Tag: transportation

Thanks metro

I would like to thank the metro employees at the Shaw/Howard this station for dealing with the man laying on the platform this morning. The guy may have been very, very sleepy and drunk, but coming off a train to some guy just laying there is disturbing. It would have been one thing if he decided to nap on one of the benches, but turning himself into one big ole trip hazard is unacceptable.

My greatest danger is anything with a motor

Once again, I am nearly run down by a SUV. If I hadn’t read my paper I would have communicated to the driver of the SUV that I was much displeased by his nearly mowing me down by flinging my plastic wrapped newspaper at him. Instead I used my words. I had the right of way, he was making a right on to 7th, and the crossing sign had just lit up and was counting down when I stepped into the crosswalk of DEATH.

A week ago I was 10 seconds away from getting hit. At New Jersey Ave and R the light had just turned green for R, and I was still a ways on the sidewalk, and thought of running for it, but I was carrying something heavy and didn’t. If I had I might have been in the way of the sedan speeding north on New Jersey that didn’t seem to think that red light was meant for him. He did stop a few feet past the crosswalk to keep from hitting the car, travelling west on R, and the cyclist, also travelling on R.

Guns are the least of my worries when every other day I have to take care that I don’t get hit by some jackhole behind the wheel.

The bus- not all that, nor a bag of chips

Levels of Public Transit Stops
Underground metro station
Semi-exposed metro station (Ft. Totten-Green line)
Exposed above ground metro station
Sheltered-enclosed bus stop
Bus shelter with roof
Stick with bus sign

I read another blogger’s rant about how we need to get over our biases about the bus, but you know, after riding the buses in the DC Metro area for over a decade, and whatever biases I have about the bus, are based on experience. I still ride the bus, but I have no romantic notions about it. It is, what it is.
I’ve been stuck in unpleasant weather, late for something, exposed to the elements, wearing something not suitable for standing still in a puddle or ice pack for more than 10 minutes, while waiting for a bus that either came 5 minutes early or is 1/2 an hour late, enough times to know what its limits are. Because some routes are so unpredictable, despite a bus schedule, I cannot count how many times I have chased down buses, run across several lanes of traffic (yes, not safe, yes I could get killed that way…) to beat the bus to the next stop, and in some situations fail and only be out of breath and have a pained side to show for my trouble. Thankfully, places where I’ve worked have a flexible schedule so my inconsistent arrival to work won’t cost me my job. I don’t know know if all bus riders have that luxury.
I lived in PG County where the bus service on the weekend seemed non-existent. When I lived there The Bus did not exist and neither did many sidewalks. It didn’t help matters that even the taxi service seemed useless too. So until I moved closer to a metro station, the District and anything else further than where I could bike to was unavailable to me. It was too much of a hassle to wait 15 minutes before the scheduled arrival for a bus that would most likely show up late on the off chance it might show up early. And woe if a transfer to another bus was needed.
However, living in the city the bus is part of my transportation system. If I need to be somewhere on time, I take the train. Or, if the route is a trustworthy one, where the buses are typically consistent, I’ll take the bus. The center part of the city is dense enough that I can come across another bus, or in some cases just walk to the nearest metro station, or bite the bullet and take a cab provided I’m within 2 zones of my destination. In PG and some parts of Arlington, those other options weren’t always there.
The bus is useful, but in some cases you have to ask how much is your time worth, and is it worth spending in wait.

What is it about the bus that attracts the nutters?

When I first got on the bus I just figured the guy was having one of those animated loud conversations with another passenger, that men have. It took about 2 minutes for me to realize that he was talking to himself, as no one answered back to his statements. The rest of the bus ride was ‘concerning’ as he talked about going into hand to hand combat with his enemy (with body movements to illustrate), his enemy being evil in general. Then there was the cursing and insulting of foreigners, but really that paled in comparison to the Kung-Fu moves.
Couldn’t get off that bus fast enough.

