Google Play to track what time the buses will arrive. Even if you do have some of those things (or all of those things), there are always unexpected circumstances like a punctured tire or an engine problem that will make you glad that there’s a backup on campus. There are also students who take the bus despite having a car on campus because they’d have to purchase an additional pass for on-campus parking in order to drive to school.
Is the Anteater Express without its problems? No, of course not. I don’t think I can say anything in life is truly perfect. Except Sharetea boba. I digress, I digress, I’ll spark the boba controversy in another post. I think one of the biggest issues riding the Anteater Express can be standing during the (sometimes rocky) bus ride. Getting a free seat on the bus isn’t always possible (though you should try to nab one as people get off at the different stops), so you’re going to end up standing at least once on a bus ride this year. But don’t fear! I’m here to share some of my tips on how to ensure minimal damage (and avoid the inevitably bruised ego from almost falling into someone’s lap).
Try to find a pole to grab onto (there’s no shame in holding on two-handed) because they’re almost always sturdier
If the bus driver’s asking you to move up to the back of the bus, don’t worry. They do this to ensure they can transport the most students possible. Plus the back of the bus is where you’re pretty much guaranteed to be able to grab a pole.
If you don’t manage to get a pole, please grab onto one of the bus handles. Not holding onto anything is just a disaster in the making.
Be open to adjusting your stance. If you feel like you might fall or lose balance, try shifting the way you’re standing.
Besides these tips, all I can say is go ride the bus! You’ll pick up on more things as you use the Anteater Express more frequently (and you probably will once you realize how convenient it is). I know I said that we should try to avoid falling into people’s laps earlier, but even if you do, don’t stress. I’ve seen it happen often enough to know that everyone on the bus is pretty understanding. Who knows, maybe it’ll be the meet-cute moment you’ve been searching for? Just kidding, obviously. Unless?
At worst, you’re minutes away from getting off at your stop. And you can do what I do, and put in a pair of headphones for the ride to drown out everything else with the latest song or album on your mind. Personally, I have a feeling I’ll be streaming Midnights by Taylor Swift religiously for these next few weeks.
I hope I’ve been able to share some helpful insights on one of our school’s most useful resources and I can’t wait to see you on the bus soon! For more information, please check out the Anteater Express website here, where you can find details about employment opportunities or the lost and found!
