MetroRiderLA

Pam from Santa Monica took a break from chatting with us last month as Metro’s software gurus worked on improving the
chat interface.  It seems the work is done and Pam is returning tomorrow to chat about toll roads, congestion pricing, taxes, and public transportation.

Also returning is the ill-fated Anti-Pam Chat held by none other than MetroRiderLA.  The APC started last month, but failed to attract many chatters, most likely because there was no actually Pam Chat held.  Hopefully if you’re tuning into Pam’s chat tomorrow over at Metro Interactive you’ll open up the MetroRiderLA Forum in another tab or window and chat with us concurrently.  The plan is to critique the questions asked and Pam’s answers to those questions, and perhaps come up with some good questions of our own.  In addition to the Shout Box located on the sidebar, I’ve started a new thread on the forum where you can share your thoughts for the Anti-Pam Chat.

So tomorrow at noon make sure to load up your browsers and head to both the Pam and Anit-Pam Chat for some chatteriffic Metro chatting.

Today was supposed to be the day that Pam from Santa Monica was to hold her monthly Live Chat via Metro Interactive. I had planned to hold what I dubbed “The Anti-Pam Chat” (not that we have anything against Pam per se, she did a bang up job on public access television) to coincide with Metro’s oft maligned experiment in interactive communication. The idea was to provide a live chat forum where we could sarcastically discuss and make fun of the Metro Chat, MST3K style, while presenting Pam with our own questions and awaiting the usual canned responses. Unfortunately, the Metro Interactive Chat for April has been canceled. Apparently Metro is testing out a newly redesigned chat tool and it’s not ready for prime time yet. On one hand it’s great that they’ve decided to try a new chat program, since the one they’ve been using was interactive only in the very broadest of definition of the word, but on the other hand it means The Anti-Pam Chat kind of loses its purpose.

Regardless, I’ve decided to go for it anyway, so today at 12:30pm MetroRiderLA will hold its first last-minute impromptu live Anti-Pam chat over at the MetroRiderLA Forum. There’s a little chatbox on the left-hand sidebar which is where the live chat will take place, and we’ll discuss whatever the hell comes to mind. Forum topics, recent blog posts, transit news, MetroRiderLA, Pam’s haircut, whatever. Plan your lunch break around it, we’ll try to talk for half an hour or so. If it works out, then The Anti-Pam Chat will return in May, hopefully along with Pam, for some interactive Metro fun.

See ya there!

Metro is holding its monthly “live” internet “chat” today at noon. Metro Board Chair Pam O’Connor will be hosting the chat as usual, answering “your” questions about Metro. This month’s topic is: FUNDING.

• Can we afford traffic relief?
• Paying the bill for transit.
• Do we prefer a half sales tax hike?
• Toll roads?
• Public/private partnerships?
• Parking fees?

Although the chat is “live” your questions should be submitted in advanced before the discussion if you want them answered. That means you have a few more minutes to throw Pam a hard-hitting question. Then head over the Metro Interactive at noon to join the “chat”.

Update 12:01pm: Ummm here’s the direct link to the live chat.

Update 12:13pm:  Join the chat about the chat, here in the MetroRiderLA forum.  Trust me, it’s a lot more interesting (and interactive) than the official chat.