6.19.2007

Distribution of Inconvenience

I was thinking to myself, "Man, it's been a long time since I've been horribly inconvenienced by Metro." The Red Line has been hunky dorey. Everything else is falling apart.

Three trains lost power this morning. Two on the Green Line (West Hyattsville) and one on the Blue/Orange Line between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom. I noticed that there's a big swath of blue between those two stations. Despite what some amateur cartographers might tell you, the blue is not land. That train is under the river. And that is scary. Man, we've all seen Daylight.* Underwater tunnels are nothing but disaster.

Three trains having the same problem can't be coincidence, can it? I can't wait to find out what problem is crippling the entire Metro system. I also can't wait for it to cripple the Red Line. Nothing like being stranded at work for an extra hour or two.

*I have not seen Daylight

10 comments:

  1. rusty, were you on the red line yesterday afternoon with the broken-down car stuck at woodley park?

    took me about 30 minutes to get from gallery place to woodley park, when the train went out of service. and it wasn't even the train that broke down. what the hell? i just said "screw this" and walked home instead of wait for another ride from hell.

    and for the record, i absolutely hate it when they say "we will be stopping momentarily because there is a train directly in front of us." it's a RAILROAD TRACK. there's ALWAYS a train directly in front of us.

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  2. This is metro we're talking about. It's only a matter of time before a bunch of people die.

    Metro loyalists... one day the last words you'll hear are "Doors Closing."

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  3. yeah, but what really bothers me is the temperature extremes between the artic -40 degree metrocars and the +120 degree sauna stations.

    it's like ahh! hyperthermia! oh wait! hypothermia! ahh, hyperthermia again! then death.

    i took the commuter bus to downtown dc today, then hopped aboard the metro. makes me remember why i love sitting in traffic.

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  4. And this is why I choose to own a car even while living in the city. The Metro, though much cleaner and aesthetically pleasing than let’s say NYC’s subway, still has it’s issues. Yes, I know that I won’t get the Tree-Humper of the Year Award thanks to my addiction to my Jeep but I don’t give a s**t. Here are a few problems I’ve encountered the few times I rode the Metro:

    *Late Trains…constantly
    *People shoving each other in a desperate attempt to be the first on during rush hour
    *Stenches permeating from my fellow riders that I’d just as soon not smell.
    *Occasional groups of young gang-banger thugs (ooopppps, there goes the PC Award too) that harass and intimidate passengers.

    Bottom line is, even with the Metro, it’s best to retain a vehicle here if you can afford it. I grew up in Texas and all the *ahem* “togetherness” on the Metro is not something that I am or will ever be accustomed to. So, unless it’s to the Smithsonian or the new stadium or any other place that you just HAVE to Metro to….I’ll be in the comfort and privacy of my own car. Who cares if it takes longer? And lastly, I take taxis before Metro.

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  5. ha. you guys are pussies. i lived in london last summer. that system is literally a train wreck. and new york? please. the whole system smells like a homeless man's ass.

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  6. I avoid driving in DC as much as humanly possible, and even I wouldn't give up my car. Sometimes, you just have to get to the other side of town, and it's just not going to happen with the metro within a reasonable amount of time. WMATA designed the system with a huge overdependence on buses that they just don't bother to run very often.

    The metro reminds me a lot of BART when I used to live in Northern CA, and I never remember BART having delays and breakdowns as often as the metro does.

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  7. Rusty,

    The best part of the green line debacle, is that metro officials sent not one, but two empty trains to try and push the first two that got stuck/short circuited/whatever. That just blows my mind. I mean, honestly, what was the thought process going through Metro's collective mind?

    "Hmmmm, the first train is off, and the train we sent to push it turned off in the same spot, whatever shall we do? OK, send another train.... that one turned off too? Fuck it, send the fourth one."

    I'm buying a bike.

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  8. i think the most awesome part of the green line crapola is that metro said "i know! lets appease them with one free ride!"

    why yes, a saved $1.35 is wonderful compensation.

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  9. there have been a great number of "switch problems" lately, and those never used to hapepn... i'm guessing it's only going to get worse as the metro continues to age. :\

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  10. Obviously, anyone who thinks Metro is bad enough to complain about it in a blog hasn't been on many subway systems in other places... Or on the bus, for that matter. Try taking the D.C. bus for your commute if you live anywhere outside of downtown DC, and I guarantee that you'll find Metro to be quite the blessing.

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