Winter time is here, and with it comes the mob of students trying to get onto the bus.

Every CATA bus rider on campus knows the sight, standing at the bus stop alongside a gathering of at least 50 people in the infamous Michigan cold, praying to the heavens that they get a spot on the bus.

I have stood outside in this situation multiple times during my almost two years here at MSU, and while I have obviously not enjoyed standing in the cold, I can appreciate that there are factors out of our control that lead to this. I realize that there are hundreds — if not thousands — of my fellow Spartans trying to board buses throughout the day, and loading and stopping for these riders can cause the CATA buses to run a bit late at times.

Throughout this year’s and last year’s winter, I have heard countless people standing at bus stops around campus bad-mouthing the CATA bus drivers. I have also heard students talk about how they pay so much money (though often it’s actually their parents’ money) to go here, and they shouldn’t have to wait for a bus that is two minutes late.

Various students are angry that the CATA drivers are late to their specific stops, and some of the things I’ve heard said about the CATA drivers are absolutely ridiculous. The fact that you put the blame on a driver who almost always has no control over the situation at hand is unfair.

While I understand standing out in the cold is not the highlight of anyone’s day, our wrath should not be taken out on the CATA drivers. In general, they all do their best to ensure that everyone who can possibly fit on a bus gets on and gets a ride.

It’s not like they get enjoyment out of the fact that sometimes they have to leave people bundled up in the cold to wait for the next bus to come. None of us should have a temper tantrum if the bus is a few minutes late. Every driver knows their schedule, and, as a result, that driver is already aware if they are late or not.

The CATA drivers seem to be hard-working individuals who get to their jobs every day to support themselves and their families.

It’s bad enough that they have to venture those huge buses through the Michigan snow every year. The least we could do as a student body is to avoid giving them the extra burden of having to deal with rude and cranky bus riders.