Guard Duty officially started today.
Since I had already brought all the necessary bulky items into camp yesterday, there wasn't any need to take a taxi to reduce any weight load today, so I took the public transport and it took way longer than I thought it would. What was supposed to be a 90 minutes journey ended up taking 2 hours, I was still one of the earlier ones to reach despite being it being just a few minutes before the reporting time because this is after all a reservist cycle, being told to come on time is always just a mild suggestion rather than an order.
So we had our training in the morning about an hour after the reporting time, repeating the things that we always do every cycle to familiarize ourselves again with everything, but this time, everything was happening much faster because my group is a smaller group and because of Covid, there were some changes to the training, which sped things up. Right after that, we broke for lunch, which was not good, as usual, but I tried to eat as much as I could just so I wouldn't get hungry before my duty started.
Unlike my last few cycles, I was posted to another part of the camp this time around that requires a car to actually get to, and it's not because "walking is too tiring and I don't want to get all hot and sweaty when I reach the place" it is because it is so deep in, and there is literally no bus service that goes there....
... this is the road that leads into the camp, that is how far the camp is from the main road, and the main road barely has any bus services, which is kinda pointless because no one in their right mind would walk all the way into the camp from the main road, it's ridiculous.
I have no idea why they decided to post me there even though they actually called me prior to the start of the reservist to double check if I had a car, to which I replied "I don't drive" , but still for some reason, plops be into this location.
I did ask if it was possible to be relocated back to the original camp instead because I didn't drive, but the response was that they had to consider the other reservist personnel's personal work schedule, some with cars couldn't go over because they had other commitments to attend to, so they are being put in the main camp.
What logic is that?
So you called them up, asked them if they drove, they said yes, inform them that they will be placed at the more obscure camp location, they tell you they can't because they have other commitments so they can't go that far.
You then called people like me up, ask if we drive, we say no, throw us into the obscure camp regardless, and you don't bother to ask us if we have commitments to attend to like the ones who actually drive because if we do, it is a infinitely more inconvenient for us!
Prioritize the personal commitments of those who drive over the ones who don't, flawless logic. Our duty schedule is actually extremely flexible, so if someone had to work on Monday, they can just tell the commanders to not put them on a Monday duty slot, it doesn't matter which camp you are located that, if you have work on Monday and can't do your duty on Monday, you will not be put on a Monday slot, and even if you have no choice, it makes zero difference because you have a car, you can drive out, the directions will change a bit, but you drive, you don't have to struggle trying to get a ride out to the main road to grab the bus because you have a ride out of the camp.
Anyways, extremely poor planning from the higher ups aside, I was thankfully doing my duty at the same timing as an ICT who drove, which I shall just called Steven, so he was able to get me and another personnel into the camp, which was great and everything, you'd think...
"Oh, someone has a car, so no issue there then, he can also drive you out!"
...well, you are very wrong.
Steven and the other personnel duty ends at 6pm, mine ends at around 7.15pm to 7.30pm. If I wanted a ride out, he would have to wait over an hour for me, and it won't just be him that will be doing the waiting, I will also have to make the other personnel wait because he also needs a ride out.
Steven did ask me how I will get back and he did suggest that he could wait, and the other personnel also didn't mind waiting, but I just felt really bad so I told them that it was fine, that I will just take a Grab out once I was done. I didn't want to eat up any of their time.
So the duty starts and I get send off the another part of the camp to do my part, at around 6pm, I get a call from Steven, and he once again asks me how I will be going back because he is leaving soon since his duty has already ended, I reiterated that I will Grab home, thank him for asking and then insisted that he go back first, so he does.
My duty finally ends at around 7.15pm, I return my gun, packed up my belongings and headed out to the rest stop just outside of the camp to try and get a Grab, the fare was about $28
I tried twice and it ended with "no drivers available" after a few minutes of searching, so I downloaded the Comfort DelGro app and the fare was $44, which was insane, but I was desperate, so I tried to find one through it thinking that it will be easier to get a driver because of how much more fucking expensive it is compared to Grab. Couldn't find a driver as well.
I then went back to Grab and kept trying, it kept failing to find any nearby drivers.
I was so desperate I wanted to ask some random active solider who was coming out from the camp to give me a ride out, but my social anxiety prevented me from doing so, at one point, there was another soldier who was waiting for a ride as well in the area I was waiting at, I figured he had either successfully gotten a grab or was waiting for someone to pick him up.
Someone eventually drove up the long road and he enters the car, it looked like his Mum and I could vaguely hear her asking him if he knew me, probably wanting to offer me a ride out, he shrugged her off and said he didn't and they just drove off. If she had actually asked me if I needed a ride out, I would have taken it immediately, but the son ended the possibility of that happening almost immediately the moment he got into the car, so there I was, without a ride, waiting for a driver to accept my Grab request.
I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to go home tonight because there was literally no way I was going to be able to walk all the way out to the main road, it is way too far and quite dark as well, and because it is so far out, I figured the drivers were also not very interested driving in to pick me up.
I tried the app again and FINALLY after 20 minutes of searching and cancelling, someone finally took the job and I just felt so relief. I was so happy when I saw the car driving up the road to pick me up.
I got into the car, and as the guy did a U-Turn and started driving down the road, it just made me realize that walking out is simply not an option because the drive itself to get out was already taking quite a while, I can only imagine who much longer it would take to reach the main road by foot.
Anyways, the fare eventually came up to a total of $27, a cost that is non-avoidable because of what the higher ups did by throwing me into such an inconvenient location despite knowing I do not have a car and I have to go back 4 more times! The good news is I will only have to deal with this issue one more time next week, the other 3 times, I will complete my duty with someone who actually drives, so hopefully I can get them to at least drive me to the nearest bus stop or train station.
I am honestly contemplating to rent a car for that one inconvenient time because I was so stressed out.
The trip back and forth would set me back by $54 via Grab, if I rent a car, it will cost me about $68, so that is an additional $14.
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