What, what, in the . . . Bus

Bus vs. Motorcycle: This is why you shouldn't tailgate or cut a bus or cross double white lines in the tunnel.

Buses to/from Port Authority Bus Terminal are subject to delays up to 30 minutes due to accident in Lincoln Tunnel. NJT Rail is cross honoring to/from NY Penn.

Sent: 7:46 AM

Bus service to/from PABT subject to 30-60 minute delays due to accident in Lincoln Tunnel. Buses will be diverted to Secaucus. NJT trains are cross-honoring.

Sent: 7:55 AM

Buses to/from PABT subject to 45-60 minute delays due to accident. Buses will be diverted to Secaucus, Newark Penn, and Hoboken. NJT & Path are cross-honoring.

Sent: 8:34 AM

Bus service to/from PABT subject to 30-45 minute delays due to earlier accident. Buses are no longer being diverted, except those already en route.

Sent: 10:34 AM

Bus service to/from PABT subject to 15-30 minute delays due to earlier accident in Lincoln Tunnel.

Sent: 11:36 AM

Just got into work at 11:30 a.m. I saw the alert at 8 a.m. about buses and a motorcycle being in an accident inside the tunnel. I tried to wait it out, then left at 10:30 on the bus. (The bus driver said there were still 2 hour delays.) Took the ferry in. Took the ferry bus to 50th and 6th.

What I learned:

• The ferry can be the only civilized way to commute sometimes. So it's still about an hour to get in via ferry if I made it a daily thing. For $8.50, it was worth not dealing with the PATH and railroad madness that was NJTransit's solution to a closed tunnel, but it was definitely not worth being an everyday kind of thing. $8.50 ONE WAY.
• Being late can be good to avoid bad things. Being early or on time to anything is not worth the effort unless you're saving lives or solving something really important that can't wait if you are late. Also, ever since 9/11, it just reminds me that anyone working in the area who was late to work that day, well it probably saved their lives. I woke up early and was going to take a 7:30 bus in to start on some work because I was up anyway. I could have been stuck in that mess. I would have been insanely angry.
• Work-life balance. I stayed until 7pm last night working on a project the editor isn't even treating as a priority (it has to go to the printer tomorrow!), so I feel a little justified in avoiding the mess this morning's commute was for NJTransit customers and fellow-tunnel travelers. So instead of rushing in, I finished my freelance work that I would have had to stay late working on anyway. Now I just need to organize my stuff to be on vacation for two work days and look forward to hopefully good traveling karma.