Have a heart for HART

Longtime readers probably remember some of my adventures riding the local bus lines, operated by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART). I don't really miss those days, although the stories were fun to write and I'm certainly glad that I could rely on their services when I needed them.
The other day, a friend on Facebook posted a lengthy post complaining about the service they received at the Gasparilla Night Parade. I can't comment on anybody else's experiences but all I know is I was without a car for the better part of a year and I was able to keep my job because of HART. I don't know about the special event services but as far as the day-to-day service was concerned, they were reliable enough to get me to work, pick up my dry cleaning, go grocery shopping and generally manage my affairs. Any time I had a problem, which was rare, it was responded to quickly and professionally. If I'd lost my job, it's not a stretch to say I'd be out on the street right now. As it is, I now own a car and a house this past fall. If I don't owe my life to HART, I owe them at least partial thanks for where I am now.
I don't know what happened at the parade but I just kind of felt obligated to put that out there.