Recipe for a Metro Mess

Photo by Ollinkoatl via Flickr.

Ingredients:

- 1 Anti-Bush/War March
- 2 different movie shoots
- Lotsa Rain

And what do you get, a miserable and well effed public transit day. Though in the end, I’d rather be walking to a bus than sitting in the absurd traffic that existed today in DTLA.

The day started (11am) with a bit of drizzling rain. “Things falling from the sky,” as my roommate put it when we biked to the nearest shell for some air in the ol’ tires. But, as if by some divine intervention (it ended up pouring about an hour later), the air pump was out of order and we had to return with near flat tires back to the stead. I was bummed because I was definitely feeling on a bit of a bike ride, plus the streets were all in disarray from the march and because there aren’t ever any notices about re-routing of busses I had a feeling they were going to be well off. Sadly, I was right.

The destination was Little Tokyo for some grub and general checking of all things Tok’z so we just decided to hop on the Dash DD at the corner of 8th and Figueroa. The rain still wasn’t all crazy yet, but it was picking up a bit and the traffic was still being flowed in certain directions for the marchers wherever they were, again no re-route signs were anywhere to be found, on the website or at the stops. We both were weary about the idea, knowing the DD went through an area that was very likely a possible marching route, but were steadfast and just hung out for a bit. Hit up Famima real quick for a snakerino and bev. Even got a card for the little bro’s bday (gotta love the Famima).

We hung out for at least twenty minutes watching busses go by that def seemed off course and the only Dash that went by was the F. It was no biggy though, wasn’t all freakin cuz we weren’t late for work or anything and were watching some teen skaters being funny with Famima-esque squeeze beverages to pass the time. Gooing it out on the sidewalk and laughing, something I still found quite funny. That was until a security guy from inside told them they had to leave from in front of the door. So there went the ent and then the time seemed to slow. All in all we waited about twenty-five minutes before we gave in and strolled over to the subway at 7th and Fig.

When we arrived at Civic Center station, out the 1st street exit, we entered the real wetness. Many more things were falling from the sky. But now much hungrier than before, we championed through the rain, wettin’ up the bottom of our jeans, headed stoically on. On our walk we saw where the marching culprits were hanging out, though they seemed to be breaking down and leaving cuz of the rain, which seemed pretty weak, then headed for lunch at Chop Suey (await the Yelp! review - hint, lackluster, sorry Huell Howser). Then did our strolling and all that and when it was time to return we happened to see the 484 about to turn on 1st street so we jumped on that. Sadly we forgot the fact that filming was blocking Grand between 6th and 7th, something I should’ve remembered from the night before when my 14 had to get well detoured, as well as Hope between 6th and 7th. So another breakdown in what could have been an easy, albeit wet trip, if the air pump had just worked or say, there weren’t two movies being shot, a march, and rain, which we all know in LA means complete mania and loss of functional driving.

But the worst part of all was that I had thought they were building a Hamburger Hamlet on Grand two nights before, which was in fact some stupid set for what looked to be a clothing store called “Lucy” that Nicole Kidman probably worked at or some biz. And right now a helicopter is hovering, HURRAY!!!! At least I’m in for the evening.