by Iona U. Firearm
NEW BRUNSWICK—On September 10th, 2024, Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway found himself standing at the College Avenue Student Center for over an hour, eagerly awaiting public transport that never came. “Despite my strictly following all appropriate bus travel advice, it appears that I will not be receiving the 4% of my grade based on attendance,” President Holloway stated, still waiting for the bus. “Passio GO! is one of Rutgers’ most powerful instruments for addressing transportation challenges, though it appears my bus has been 12 minutes away for the past hour.” Eyewitnesses at the Cook/Douglass Student Center state that every bus in circulation was on 15 minute break at the same time, completely preventing the movement of any students across campus. “Yeah, it happens,” states Rutgers student Buster Iver in the Cook/Douglass Student Center Lounge. “You gotta leave, like, an hour before your class starts or the buses will screw you over. I’ve been late tons of times even leaving 40 minutes before my class started.”
Students at Busch Student Center, when interviewed, didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. “This isn’t even that long of a wait,” said Rugers Student Buh Strider, not looking up from his phone when asked to comment, “Last semester the buses formed Voltron and left to defend the universe for like a week. We had to walk to different campuses and I almost failed a class based on attendance alone. I don’t think any alternate methods of transportation were even provided.” Other nearby students seemed similarly disinterested at the debacle, except for Senior Student Bichael Byers, who excitedly shared his theory. “It’s the scooter company, man, I’m telling you. They pay the bus drivers to take long-ass breaks so you gotta ride the scooters. That’s how they get you. Even if you only ride the scooters once, it’s like a $10 down payment, a dollar to start it, and like another 40 cents every minute you’re riding. That’s like 22 bucks per student they get to sign up! I’m telling you man, it’s the scooter company. It’s a conspiracy.” At 9 pm, when the debate started, President Holloway stood up and began walking back to his dorm. “Arriving late has the same effect on my grade as not attending, so I may as well just not go.”