Runnin’ With The Devil

I found the simple life ain’t so simple:

The hours for Ikea’s free shuttle bus and water taxi will be reduced because of a drop in customers, said officials for the Swedish home furnishing giant.

Beginning Oct. 1, the buses and boats will cruise between downtown Brooklyn, Park Slope and Ikea later in the day and less frequently, officials said.

“After Labor Day, it [use of the service] kind of tapered off in the morning,” said spokesman Joseph Roth.

“We’re trying to make sure the service can be provided when needed, but we may find the winter is different than fall so we could adjust it again.”

The service, which began when Ikea opened in June, has drawn gaggles of commuters eager to take advantage of a free ride — many with no intention of visiting the store.

. . .

The slashed hours didn’t go over well with commuters or shoppers.

“I [am] . . . angry . . . they cut the hours for the bus,” said Nicky Jackson, 20, who uses the Ikea service to commute from her Red Hook home.

“It’s way better than the city bus.”

For Marquice Jenkins, the abbreviated bus schedule isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a threat to his punctuality.

“You’ll probably be late to wherever you have to go,” said Jenkins, 20, a student who lives in Red Hook and rides the bus twice a week.

“It’s free, so you can’t really complain.”