MetroRiderLA

Officially on Hiatus

Contributed by Fred Camino on July 15th, 2008 at 10:09 am

This post is to confirm what you already know, I’m taking a hiatus from blogging.

This wild foray into transit blogging in the car capital of the world has kept me occupied for a little over two years now.  It’s been great fun, and attracted more readers than I ever imagined, and in many ways a real community formed from these silly postings.  The fact that even the most mundane posting of a few news links can garner 60 comment flame wars is a testament to that.

I started this blog two years ago because there weren’t really any sites devoted to promoting, discussing, and informing people about the mass transit system of the second largest city in the United States.  Well, things have changed in the last two years, and I’d like to think that MetroRider helped in some small way spur that change.  Today there’s no shortage of people online talking about Metro, and there are in fact two blogs devoted to Los Angeles specific transportation issues that are run by full-time professional journalists and updated daily.  If Streetsblog LA and (the new and improved) Bottleneck Blog were around two years ago, it’s likely MetroRiderLA never would have been born.

Other essential L.A. transit blogs that have appeared since MetroRiderLA came on to the scene include John von Kerczek’s collection of fantasy maps and insightful commentary on “Ditch the Car, Take the Metro” and the ever critical, vulgar, and often hilarious “Bus Bench“.

So the reason I’ve decided to take a break from MetroRiderLA for an indefinite amount of time is that, for one, I’m really busy with my work that I get money for, and in a sagging economy it’s important that I concentrate on making dat money.  Also, I’ve been finding it hard to compete with the full-time bloggers (and full fledged journalists) over at The Bottleneck Blog and Streetsblog LA.  I simply do not have the luxury of time or the journalistic skillz (to say nothing of the monetary incentive) that those platinum playboys do to offer that kind of in-depth, compelling coverage of “the transit oriented lifestyle”.  Also, for whatever reason, I’m just kind of sick of blogs in general right now.  I used to check the LA blogs and transit blogs daily, but for the last month or so I haven’t felt compelled to read or comment on them.  Blog burnout.

The time for hiatus has come because of all of this, and I can’t be sure how long it will last.  Ideally I’d like to find a way to reorient the blog in a way that will address a niche that the other two major L.A. transit blogs don’t cover.  My vision for MetroRiderLA has always been to focus on the “lifestyle” of being a transit rider in Los Angeles as opposed to the politics of the mess.  But unfortunately, to truly cover the lifestyle in the way that I have imagined would require a lot of time and energy that I don’t currently have.  If you have any ideas for the future of MetroRiderLA, feel free to comment, I’ll take anything and everything into consideration.  Until I return, enjoy the forum and all the other great L.A. transit blogs.

Hopefully this break will lead to a new and improved MetroRiderLA upon my return.  Thanks for the support for these last two years!

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There are 27 Responses to “Officially on Hiatus”:

  1. Fred, thank you so much for this blog and for your forum. I have found it invaluable. Enjoy your hiatus and have some fun too. :)

    THANK YOU.

    Comment by Dan Wentzel on July 15th, 2008 at 10:13 am »Reply« resta suma

  2. Sad! Will miss MetroRiderLA, but hope you enjoy the break :)

    Comment by Siel on July 15th, 2008 at 10:48 am »Reply« resta suma

  3. Fred,

    MetroRider was an inspiration to me when I moved out here and through all the months that we worked together to cover the Metro news that was out here. I think anyone that read a write up of something that you and one of us platinum playboys both covered would have to agree that you are every bit (and probably more) the writer and journalist that anyone else that takes keyboard to an idea and writes about it.

    I hope you find your way back to the Internet, and if you ever want space on Streetsblog, all you have to do is let me know. Take Care, and see you in real life.

    –Damien

    Comment by Damien Newton on July 15th, 2008 at 10:52 am »Reply« resta suma

  4. That’s too bad, Camino. The Militant enjoyed this blog. The Militant, too has gone on hiatus, though fortunately it only lasts for a few days. But he understands full well that you gots to make dat cash, so you go, boy! So best of luck in whatever you do. The Militant may or may not run into you on the Metro (or maybe he has already…).

    MA

    Comment by militant angeleno on July 15th, 2008 at 10:58 am »Reply« resta suma

  5. Enjoy your break–hopefully you can come back, refreshed and recharged.

    Comment by Heather on July 15th, 2008 at 11:15 am »Reply« resta suma

  6. Don’t go, we’ll be good we promise.

    Thanks for the vulgar comment, it takes a village to moon an agency.

    grosses bises,

    Browne, The Bus Bench

    Comment by browne on July 15th, 2008 at 12:19 pm »Reply« resta suma

  7. Fred, good luck with your other jobs, but I will miss this blog, it was one of may daily bookmarks.

    Comment by Bert Green on July 15th, 2008 at 12:35 pm »Reply« Fucking TROLL!

  8. Thanks Fred for the awesome LA Coverage. I’m sure you’ll be back but breaks are necessary for refreshing the soul. I really enjoyed the transit-oriented weekend even though I couldn’t partake from up here in SF. If you’re in town give us north bloggers a buzz.

    Comment by The Overhead Wire on July 15th, 2008 at 12:47 pm »Reply« resta suma

  9. Thanks for the support guys. It’s really too bad that I’m down on blogging right now since transit ridership is truly starting to bloom in L.A. But, that’s how the cookie crumbles. Hopefully it will just be a small break and a reorientation so that when MetroRiderLA comes back we can grab all those who are new to Metro and spread the gospel of the transit oriented lifestyle.

