SamTrans Bus 292

I take this bus 4 days out of my work week. I’m very pleased with the bus ¾ days. On the weekend I’m forced to take the bus to SanFrancisco because nothing else gets me there early enough. On Saturdays the bus driver is super chill and he gets me to SF exactly on schedule maybe 3 – 5 minutes early. This bus driver on Sunday (ID#7320) is always late! I get on in San Mateo like a few stops from the beginning of the line, he’s late. He drives slow as f*** and he’s probably unaware that the bus runs on a schedule. Since we get a late start, every week he also stops at SFO to use the restroom. Now I’m not mad cuz nature calls, I’m mad cuz he does it at the same place, and takes his sweet a** time. Puts his jacket on, adjusts it. Put the tire blocks down before he finally goes inside the airport. Then comes out, takes the tire blocks off and then takes his jacket off places it on his stupid chair and then finally departs SFO 15 minutes later. I start work at 8:00 and the bus is supposed to get me to SF at 7:23, heck id accept 7:30 since there not traffic on Sunday’s. But 7:45 — 7:50 is 30 minutes late. I get on this bus because the one before gets me there too early, and the one after would probably get me there late by what the schedule says. But surprise surprise the bus that leaves San Mateo 30 minutes after I get on passes us in SF every week. Just zooms by. And for that reason this bus driver disgusts me. I’m very irritated by lateness and I’m only giving 1 obligatory star for this bus driver on Sunday mornings. If he changed his late streak I might not scream at him. No reason I should be able to know before I get on this bus what his every move is going to be. And know I’m going to be late. He doesn’t give a F*** and he should work a mid day shift when people aren’t going to work. And give the important shifts to drivers who can actually perform the task at hand. Get people from point A to point B with as little hiccups as possible. SamTrans, you seriously need to handle this.

I gotta give this bus a 2.
Anyone who, when I ask «is this caltrain?» when we drive by Broadway, a weekend only Caltrain station, says yes and drops me off, only to leave me wandering Burlingame at 11 at night, is not someone on my happy list.
On the way there the first driver wasn’t clear on the stops nor where I should be getting off, but the second driver is why I will not longer be coming to YEE’s without a DD.
Having to walk over a mile, quickly so I didn’t miss one of the last Caltrains of the night was not fun.
Seriously driver number two? You couldn’t have mentioned it wasn’t Burlingame?
Oh. Well. Guess not.

The 292 palls in comparison to the KX bus. This Examiner story gives a good breakdown of all the buses that go to the San Francisco Airport:

I don’t always get on SamTrans but I must confess, their buses are way cleaner. Passengers are generally nicer compared to the ones on MUNI. One thing I really like about SamTrans will be their service efficiency. It really would be nice if MUNI can follow their footsteps. Sure, there are certainly times when even SamTrans buses are crowded. I don’t recall riding the 292 before, so I took a ride today. I got on at Airport Blvd and Butler Ave, got off Bayshore Blvd and Blanken Ave — a very fast bus ride (approximately 20 minutes without traffic congestion). $ 2 very well spent here!
Whether you are traveling to or from San Francisco International Airport, SamTrans routes 292 and KX are here for you.
Just a friendly reminder:
292 — Hillsdale Shopping Center via San Francisco International Airport: $ 4
KX — Redwood City Transit Center via San Francisco International Airport: $ 5
Fares on SamTrans, Caltrain and BART may be pricier. But for this price, you will get nicer operators, conductors, passengers and cleaner transit vehicles. Certainly, comfortable seats and smooth rides are something up for encountering on a SamTrans bus ride.

If you’re tired of cab drivers giving you a nasty attitude while yelling «SHORT!» at the taxi checkout station.
If you are still feeling sick to your stomach from your last ride from SFO.
I have the right fix for you.
The 292 is a painless way to and from SFO. Sure you wont impress your travel companions, but it’s Thanksgiving and your flight to the OC will be packed full of grumpy holiday travelers. This my friend, is your last gasp of sanity until you arrive.
Cheap, efficient, fairly quick and an adventure in travel.

This bus is great. However, they need to run it to Millbrae BART/​Caltrain station. Especially for people that need to go to the restaurants and hotels on Old Bayshore Hwy.

As a lifelong Muni rider, I’m impressed as long as my bus is clean, on time, and doesn’t reek of urine. Bonus points if I actually get a seat.
But Samtrans! Where have you been all my life. Yes, you cost more, but you are clean, cushy, ON TIME, and I can actually get a seat. I think I might love you.
This route is a great alternative to the Muni T-​line, 8AX, 8BX, or the 14X/​14L for those traveling to the Outer Mission or Sunnydale areas. It’s also an alternative to BART since it goes all the way to the Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo, whereas BART only goes as far as Millbrae.
Fares are $ 2 inbound to downtown, $ 4 when leaving downtown. It’s a small price to pay for comfort and reliability.

SamTrans is very clean. Compared to Muni it’s so clean that I could (and if you knew me you’d realize what a big deal this is) eat off the floor.
From my office I have several transpo options. While walking to the CalTrain I noticed the 292 (two niner two) bus and knew that it went to downtown San Mateo. For whatever reason I decided to give it a try just to see what the route was like.
I mistakenly thought this bus went through the city briefly and then expressed to San Mateo. Wrong. For 90 minutes we weaved around SF and packed up the bus only to empty it by the time we reached San Mateo. I will say that going past 20^th and Potrero, a place I used to go 20 years ago, was a lot of fun as it has really improved since I was there last.
SamTrans is a good option but this bus is not for the express-​minded.