Getting on the wrong bus

While most commuters getting off MTA buses at the Ronkonkoma train station on Monday afternoon reported a relatively smooth experience, Mel Santos had a bit of a hiccup.

The 50 year-old substitute teacher in New York City thought he was getting on a bus in Jamaica destined for Hicksville, where he lives. When the nonstop bus pulled into Ronkonkoma instead, he wasn’t too pleased.

“I’m exhausted," he said as he got off the bus. “It’s been a horrible day and this has made it a bit worse… I’m about an hour away from where I’m supposed to be.”

But he said he was trying to take it in stride, and said he would figure out how to backtrack to Hicksville.

“It’s a mess right now, but what can you do?" he said.

As for Tuesday morning if the strike is still on, he said he doesn’t know how he will get to his elementary school in Jamaica. He might have to pay $100 again for an Uber like he did on Monday.

Or maybe, he said, he might be able to catch a ride with a friend headed that way.