BATON ROUGE, La. – As the CATS bus driver strike enters its third day, Baton Rouge residents remain largely unfazed, with many still unaware that the city even has a public transit system. Despite concerns from officials, the strike has had no measurable impact on daily life, as bus stops remain just as empty as they were before.
“I thought maybe traffic would be different, but nope—same old gridlock,” said one commuter stuck on I-10. “Hold up, we have buses?”
CATS leadership insists they are working toward a resolution, though city officials are now questioning whether a strike with no noticeable effects is even worth negotiating. Meanwhile, the handful of regular riders have reportedly adapted, with one noting, “I just started walking—it’s actually faster.”
As the strike continues, city officials are debating whether to negotiate or just quietly pretend the bus system never existed. “If no one’s noticed by now,” one official admitted, “do we really need to bring it back?”