Your Privacy is in Your Hands

In a professional seminar sometime back when I was working for an association and not the govt. the topic was keeping confidential and company secrets. One of the main things about keeping company or organizational secrets is identifying what those secrets are and having a system in place that keeps private things private. It basically boiled down to you are in charge and you have to take charge in keeping your secrets. So to the young man on the bus today, the reason why everybody knows your business is because you keep broadcasting private things in public.
For one Mr. Brown (I think that’s the name you said), keep your voice down. Yes, it is a bus, and you got to compete with the noise. The problem is though, although you are talking to your buddy who may be in the seat next to you or on the other side of the aisle, those of us a few seats up could hear you quite nicely. Second, try to be uninteresting or vague. The story of your arrest this weekend on a violation of a stay away order, the failure of the police to find whatever it was that you wanted to smoke and or sell after several searches, and the cops failure on other occasions to find either a gun or clips on you, does perk up the ears of strangers. Your storytelling is quite engaging. Thirdly, leave out some details. Your story included your age (18), your school (I didn’t recognize the name so it didn’t stick with me), where your stay away order was, your court date, the fact that you have a CO (whatever that it) and possibly your last name.
Maybe the reason everyone knows your business, is you. I didn’t go looking for this info. You put it out there. Don’t feel bad, there are others who complain about people being up all in their business, who also, for their own reasons also broadcast their business.
This is just an illustration. Considering the city hasn’t acknowledged my real estate relief program for dead people find, I highly doubt MPD will bother reading this, check their records for an 18 yr old (you have an alto voice, and at first I thought you were a woman, but your details say male) who was arrested and held this weekend for violating a stay away, to get a warrant to check your dad’s house for an unregistered weapon.
For anyone about to suggest I call 911 to report this, I say, no. It doesn’t have enough to pass the ‘is it worth getting into an argument with the dispatcher’ test. No, I’m saving up my future 9111 call for where I can get into a discussion with the dispatcher where I am questioned if a crime is really actually taking place, or just my imagination or misinterpretation of the law.

Richardson Place

I’ve been getting the odd email from Karl and others in the Richardson Place area (1700 blks of 4th & New Jersey, Richardson, R & FL) about some “Streetscape Improvements”. Richardson needs the improvement. The short bit of road and the linking alleys look like a big lot. That road isn’t really looking paved. The residents who have spoken up would like brick, or concrete, but not asphalt. Brick is preferred.
Jim Berry, BACA Prez, in a letter to the Richardson Place focus group suggested meeting prior to the next BACA meeting to talk about it. Okay people BACA meeting is at Mt Sinai Baptist, Monday, starts at 7, but for this email Jim (JBerry ayt PDSDC daht ORG) as it was a suggestion and not a firm date.

Spanish for living ’round here

It’s time for me to take a refresher course in Spanish, because trying to give directions to a little Latina grandma I forgot the word for “Yellow”. I was trying to point out the yellow line on the metro. All my brain could give me was the German word for yellow, “gelb”.
Apparently she couldn’t speak a lick of English and it didn’t help matters when another non-Spanish speaker tried to help out. A quick scan of the Shaw/Howard platform, there were no other people who might, might have a stronger command of Spanish…. and my train was coming so, I left her, feeling really bad. But She didn’t speak English and I don’t know enough Spanish to gove useful directions and there really wasn’t any more I could do.
So thus it was a reminder that my Spanish is rustier than my bike, and I need a tune up. I mentioned the whole incident to some friends who reacted negatively to the Spanish speaking woman, “if you’re going to come to my country illegally you should learn the language,” blah, blah, blah… To which I say, while she’s on the waiting list for the ESL classes, that I hear are backlogged, I can try to meet her halfway and learn some Spanish.
However, what I need is Spanish for my world, my hood. I don’t need to know how to tell Maria that Jose is having a party or ask how Carlos is doing. No, I need Spanish for trying to give directions on the Metro or Metrobus. While we’re at it I need cleaning and construction crew Spanish. I need the following phrases:

Could you please not dust while I’m still sitting at my cubicle.

This counter is a 1/2 inch too short, can it be fixed?

You need to cross the street to catch the 70 bus to Silver Spring.

My fellow pedestrians

Don’t jaywalk at night wearing dark clothing, sauntering across the street like cars going 10+ miles over the speed limit are actually going to stop for you. Yes, you people on Rhode Island Avenue NE. We can barely see you. You are an oddly shaped shadow. Are you a trick of the light or a human target?