Why SEPTA is too unreliable for college students

“Get up, you’re going to miss your train!” was not the ideal start to my Saturday.

I had gone home for a night and slept through my alarm, giving me 20 minutes to get myself to the nearest train station. Despite the short notice, I successfully ended up at the Yardley, Pa. train platform awaiting my 11:05 a.m. train. At 12:05 p.m., I found myself standing in the exact same position. The SEPTA regional rail was not working, for supposed “signal problems” on the lines, and for maybe the hundredth time in my life, I stood cursing SEPTA for their unreliable train schedules.

In my experience, SEPTA’s trains are frequently being delayed or cancelled, often times without a reason given. If traveling outside of Philadelphia’s boundaries, many of the surrounding counties have less frequent schedules. Instead of being able to get to a station at one’s leisure, one needs to coordinate the train times and hope that the delays will be minimal.

That Saturday morning I was upset and frustrated, wanting only to be back on campus looking at the view of Barbelin. Two men, both in their late 20s, overheard me describing the problem on the phone with my mother. One of the guys, Scott, approached and told me that he had an Uber en route to take him and the other man, Drew, to Jefferson Station. They offered me a seat in the Uber and with no other options, I accepted. Yes, I recognize that statistically speaking, the outlook was bleak for a girl who got into a car with two strange men upon their invitation, but I took a leap of faith in humanity and accepted the offer.

After arriving in the city, I wandered through Jefferson station only to discover that the next train to Overbrook was not for another hour and a half. For the hundredth and first time in my life, I stood cursing SEPTA. At this point in the day I had still not had my coffee nor had I eaten breakfast, so an hour and a half was far too long of a wait. The price of an Uber (granted that I take Uber pool) was the equivalent of the train ticket back to Saint Joseph’s University, so I resolved to call an Uber again. Unfortunately, my cell phone was dying so I ended up walking through Center City before going into the lobby of a nearby Marriott to use one of their outlets.

All in all, it took me a total of four hours to finally get back to school after leaving my home. I had never been more grateful to arrive safely back to school.

Every form of transportation has its pros and cons, but without Uber, I might not have gotten back to school on Saturday. While SEPTA is affordable and accessible, the inconveniences hamper the experience. Uber is reliable, quick, and easy. Whether I find myself in the middle of the city without any other way to get home or I simply do not want to walk to the pharmacy in the rain, Uber has been a reliable form of transportation.

Uber is the future of transportation. The convenience of an Uber is well worth the extra few dollars if one is stuck somewhere and in need of a ride. Instead of having to stand on a train platform or a bus station, your driver will pick you up right at your door.

I still take SEPTA and try to keep my complaints to a minimum, but after being introduced to Uber, the transportation experience has become much less stressful.