NJ Transit Saturday Adventure!

I just missed back to back to back buses at the same stop in the middle of New Jersey.

Two questions arise from this:

1. Why am I in the middle of New Jersey?

Hired for a video shoot for a baby shower. You may be thinking — baby shower… why would they need a videographer?

In all honesty, before going to the event today, I wasn’t exactly sure why they needed a videographer either. Though after recording footage for 6 hours, it made me realize how useful a videographer is at these big family get-togethers. Saves the memories.

Look, after cranking out the drone, running a full 45 minute family photo shoot, letting the kids swim with my go-pro, filming family TikToks, and capturing nearly every moment imaginable, I believe it’s a very worthy investment — ESPECIALLY when you find a good one.

Important characteristics of videographer: casual, fits in, good with people, caters well to the crowd. Maybe I’m selling myself here but yeah people reading this it’s a great thing to have.

2. Why did I miss back to back to back buses?

Requires more context

The video shoot today was 10am start in the middle of NJ and let’s start with the fact that on the way to NJ at 7:58am this morning, I bought the wrong ticket for the bus and had to get a new one with 2 minutes to spare. Took me a solid 54 seconds and somehow made that bus. Electric Factory.

The video shoot was at a location that was pretty much an automatic 20 minute uber away from any bus or train stop, which complicated logistics. On top of that, there’s currently a railroad strike happening and all NJ Transit Trains are halted. Amtrak prices were sky high and ubers were $250+ each way, so bus was the obvious call.

At ~9am I got to a point 20 minutes from the shoot location and I wanted to get another 5 minutes closer and save $1.20 on the uber.

5 minutes later, I was 25 minutes away. Whoops.

So I requested the next stop and at this stop across the street was a seafood market and restaurant.

I didn’t want to show up early to a house so I crossed the street and investigated whether the market was open, closed, abandoned, etc.

I was hungry, yet I also had a feeling that I’d be eating at the shoot. The full seafood restaurant was unexpectedly open and I opted to go with the one and only Manhattan Clam Chowder for breakfast ($9)

.

Funniest part of all of this is after my 9:30am Uber driver cancelled on me for not being outside the second he arrived my 9:40am Uber driver gives me something I’ve never before heard in an uber in my life: “I’m sorry sir, this trip is longer than expected. Do you mind if I get gas?” I say I have to get to destination by 10am and am already running late — do you mind waiting? She said she didn’t have the gas to get there. Fudge.

But what really ticked me off was the lack of consideration. 5 gallons into the fill she’s playing candy crush on her phone and at that point I had to say something. No chance I’m waiting another 4 minutes for the tank to fill. I have to get to destination!

She then offered to floor it to the shoot.

NO! Drive normally lol. I’d rather get there 8 minutes late than the alternative.

Now let’s resume.

So why did I miss the buses?

Miss 1: After the shoot, my Uber dropped me back at the seafood restaurant next to the bus stop instead of at the bus stop (my fault). It was the easiest landmark to recall to get back on the bus to New York City. On the 4 minute walk towards the stop I saw the bus pass me. RIP.

Miss 2: Now that I had a 19 minute buffer, I went back to the seafood restaurant for dinner. The guy working the front was smiling ear to ear when he saw me again. I ordered a flounder and potatoes that I kid you not was ready in 45 seconds. The texture of the flounder was perfection. Amazing level of salt and the lemon squeze on top cemented an amazing piece of fish. Potatoes were average but overall for the seafood place on the side of the central New Jersey Highway with 3.8 stars on Yelp, I left quite satisfied.

I left the restaurant with 6 minutes to spare. Bus arrives early and passes me in the same exact spot on the road as first time around. RIP #2

Miss 3: I go to Starbucks to kill the hour wait. Got the cheapest thing on the menu.

Bus either didn’t show up or arrived over 10 minutes early. Now I’m writing to you in the middle of miss 3. By the way, my shoot was done at 4pm. It’s 7:25pm and I’m still sitting here in Jersey 20 minutes from location. I could rip the $155 uber to the city but at this pont it’s like I waited so long why give up now? I’m also quite comfortable at the stop. Weather is a 10, sun is setting nicely, and I’m in a flow state writing to you. No rush to get back to the city tonight.

UPDATE IT’S 7:28 AND BUS JUST PULLED UP. $155 saved. If I saw that bus pull up while getting into my uber that would be the worst uber ride of all time.

-Jack