It was very cold that night. A large crowd was waiting for the 7:15 p.m. bus at the Tunus stop. Fortunately, the bus was on time, and as usual, everybody rushed towards the open door. You know, it is something like Darwin's natural selection.
When all the seats were occupied, the driver kindly asked those still waiting at the door to get on the next bus, which would be coming soon. A few people on the bus were standing, and they too were invited out. Why stand on the bus and get tired out when there is a perfect opportunity to sit comfortably on the warm seats of the second bus?
Need I tell you more? There was no 'next' bus until 8:15 p.m. I must admit that it was the third time this has happened to me during my five years at Bilkent. And I must also admit that I was a fool that night. I was perfectly aware of the danger that faced us. Perhaps it is due to my imperfect nature that I thought my previous experiences were mere history.
This is just a simple story. I have little if any hope that this situation will change in the future. And now the moral of the story: 1) Never trust what the driver says. Always remember that the 'next' bus might be the next hour's bus. 2) Fight for your right to get on the bus. Never let the bus leave unless the 'next' bus has indeed arrived.
This letter is dedicated to the 13 people who waited for the 'next' bus on February 7, 2000.
Taner R. Akgün (PHYS/IV)
In response to Taner R. Akgün's letter, M. Sinan am, Transportation Services Coordinator, provided the following response:
Based on the computer records and a statement by the responsible driver, it was found that the 6:50-7:15 p.m. shuttle from Bilkent to Tunus on the date mentioned was unable to operate due to a mechanical problem. When a shuttle is late more than 10 minutes, students or staff should take a taxi and get a receipt from the taxi driver. The cost of the taxi ride will be reimbursed by the Transportation Unit. Anybody who has the right to benefit from Bilkent transportation services can take this measure (when the bus is more than 10 minutes late).
Also please note that penalties exist for bus drivers in order to keep transportation problems to a minimum.
Thanks to Jakub Michalski for raising the issue of internet connection to faculty housing, and to Seyit Koçberber for his prompt reply (Letters to the Editor, February 7). While it is naturally disappointing to hear that a LAN connection is impractical in the near future, I am pleased to know that modem capacity will be increased, as the intermittent nature of the connections currently makes all but the briefest operations extremely difficult.
I was wondering if the university has plans to install cable television on East Campus faculty housing and, if so, whether a DSL internet connection could be provided at the same time.
Robin Turner
(Faculty Academic Support Team)
