Miami-Dade Transit gets no sympathy from me and the thousands of passengers who witness daily the disaster of our public transportation system.

On a recent Monday morning, returning from a short trip to New York City and in an effort to avoid the outrageous parking fees at Miami International Airport, I chose to use public transportation to travel to El Nuevo Herald's newsroom in downtown Miami.

The 6.7 miles -- which can be covered in 10 minutes by car, if traffic is light -- turned into an odyssey that lasted almost two hours, involved three buses and cost $6.

This is the chronicle of a chaotic trip on Miami's Metrobus.

To begin with, there is no direct route from the airport to the Omni station, a very busy transfer point next to The Miami Herald building off Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 14th Street. To get there, you need to change buses at Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 36th Street.

As unbelievable as it seems, there are no public buses to take passengers directly from Miami-Dade's gateway, the airport, to South Beach, the county's hottest destination.

Carrying my baggage and my coat, I boarded a J-route bus, paid $2 and joined tourists who were confused over the transfers. Our bus was full, with about 20 passengers standing. In addition to the visitors with backpacks that blocked the aisle, there were mothers with babies, elderly folks with walkers, and employees on their way to work. We piled one on top of another.

Upon stopping at the Allapattah Metrorail station, the bus experienced sudden engine failure and died. One might think that the transit agency would be efficient enough to dispatch a replacement bus. Instead, the driver told us to step out into the blazing sun and wait -- for at least 20 minutes -- for the next J bus, which, judging from the time of day and popular demand, would also be full.

Anticipating that we wouldn't all fit, I asked the driver if there was another way to get to the Omni from there without transfers. He told me to take a Route 36 bus. When I did, and paid another fare, I told the driver I was going to the Omni, whereupon he told me that, after the reduction in routes some months ago, the 36 bus no longer goes as far as the Omni. The closest to it he could take me was Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 33rd Street, 19 long blocks north of The Herald.

Well, there weren't many options left. It was either that or continue to wait for the J, sweating like a wrestler. I resigned myself; I had to get to work fast. Nevertheless, I was annoyed that the first driver had given me the wrong information.

When I finally got off, at Biscayne Boulevard, I found that the lanes going south were under construction and buses could not stop. Counseled by another, equally frustrated passenger, I carried my baggage five more blocks south until I could board a Route 3 bus, which cost me an additional $2, because the transit agency in September discontinued the 50-cent paper transfers for passengers who pay cash.

I'm in my 30s and in good shape, but not all passengers can walk that distance to change buses. Nor can they pay $6 to travel seven miles, or $3 if they carry the EASY Card.

I could have phoned a friend or colleague to pick me up, but not everybody has a friend with a car. A taxi would have cost me $24 from the airport to The Herald, plus tip.

The episode is not an isolated one. Bus users can bitterly recount a repertoire of similar anecdotes: hours lost changing bus routes, buses that fail halfway from their destination, drivers who are impatient and ill-informed, lack of coordination between the transit agency and the Miami-Dade Public Works Department.

With new leaders in municipal governments, it is time that more consideration be shown to the people who depend on public transportation. It is time that the county's leaders leave their cars in the garage and travel on buses, so they can experience a little of our daily discomfort.

If Miami-Dade County wants to be a first-class destination, it needs to offer better public transportation options so more visitors can leave the airport on direct routes to their favorite spots.

Meanwhile, for my next trip, I'll ask someone to please pick me up.

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