Shuttle Madness

To the Editors of The Crimson:

The shuttle service before morning classes from Currier to Garden Street and the other river stops are dangerous and ineffective. The shuttle service before class (particularly at 10 a.m.) is so inadequate that many people who would prefer to ride to class walk anyway.

The space available on the shuttle is inadequate for the number of people waiting. With people packed two abreast in the tiny aisle and pressed against the front door, the shuttle is crowded way beyond the normal safety limit. This is just asking for disaster. Furthermore, despite the fact that the shuttle is overcrowded (especially on bad days), there are still people who can't squeeze on. They have waited for the shuttle to get to class, but now they will have to walk to class anyway and, since they have wasted their time waiting, they will be late.

Yesterday, I was one of the "fortunate" ones who made it on the shuttle, but after the ride I wondered how fortunate I really was--first and foremost, I had risked my safety by riding on an extremely over-crowded vehicle, and, secondly, the crowded conditions on the shuttle were far more uncomfortable than the bad weather/walk outside. Due to dangerous, ineffective and uncomfortable service, I have decided that the shuttle is not a viable way to get to class.

The problem is not the quality of drivers, nor the scheduling arrangement, nor the management, but quite simply the lack of space. In order to run a safe, effective, and convenient shuttle service, Harvard must spend more money to buy bigger buses, or to hire more drivers and supple more small buses for use during crowded hours. If this cannot be done, I recommend all shuttle service from the Quad to the River during class hours be halted immediately, as it is exceedingly dangerous, ineffective, and frustrating. Jeffrey Stern '90   Cabot House