Improve real-time bus stop prediction and announcements in tracking apps

I take a bus connection route on my way to work every morning. The public transport in my city (in Southern California) is not great but I am lucky that this bus route works for me. It’s been few months since I started taking this route and there’s so many things I find annoying. Unlike buses I’ve taken before and the underground trains, buses don’t announce the next stops outside of main stops. Second, buses don’t stop at those “other” stops and will skip over unless someone pulls the chain for it to stop. I’ve even asked the bus drivers to help guide me, but most don’t seem to like their job and are of no help really. I tried to find ways to ensure I get to my stop without issues. I used Google Maps, the official tracking app as well as actual map of the bus route - but online means always show me when I have already skipped my stop. And it’s frustrating. There’s no announcements or any main stops I can put a mental pin on my stop with and bus doesn’t stop. I even try to check my surroundings but I take the bus every early in the morning (at 5:50 AM) and it’s still relatively dark outside. It’s frustrating. So lately, when I have a fair idea I am near (I track minutes and seconds), I pull the chain. Most of the time, bus is forced to stop for like 5 seconds before resuming again, and I can generally tell the next stop is mine. I don’t like doing this, but if I don’t, I always miss it and have to walk 20 minutes to work when it would take me less than 3. Yesterday it happened again and the bus driver called me out and was clearly annoyed with me. I apologized briefly but I still don’t know what the solution is.