{DOORS ARE CLOSING}
After eight years, my ride is at an end. My last few rides home have been uneventful with the exception of a 90 minute delay into work one morning. With a somewhat more regular schedule, I was surprised not to see some of my regulars. Not a single one. Even Grumbles was absent.
I did have a somewhat interesting surprise outside of my commuting world. At a local Best Buy I caught sight of Punisher, baseball cap and all. What I wasn't prepared for was when he turned a corner and walked up to a baby stroller to tickle the young girl seated in it. The woman pushing the stroller then handed it over to him and he proceeded to push his daughter down the isle. It was surprising to learn that not only was he married, but with child.
For all of the observations and people watching I've done over the years, I chided myself for being quick to read the cover of that particular book, but was pleasantly humbled to see a much more human side of a complete stranger.
Perhaps that's a parting lesson for us all: feel free to hate the commute all you want, rant and rage to the heavens for being stuck in a train, but just remember that we're all humans. We all have families and loved ones. You never know, the person who cut you off on the train in the morning might be letting you take the next spot in line at the grocery store register later that week.
I thank you all for reading and coming back for more. Please take care of yourselves, be happy, healthy, and well.
{FINAL STOP}
01 October 2008
01 September 2008
The Next to Last Stop
{DOORS OPENING}
Yup, still around, and still kicking, but not for much longer. This is the penultimate post for OLR, not that there was that many to begin with. Or an audience greater than 10. But hey, I still love you all. So let's get on with the latest and greatest, shall we?
{PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS}
Part of the drought this time was more of a product of the insane work hours I'd been keeping for about two months, so I would just crash on the commute home. Since things have lightened up a bit, I'm a little more conscious in the mornings and evenings, so I've seen my fair share of things. Some old, some new, and some I hope to never see again.
Haranguing Herndon-(deep sigh)-Monroe
Since the closure of the third and fourth floors, north side, there's been a lot of tarps, a lot of noise, and essentially a whole lot of nothing that can be seen. I'm still not sure how they are going to pull this off without some kind of complication. Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt the engineering behind the work that needs to be done, I am sure the folks behind it did their homework before committing to it. Well, this time around, at any rate. And for some reason, everything stops for about 2-3 days after it rains.
Hmm.
Despite the construction, people still pour into the lot to get a spot and then run into the bus line. However, the number of commuters has changed very little.
It has its own ebb and flow, one not easily predicted, save for long holiday weekends or the beginning and end of the school year. What still surprises me is the length of the slug line. It has nearly tripled since I was a regular slugger myself, and only twice in the last few months have I stood in line myself, only because I'd realized that as I was waiting and hoping someone was heading in my direction, that several busses that I could have been on were passing me by. Worse, on some days, I'd wind up going back into the bus line because I'd reach the point of no return in the sense that I would just make it to work on time if I ducked back into the bus line. Only as soon as I would sit down, I'd see a car come up to the slug line with someone holding a sign that read "Rosslyn."
Even then, it has turned into an almost full-contact sport. The line immediately breaks down as soon as someone pulls up because they want to know what this person's destination is. And without asking, if it happens to be the same as 3-4 people, all 3-4 people automatically assume they can all get in. Some drivers are okay with it or even expect it, others are somewhat surprised, shocked, by the presumption of these other people who just feel that it was their right to get in because he or she stopped. Others take a more aggressive stance and immediately say "JUST ONE" to avoid the rush of people trying to get into their vehicle. The funny part is seeing the look of offense on those in line who are turned away: "Why doesn't s/he take more? There's room! There's room! S/he are just being snotty." Um, sorry, but I I have to side with the driver on this one. It's their vehicle, their gas, their prerogative. There's always another line you can get in to if you don't like it.
The Razing of Rosslyn Continues
The building is down to it's concrete pillars and empty elevator shafts. I have to admit, the demolition has been almost surgical in its approach, and the skeletal remains are being picked apart a section at a time, floor-by-floor. The station still is the same, leaky and all, with no more visible wear-and-tear. We'll see if anything changes by the time they get to the ground and basement parking lot of the building, followed by the first major deluge thereafter to see if anything else could go wrong. Really, I'm not a nihilist about this whole process. I'm just a little leery of the noises and smells coming from the station while they work on it. As bad as it has been on some days, it's the "new" ones that give me pause to wonder about what is going on 200 feet above my head in the station.
The Old and the New
As I mentioned earlier, my schedule's kept me out-of-contact with my commuting regulars, but I am now getting re-acquainted with most of them. I saw Amish Abe a few times, his beard a little more trim than before, but still with the matching suspenders that make him look like he's wearing formal overalls. Tazz has all but disappeared, which makes me wonder if he's just using an alternate park-and-ride in light of the "construction" currently underway. Grumbles is still shuffling about, and if I didn't know any better, she crinkles her nose when she sees me. But that could also be just the way she chain smokes, too. At least she cuts the acting when she cuts the line in front of me.
