MetroRiderLA

I’ve been thinking about this for while, but when sitting at my computer to post, it kept slipping my mind. So instead of writing anything at all I’d just end perusing other LA public transit sites. Today, during such a perusing, I came across the always sarcastic and informative Metro Mole and an article he wrote addressing some of the dirtiest bus stops in the county. Now I’ve definitely seen my fare share of dirty azz bus stops, the 14,18, 720 stop at 5th and Grand downtown comes to mind, but not really enough to truly break down which one rightfully deserves 2006’s Dirtiest Bus Stop Award. Though it should be in the running, along with under the 10 overpass stop at Fairfax and Washington. Both nominees if nothing else. But to my point.
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Well, that’s not entirely true… yet. Or so I wish. Since my inception into the car free Metro world I’ve always been amazed that bus’ didn’t/don’t have the right away. When a bus makes its stops it also needs to pull out but there’s no law that I know of (and if there is, it’s by no means known or enforced) that keeps cars from not speeding passed stop busses wanting to merge back into traffic. And not to sound all BRU on you, but this has got to change.
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I’ve seen it one time before, though heard about it countless more. A bus and a car. Smashing it up. Screeching up some tires and messing up some traffic. The one accident I’d witnessed was years ago when I was still an idiotic driver. It was at the Southeast corner of Wilshire and La Brea. From what I could surmise, the 212 was stopped picking up/dropping off people and someone in a Jaguar decided it was taking to long, tried to speed around them to turn right just as the bus was going forward and BOOM… crasharinos. Glass and bumper alike splashing to the pavement. I cursed the moronic Jaguar owner for messing up traffic and for the rest of my ride home wondered what was next for the bus riders. What was to become of them? Though I was still unsure of Metro’s bus system, I assumed busses didn’t come more often then every 10 to 15 minutes. So what was next for these unfortunate riders? Were they at least going to get a free ride? Perhaps a free coupon to Chilis. Well today I found out first hand and this time, the bus was to blame.

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Though I feel I should leave this post up to some other MetroRider’s that have been taking Metro for years longer than I have and therefore have had to deal with the BRU’s pet project throughout, I also wanted to make sure this was up. And since I’m not doing much at work today, there’s no better way to spend the day than relax and take in a grand future of the MTA now that the debilitating Consent Decree has been lifted. And though there’s a laundry list of things we could all bash the MTA for, I’ve decided to take a day off and smile, naively thinking everything’s gonna be all right. And since this news is just about everywhere I’ll keep this short and sweet, like I hope the Decree’s departure will be.

Today is a monumental day in my Metro riding experience, therefore I feel the need (albeit, def not necessary) to write a quick post to inform you all that opening a window isn’t all that hard. My civic duty if you will.

You see, since beginning my regular bus riding, going on 6 months now, I’ve never had the nerve to open a window. I’ve always wanted to, but for one reason or another I backed down and sat in the stale air of the filling bus. For the most part I just didn’t want to inconvenience the others around me. Perhaps they were quite happy with the windows closed and the petrified air that was coming from the homeless man’s bag of … stuff.

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There’s been talk as of late about the likelihood of a trolley service returning to downtown Los Angeles and I for one would like to say I’m all for it. Now I know there are a lot of issues surrounding it and it’s hard to just say… YES LETS DO IT, but for the record, lets do it. Six weeks ago I wasn’t so sure, but traveling it seems has opened my eyes. (more…)