Contributed by
Fred Camino on June 13th, 2006 at 8:29 pm
The great blog Franklin Avenue has recently linked us at their site. Franklin Avenue is an absolutely GREAT Los Angeles blog that covers eating, drinking, shopping, and just plain living in this great city. Of special interest is their “Rate-a-Restaurant” series that offers concise reviews of area restaurants, and invaluable resource for any Angeleno. Thanks for the link guys!
[tags]franklin avenue, los angeles, rate-a-restaurant[/tags]
Contributed by
Matt Walsh on June 13th, 2006 at 8:27 pm
I come out of my building for the second day in a row only to see my Rapid pulling away in the distance. Whatever, I can wait. As I get closer, I see a regular old normal bus at the stop down the block so I jog up. But as I get closer, I see a mechanic messing around underneath and a fellow in a wheelchair sitting patiently-esque on the lift. Eventually he does what he has to do and our friend is freed! Hooray! We can get on the bus!
No we can’t. The empty bus drives away. So I look back to the Rapid stop and see a slight commotion. A completely different wheelchair-bound fellow has apparently taken a spill off the curb and fire trucks and ambulances are coming for him. It looks like they know what they’re doing.
Up the block from me, I can see my Rapid coming for me so I stroll up to the stop. A 207 passes the Rapid and races to the stop I just came from as the Rapid pulls to a stop. Everyone gets off, and the driver zooms away. So I turn around and run back to the 207.
No problem, There are a ton of people trying to get on. In fact, There’s a bit of pandemoneum as people are jumping into the back door (without even paying!!)
I have a monthly pass and felt no moral conflict with jumping on with them.
Halfway home, the driver stops and hops off the bus for a few minutes, apparently doing some sort of mid-trip repair work.
You don’t get this kind of entertainment sitting in your car on the freeway. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Contributed by
tykejohnson on June 13th, 2006 at 8:05 pm
I’m sitting outside of the Federal Building on Wilshire and Veteran looking at four Metro Rapid busses parked in front of me… wait, make that five, a 761 Rapid just joined the flock. The grass looks soft, the best our federal tax dollars can buy, so I take a seat and take in the sun. Must be a Bermuda mix, worth every penny. And it seems like I’m not the only one appreciating the soft grass because to my right is one of the Rapid drivers, a large black woman reading what looks to be one of Tom Clancy’s latest nail biters. To my left is another Rapid driver, and another and another after that. And wouldn’t you know it, here comes that sleek looking 761 to join the party. I smiled at my situation.
5 Rapid busses. 5 Rapid bus drivers. 20 some Rapid riders. And nobody going anywhere. Something seems awry; does it not?
Then I awake from my pondering to the honking of a forty something lady with dyed hair who’s yelling out the window of her Volvo station wagon to an equally annoyed and overly stressed woman in a white Mercedes. The honking and muted yells continue till the Swedish rectangle wins the heroic battle and moves forward two extra feet in front of her German engineered nemesis. And watching it all, as I just did, sits a man in a jeep wrangler staring at me with envy. I point to the bus and smile, pressing my ass a little bit deeper into the soft federal soil, for I’d rather wait an extra couple minutes than sit in that mess any day of the week.
*Just after posting this I happened upon a like-minded post by fellow Metro rider, LA Metro Mole (June 10, 2006 “so you won’t have to stand in the hot sun…” post). He offers more helpful advice though and I suggest you all check it out, both rider and administrator alike. Thanks LA Metro Mole.
Contributed by
Fred Camino on June 13th, 2006 at 4:44 pm
Note: This was posted in error. Read about it here.
Last weekend, on a trip down the Red Line to Union Station in search of Metro materials for this blog, I came across a Metro pamphlet inconspicuously placed amongst rail and bus timetables near the main entrance of the Gateway Center, MTA’s headquarters. This classy grey trifold brochure (#05-2245tr) was entitled “Late Night Metro Rail Schedule Adjustments” with the subheadline, “Effective June 26″. Ignorantly, I grabbed at it with excitement, hoping to read about the addition of truly late night service to our train system. I’ve always been disappointed with the current “late night” service with last trains departing around 12:30am. Seems hardly suitable for a “world-class” city like Los Angeles, a metropolitan area with 16 million people who work and play at all hours of the day. Digression aside, I picked up the pamphlet and began to read,
“Metro Rail will be adjusting its schedules for late night service on some lines to better meet passenger demand.”
Continue Reading…
Contributed by
tykejohnson on June 12th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
Can someone please explain to me why several of the rapid busses stop running during peak hours of traffic? That when I get off at Wilshire and Fairfax from my jam-packed east bound 720 Rapid anytime after 6:20pm the 717 northbound Rapid has passed for the last time and the twenty to thirty people at the stop all have to jump aboard the 217 local instead. Half of these passengers all get off at Rapid stops anyway, therefore wouldn’t it make sense to make the 717 continue through at least 7pm, which according to “tow-away” and “illegal left turn signs” is the end of peak traffic. And I don’t mean the 717 finishing it’s last stop (Hollywood/Argyle) BY 7pm, which it currently does, reaching its final stop at approx. 6:42pm, I mean starting its last northbound trip (from the West LA Transit Station) at 7pm. South bound’s last trip leaving from Hollywood/Argyle at 7pm as well of course. Another line that is guilty of this is the 714, which ends its tiresome day at 6:30pm for eastbound buses and 6:19pm for its westbound busses. Are other lines guilty of this? I downloaded all the rapid timetables and it seemed like it was just these two… WTF?!
Contributed by
Fred Camino on June 12th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
Check out this thread over at mograph.net, a forum for motion graphics artists that I regular. LA is home to many motion graphics animators and designers, so I received many opinions on the issue of LA public transit from these artists. Here’s a sampling of some of the responses:
“I think if the metro system was as accessible as the ones in NY, Chicago, Paris, London, etc…then it would be used…but because there are approximately 7 stations…(and that might be a stretch) it will not be successful.”
“everything’s just way too spread out in this city. besides, there are too many people with expensive cars - who’s gonna give up their m6 to sit next to a smelly stranger?”
“I like the Redline, I use it anytime I have to go downtown. Perfect for Jury Duty or sporting events at Staples Center. I wish there was a way to get to Dodger Stadium though.”
Definately some varied opinions, check it out when you have some time.
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