    Comment by Fred Camino on July 15th, 2008 at 12:58 pm »Reply« resta suma

  10. I’ll miss lurking around here. You offered a great resource for Los Angeles and I hope you’ll be able to continue.

    I know exactly how you feel, though. I myself just had to let go for a while and took about a month off from blogging. Damn this medium for being so intense!

    Best wishes, Fred!

    Comment by Rich Alossi on July 15th, 2008 at 1:43 pm »Reply« resta suma

  11. Enjoy the time away from the looney bin, I mean blogging.

    Comment by Jerard on July 15th, 2008 at 1:55 pm »Reply« resta suma

  12. Maybe you can come visit your parents more often now that you have reduced your workload! Unfortunately, I will lose touch with some of the things going in the great but bewildering metropolis of LA.

    Love, Dad (Flagstaff, AZ)

    Comment by Rick on July 15th, 2008 at 2:41 pm »Reply« resta suma

  13. Glad you’re finally putting away these far flung fancy ideas and getting back to doing kick ass design. Seriously, I’ve enjoyed your blog and recommended it to everyone I know. Hopefully, you will not be away too long.

    Comment by Rice on July 15th, 2008 at 2:42 pm »Reply« resta suma

  14. Fred, this sad for us. We just found you. When you have the urge to do a one- or two-paragraph rant… please email us at info@freepublictransit.org and we will give you access to post on http://frepubtra.blogspot.com. You are one of the best transit advocates on the web! Take a well-earned break.

    Comment by fpteditors on July 15th, 2008 at 2:46 pm »Reply« resta suma

  15. I have to say many thanks for this cool blog you maintained for the past years. It helped me in my hard times while in transition of driver to passenger. Your blog game me the pride to be a transit rider. Now I too promote public transportation, and started my own blog. However, just as you, I also realized that I have to keep my day job so all I post now are videos.

    Once more, good luck and good bye.

    Hope to read from you soon.

    Comment by Manuel on July 15th, 2008 at 3:06 pm »Reply« resta suma

  16. All of us in public transportation advocacy hope the hiatus is short, Fred.

    You’ll be missed in the interim.

    Comment by Kymberleigh Richards on July 15th, 2008 at 5:12 pm »Reply« resta suma

  17. Hey Fred,

    I can only echo the sentiment of thanks you have gotten from the other readers, I had found your site a while back when at the time I felt bummed out in a way about being just about the only person that I knew of that actually enjoyed public transit and when I found this place it became like my online home. I too have come across a vast array of information that otherwise I would have not been able to anywhere else. Wish you the best and hope you return soon.

    Comment by rogedog92 on July 15th, 2008 at 9:31 pm »Reply« resta suma

  18. Prior to MetroRiderLA I used to get complaints for including blogs in the Metro Library’s daily Transportation Headlines. You are irreplaceable and your influence far reaching. Thanks for the ride, the truth, and the style.

    Comment by Matt on July 15th, 2008 at 10:17 pm »Reply« resta suma

  19. I agree Kimberleigh. Fred will be truly missed.

    Comment by Jip on July 15th, 2008 at 10:22 pm »Reply« resta suma

  20. this blog was of a very high quality…it will be missed

    Comment by brian goldner on July 16th, 2008 at 12:22 am »Reply« resta suma

  21. [...] Newton LAist Scorns, Later Praises, Rosendahl’s Handling of Mandeville Canyon Crash Goodbye MetroRider, See You Soon? Bush Won’t Ask Americans to Conserve Gas (Politico) Feds Fund Metro Turnstiles, [...]

    Comment by Streetsblog » Today’s Headlines on July 16th, 2008 at 7:39 am »Reply« resta suma

  22. Thanks for carrying the torch for the LA transit blogs. This was a pioneer effort in getting people in LA to change their perception about transit and I thank you for your hard work over the last 2 years.

    Comment by bzcat on July 16th, 2008 at 8:11 am »Reply« resta suma

  23. I’m with you, Fred. It’s hard to regularly write and illustrate good content, but very gratifying when a community builds around it. Especially thanks for setting an un-matched graphic standard here!

    But no point doing ‘me-too’ to the full-timers. I look forward to your new focus after a break.

    Comment by Darrell on July 16th, 2008 at 11:37 am »Reply« resta suma

  24. I was a bit worried when this blog wasn’t being updated, but now that I know…..enjoy your break Fred.

    Comment by cph on July 16th, 2008 at 2:55 pm »Reply« resta suma

  25. “The time for hiatus has come because of all of this, and I can’t be sure how long it will last.”

    Just under 24 hrs, apparently.

    Comment by Siel on July 16th, 2008 at 3:01 pm »Reply« resta suma

  26. I guess when I say “hiatus” I mean a hiatus from the regularly scheduled posting thing that’s been my goal. Until the hiatus is over you can expect random posts here and there, but no guarantee for daily content.

    Comment by Fred Camino on July 17th, 2008 at 4:30 pm »Reply« resta suma

  27. Hiatus the Militant’s ass!
    LOL, you’ve already outdone the Militant in terms of number of posts this week.

    Voice in Militant’s head speaks: Way to go, Militant. So what’s your excuse?

    (The Militant hangs his head in shame…)

    Comment by militant angeleno on July 18th, 2008 at 12:50 pm »Reply« resta suma