Having dreams is just a natural part of the human condition. Many dreams are realistic and achievable; others might be impossible, or at least ill-advised. Sometimes, it’s worth achieving your dream, anyway, even if it doesn’t really work out as intended.
One of my childhood dreams was to drive and own a GMC RTS-II city bus. In 2021, I achieved that dream when I bought an old Texas A&M University bus, but I have to admit defeat. Still, as you all pointed out so beautifully, I guess it really was still worth it! Potatomafia:
I don’t think it was a mistake. I mean, you fulfilled your dream of owning an RTS-II right? You got to drive it and everything. Sometimes what we think will be great ends up turning out to fall below our expectations and that’s OK!
Boulevard_Yachtsman:
Forget the regrets, you got to live a childhood dream of incredible magnitude for $5,500! I know a few folks that have spent well in excess of that amount trying to do the same thing with a Disney trip. Gimme a pair of Bojack’s flag-colored glasses – I’d rather have the bus.
My Other Car is a Tetanus Shot points out why my endeavor was doomed:
Municipal transit buses are a much more complicated beast than school buses, as you mention. It’s part of the reason they can be pounded on day-in-and-day-out in thankless municipal transit use for untold hundreds of thousands of miles. But that means big bucks for maintenance and repair; far beyond what most can really cope with on an amateur-level budget and knowledge.
It’s kind of the difference between a Cessna 172 and a commercial jet.
Anyway, glad you had your adventure with it, but it is best to realize it wasn’t going to be sustainable before big bucks got involved.
IRegretNothing, Esq, DVM, BBQ:
I think we all know why I am here.
Oddly enough I want to say that there is nothing wrong with having regrets. They are a part of all our journeys on this tiny rock in a massive universe, and ultimately there are so many positive experiences that deserve your attention. If I hadn’t been medically disqualified from ROTC I would have gone into the Army during some of the worst fighting in the WOT, so who knows if I would still be here today? If I had gotten that job I really wanted with the Red Cross I wouldn’t have been in the country when I met my wife.
You got to own your dream bus. It may not have gone the way you hoped, but you can say that you took the opportunity.
Finally, every day, a few of us, namely Jason, David, and I, go on rambling tangents. Thankfully, you all are so kind. StillNotATony:
“so if you’re looking for something more coherent”
We’re at the Autopian. We know what we’re here for.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Top graphic image: Mercedes Streeter
I think the commenters have fallen into the fallacy that thinking a thing was a mistake is the same as regretting the thing.
Mistakes do not result in regret, though there is considerable coincidence.
In the original post you made this clear with
but I think the distinction is a subtle one that misses most people.
You never know if you’re gonna like bus stuff until you try it! Hopefully with an understanding partner.
I’m not a prude or casting judgment, but I personally draw the line at how that one door is clearly labeled “Exit Only” for a reason.
As someone who works in transit, I can confidently tell you the “exit only” sign means nothing to the general populous. Especially if they’re trying to dodge fare.
For a great many, it is exit only. To a smaller group, it’s a challenge. Don’t knock it till you try it.
The transit firms should put some kind of offensive smell as a deterrent or something. And even if people try to shove their way in that door, there’s always the risk of bumping into all the other people waiting to come out.
Wait, is this still about buses?
Cleanliness is key to happy service and minimizing the risk of accidents. Occasionally there’s collisions, but nothing in life is perfect.
There’s also a limit to the number of passengers in a doorway at a given time. But it’s common for both entry doors to be used simultaneously for peak customer satisfaction. Especially on express routes.
Thanks Mercedes! And that’s extra awesome that you actually went on a Disney vacation and brought home a scale-model of a bus from the gift shop. Excellent choice – as another very not-into-Disney person I would have done the same, although there’s a solid chance I would’ve grabbed the monorail.
My daughter got to go to Disney World as part of a school-band trip, had a great time and brought home a Lego combo-set of BMW’s GT3 and Hypercar offerings. Still not holding a candle to owning a personal GMC RTS-II.
Technically it’s a later TMC/NovaBus model.
As a kid I remember wondering where all the Chevy RTSs were, since everything else in the GMC line had a Chevrolet equivalent and there was very little difference except the emblems.
I’ve actually been thinking about this a lot. I’ve wanted a Nissan Z pretty much since I was 8 (specifically Z31), and I keep not doing anything about that because I have no where to put it.
NOW, I’m starting to think: “Well, it’s smaller than a bus.”
I didn’t comment on Mercedes’ original post because I was so mad that I might have said something unkind. Spending $8k (all in) is dirt cheap to enjoy a dream. There was nothing there to regret.