The "infamous" RLC Shuttle Service



Above: Picture taken by NPingle on April 6th 2011 on RLC Shuttle. Sign depicts that RLC students are given first priorty prior boarding.



Since starting school here in Spring all I have heard is complaints from residents about the RLC shuttle and the poor service it offers in terms of frequency and timeliness. And recently new regulation which gives priority to RLC students has caused even more havoc. 

A new policy change now means that priority is given to RLC students who may board first meaning other residents will be required to exit first. This new procedure is implemented by a "sticker" service where a red sticker must be placed on your I.D. to indicate you are a RLC dormer. A sign is also displayed which is shown on the right hand side which says, "RLC SHUTTLE: RLC RESIDENTS BOARD FIRST. CSULB ID WITH RLC STICKER REQUIRED".

Recently, my room mate who was rejected despite the bus being empty complained about this service and how it disadvantaged follow dormers who also pay fees and should be entitled to eat at the RLC dining hall which is dubbed as the more exclusive and "better" dining hall.

So, I decided to board the RLC shuttle and interview students to see what they thought about the service. Jacob MacMaster, a freshman student residing at RLC said that generally he hadn't had any major issues though there was isolated days which caused issues. " Fridays is the worst day. Once I waited for the shuttle for 30 minutes. If you have 9 am class and you miss the shuttle you are going to be late," said MacMaster.

Furthermore several students complained about the I.D. requirement complaining about the stringent requirement which was sometimes enforced too strictly. "If you are running from RLC to the shuttle and you forget your I.D. they will not let you on,  I mean they have to soften up on these things," said MacMaster.

Kristine Chu another RLC resident complained about the overcrowding issue and the lack of frequent services. "There was many problems with overcrowding and it's getting a little bit better now. Though it's so annoying how there can be two shuttles waiting but they don't use the second until the first has left," said Chu.

Timeliness seems to be another issue. One angry student said he hated waiting in the dark after class for the shuttle when it almost inevitably always arrived late. " I am a music major and carry my instrument and I leave practice around 0.00p.m.-10.30p.m. and it just doesn’t come, it takes realistically a half hour to come. It’s ridiculous. I wait alone in the dark, it's kind of scary. I felt like someone was hovering behind me last night. I mean I come from the music department so it’s a good 10-15 minute walk to the bus stop then I have to wait in the dark till it comes," said frustrated student, Amir Fausi. 

It appears overall that the public of CSULB is unimpressed with the service and it needs to pick up it's game. CSULB College Beat did a recent segment on the RLC shuttle and managed to interview the department responsible for it's management, take a look at Spring Show Episode 1.