Listen again · Stories
Anna's New Start · Episode 16: The Right Side of Grand Avenue October 15, 2026 · 5:41 · With Narrator, Anna, and Sam
On Tuesday, Anna and Sam walk to Grand Avenue to look for the route 4 stop she may use for her first training shift at the Harbor Lane Hotel.
Transcript Tap a sentence to hear it from there.
Narrator You’re hearing Anna’s New Start, a fictional continuing story about Anna building a new life in a new city and looking for work. Anna has accepted a hotel job. Today, she and Sam are walking to Grand Avenue to check the bus stops before her first training shift. Anna Sam, is this Grand Avenue? I think I recognize the corner from the map, but I’m not sure which way we should go. The hotel is in this direction, isn’t it? Sam Yes, this is Grand Avenue. Let’s check the street signs before we decide. The hotel is near Harbor Lane, and route 4 goes there. But we need the stop for buses traveling toward the hotel. Anna I see a bus sign on this side, just past the shop. It says route 4. That seems right, but the sign also lists other routes. How can we tell which direction this bus goes? Sam Let’s look at the small schedule beside the route numbers. There are two columns. One says “toward downtown,” and the other says “toward East Park.” Do either of those names sound familiar from Ms. Lopez? Anna She said the hotel is near Harbor Lane, but we didn’t talk about those places. I don’t want to guess and end up traveling away from work before my first shift. I’d rather understand the sign now, while we have time. Sam That makes sense. The schedule has a list of stops, too. Let’s see whether Harbor Lane appears on this side. I can read the top, but the print is small from here. Maybe we can move closer. Anna I can read it if I move closer. Here’s “Market Square,” then “Central Library,” then “East Park.” I don’t see Harbor Lane. Maybe this is the wrong side after all. Sam Maybe. Let’s not decide yet. The list might show only the main stops, or the hotel could be a short walk from one of them. We should check the other stop across the street before we choose. Anna There’s another route 4 sign over there. The traffic is moving quickly, so let’s use the crosswalk at the corner. I’m glad we came in daylight instead of trying to work this out before sunrise. Sam Me too. We have time to look carefully. The walk itself is useful, because you’ll know the corner and the crosswalk before Wednesday. We can compare both signs without rushing or crossing in the wrong place. Anna This sign has route 4, but the schedule is turned toward the road. I can see “Harbor Lane” near the bottom. That sounds promising. The heading says “toward downtown.” Is that the direction we want? Sam Let’s check the map on the schedule. It shows the bus traveling along Grand Avenue, then turning near Harbor Lane. That route seems to go past the hotel. The other side’s list went toward East Park. Anna So this stop looks more promising. The bus from here seems to travel toward the hotel, and the other stop is for buses going toward East Park. I can see why the street name alone wasn’t enough to tell us. Sam Exactly. The direction on the schedule is important. The map suggests this bus goes near the hotel, but let’s check the weekday times at home before you rely on it for Wednesday. Anna It says stop 214. I’ll write that down with “route 4, toward downtown, Grand Avenue, stop 214.” That’s a lot clearer than just writing the street name. I’ll note that Harbor Lane is listed, too. Sam Good idea. You can also take a photo of the sign, so you can compare it with the route information later. Just make sure the photo includes the direction and stop number. Then you can check the weekday schedule. Anna I’ve got it. I’ll check the weekday schedule at home and see what time I need to leave. The first bus we found online reaches a nearby stop at 5:21, but I want to confirm the details for this route. Sam That’s a sensible plan. Ms. Lopez arranged a 6:00 start for your first week, so you need to arrive at the staff entrance by 5:50. You don’t have to solve every future bus trip today. Checking the schedule is the next step. Anna Right. I know which stop to look into, and I know which direction the sign gives. If the schedule still looks confusing at home, I can ask you before Wednesday. I feel less worried about the trip already. Sam And we’ve had a chance to compare both sides of Grand Avenue in daylight. Let’s head back the way we came. You have the stop number and a plan to check the times, so Wednesday feels a little less uncertain.
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