VIRGINIA BEACH -- Gas prices have many people looking for ways to save.

Some people are choosing the bus instead of their car.

13News decided to do the same thing to see what it’s really like.

From home in southern Virginia Beach, I walked a half mile to get the stop. There are no sidewalks and there's no shoulder, so at times I had to walk in part of a ditch to avoid the traffic.

At the first stop, after some anxious moments, Bus 33 pulls up.  It’s about six minutes late because of mechanical problems.

I get on and find tourists from Colombia, who aren’t happy with the service.

“Last night, we wait for the bus one hour. No bus.  We are lost in the middle of the night. No bus. No English money,” says one of them.

Video: Mass transit is often mass chaos

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The bus works for Nathan Martinez, who loves to skateboard and take the bus to the beach.

At 19th St. and Pacific Ave. is where TCC student Brewer Richardson often runs into trouble, saying transfer issues and delays are typical.

"Late for class, late for work. It affects my grades, it affects my job performance, my income,” he notes.

My express bus to Norfolk arrives on time. I ride along with Dave Clay, who is on his way to work at The Waterside.

He’s got a list of complaints: poor communication between HRT and passengers, drivers who don’t know the route and drivers who don’t stop and pick up waiting passengers.

Officials with Hampton Roads Transit admit mistakes happen, but they try to keep problems to a minimum for the estimated 17 million trips each year.

At Cedar Grove, created when the downtown transfer station was closed, commuters say people often manage to miss the bus here.

“I go off the 23 and I was heading to the one when I got here this morning. The bus was right here on the side of the fence when I got there.  I was right there at the bus .  The bus went straight past me,” says a frustrated Shannon Mosely.

R. Randolph Bell missed the downtown shuttle.

“I saw that and I’m standing in the street waving to the lady driver.  Just now, the lady in the wheelchair is a witness. She wanted to get on the bus, too.”

As I wait for bus 23, I’m in line and see the coming bus isn’t the right one, so I run in the other direction and get on the right bus.

It’s now 2:00 p.m. and am thankfully, happily, on the right bus, headed for WVEC-TV.

From my house to the station, it’s taken two hours and 40 minutes and it cost me $3.00.

If I'd driven in, it would have taken me 45 minutes.