Teen age and Tardy

This year I ride a service bus comprised of about 20 students and me to school . The bus is supposed to leave at 8:20 a.m. and, when everything is working smoothly, should arrive at school at 8:50, thus giving me a whole 10 minutes to briefly catch my breath and start the day at 9:00. Unfortunately, it doesn't work this way. I have several teenage girls on my bus who do not think promptness and courtesy should trump their morning ablutions. Often they are so late that the bus monitor must call their apartments to announce our arrival. In addition, the bus driver turns off the engine  to save the precious $10/gal. fuel, and we all wait...and wait...and wait....After what feels like an eternity, (probably only 5-10 minutes, but I'm a product of the book Cheaper by the Dozen so minutes count) we see the co-eds strolling down the lane towards the bus at a speed meant to keep all of their hairs in perfect place and  show they are not going to rush for anybody...And, I guess, thinking about it from a their perspective..why should they be 10 minutes early for school?!

So, today I decided to ride my bike. It's 16 kilometers one way and takes me about 45 minutes going and about 35 minutes coming home. Adding in an extra 15 minutes for a possible flat tire and another 10 minutes to change it, I can leave the house at about 7:45 a.m., have a beautiful ride along the Aegean, and arrive at school having accomplished two goals: exercise and a peaceful start to the day. Granted, I don't get to listen to a student practice whistling for 16 kilometers or check out the perfectly coiffed hair, but I do get to start the day a little bit more in control. In other words, I don't like my time being managed by "teen age and tardy."