This is a very short post about my modes of communication.
I used to have THREE distinct ways (almost 4, if you consider the 4th one to be counted (read on) ) of travelling to NUS, and now with the Circle Line opening fully, I have SIX distinct ways to travel to school!!
And the thing is they all take about the same time!! So it's not a clear choice at all! Often I decide just by what I 'feel' like taking. Sometimes it's because I'm going to Science so obviously I won't be going to KRT when I can go directly to Science.
But yea, introducing, the SIX ways I have to travel to school (using public transport duh, I'm not talking about like using aeroplane, bicycle, running, crawling, walking backwards, sailing etc)
1) Train from Boon Keng to Harborfront. Then take Bus 10
PROS
-Once the train clears Dhoby Gaut, sometimes I'll get to sit until Harborfront, not always though. Most of the time after Outram there'll be seats.. but it's just one stop.
-10 is a relatively long bus ride (20-30 mins) so can have a nap. Sure got seats (90% of the time, sometimes single decker then suay)
CONS
-Bus 10 takes 10 million years to come, so time taken is dependent on waiting time.
-It stops at Kent Ridge Terminal (KRT) which can be far from certain classrooms, and far from Central Lib (CL)
1a) Train from Boon Keng to Harborfront. Then take bus 30, and a few other buses that only stops at Heng Mui Keng Terrace
PROS
- Much higher frequency than Bus 10, thus shorter waiting time (sometimes 3 of each of these buses come and not even one bus 10 comes)
- Awesome if you're going to Biz faculty
CONS
- Only stops at Heng Mui Keng Terrace (Outside Biz), so it's a 10+ min walk into Arts
2) Train from Boon Keng to Outram Park, change to EW line, take to Buona Vista, then take Bus 95
PROS
- Slightly faster than option 1
- Stops at CL, easy access to everywhere
CONS
- 95 can be a bitch to get on during peak hours. Can miss 1-3 buses in a row cos they're ALL FULL
- Have to walk quite far to change to EW line at Outram Park.
3) Take 151, direct into NUS.
PROS
- Straight bus, can sleep for damn long
- Ends up directly in NUS, stops at stop right outside U Town
CONS
- Have to walk quite far to the bus stop from my house. (About 5+ mins further than the MRT station)
- Takes longer than 1 sometimes
4) Train from Boon Keng to Outram Park, change to EW line, take to Clementi, then take Bus 96
PROS
- 96 apparently comes often enough
- Can get seats cos 96 is from the terminals
CONS
- Takes longer than 2 (I think)
- Cannot go to Science directly
- I've almost never taken this route before (well the few times I did was because I was meeting ppl at Clementi first)
5) Train from Boon Keng to Harborfront, change to Circle Line to Kent Ridge, then another bus down to Arts
PROS
- Can take the cool new Circle Line
- Lights of Circle Line train very bright
CONS
- Takes longer or about the same time as all the previous options
- Must change so many times
- Lights of Circle Line train very bright
6) Train from Boon Keng to Serangoon, change to Circle Line to Kent Ridge, then another bus down to Arts
PROS
- Fun to try new routes
CONS
- Long walk from Serangoon NEL to Circle Line
- Takes slightly longer than 5 (I think, according to my mathematical estimations based on Train times on the board)
Truly, the tyranny of choice. Some options are good, but too many is terrible.