I've noticed that the general commuting public has actually stopped doing the sudoku or crossword puzzles in the newspapers, and transitioning to playing them on their Blackberries or iPhones. In fact, I've seen a noticeable shift in people using their electronic gadgets to help pass their time. Only those without said gadgets still read the paper or just sleep during the ride. Unfortunately, this hasn't reduced the sheer tonnage of cage liners that pile up in and around the newspaper recycling bins at the stations. I think those with gadgets, out of sheer habit, still pick up the free newspapers and when they arrive at their station, forget why they got it in the first place, and just toss it or add it to the pile when they disembark. Either that or they just leave it in the seat next to them. I have noticed a greater number of people reading on the way in as well, gadget or not. I had an amusing encounter with one of them, too.
There was this couple sitting together, the man with a distant look on his face, staring out into what looked like oblivion. The woman was reading one of those romance novels with the airbrushed hero and heroine on the cover who looked like they were caught in a gust of wind, and had it not been for the adonis holding her, she too would have been swept away into the air like the frail leaf she is. The black stallion in the background looked like it could give a fuck and wants to get inside as quickly as possible. No, I'm not kidding. It looked exactly like that, and the woman wasn't exactly shy about hiding what she was reading. It was amusing to see the woman's face blood when she got to the "good parts" and would occasionally look over at her otherwise oblivious significant other (whom, compared to the shirtless gladiator on the cover, was fairly insignificant) with this sideways glance that hinted that her heart might be with him, her mind was definitely elsewhere. Someplace very windy, I'd imagine.
{STAND BACK! DOORS ARE CLOSING!}
Yup, still around, and still kicking, but not for much longer. This is the penultimate post for OLR, not that there was that many to begin with. Or an audience greater than 10. But hey, I still love you all. So let's get on with the latest and greatest, shall we?
{PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS}
Part of the drought this time was more of a product of the insane work hours I'd been keeping for about two months, so I would just crash on the commute home. Since things have lightened up a bit, I'm a little more conscious in the mornings and evenings, so I've seen my fair share of things. Some old, some new, and some I hope to never see again.
Haranguing Herndon-(deep sigh)-Monroe
Since the closure of the third and fourth floors, north side, there's been a lot of tarps, a lot of noise, and essentially a whole lot of nothing that can be seen. I'm still not sure how they are going to pull this off without some kind of complication. Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt the engineering behind the work that needs to be done, I am sure the folks behind it did their homework before committing to it. Well, this time around, at any rate. And for some reason, everything stops for about 2-3 days after it rains.
Hmm.
Despite the construction, people still pour into the lot to get a spot and then run into the bus line. However, the number of commuters has changed very little.
It has its own ebb and flow, one not easily predicted, save for long holiday weekends or the beginning and end of the school year. What still surprises me is the length of the slug line. It has nearly tripled since I was a regular slugger myself, and only twice in the last few months have I stood in line myself, only because I'd realized that as I was waiting and hoping someone was heading in my direction, that several busses that I could have been on were passing me by. Worse, on some days, I'd wind up going back into the bus line because I'd reach the point of no return in the sense that I would just make it to work on time if I ducked back into the bus line. Only as soon as I would sit down, I'd see a car come up to the slug line with someone holding a sign that read "Rosslyn."
Even then, it has turned into an almost full-contact sport. The line immediately breaks down as soon as someone pulls up because they want to know what this person's destination is. And without asking, if it happens to be the same as 3-4 people, all 3-4 people automatically assume they can all get in. Some drivers are okay with it or even expect it, others are somewhat surprised, shocked, by the presumption of these other people who just feel that it was their right to get in because he or she stopped. Others take a more aggressive stance and immediately say "JUST ONE" to avoid the rush of people trying to get into their vehicle. The funny part is seeing the look of offense on those in line who are turned away: "Why doesn't s/he take more? There's room! There's room! S/he are just being snotty." Um, sorry, but I I have to side with the driver on this one. It's their vehicle, their gas, their prerogative. There's always another line you can get in to if you don't like it.
The Razing of Rosslyn Continues
The building is down to it's concrete pillars and empty elevator shafts. I have to admit, the demolition has been almost surgical in its approach, and the skeletal remains are being picked apart a section at a time, floor-by-floor. The station still is the same, leaky and all, with no more visible wear-and-tear. We'll see if anything changes by the time they get to the ground and basement parking lot of the building, followed by the first major deluge thereafter to see if anything else could go wrong. Really, I'm not a nihilist about this whole process. I'm just a little leery of the noises and smells coming from the station while they work on it. As bad as it has been on some days, it's the "new" ones that give me pause to wonder about what is going on 200 feet above my head in the station.
The Old and the New
As I mentioned earlier, my schedule's kept me out-of-contact with my commuting regulars, but I am now getting re-acquainted with most of them. I saw Amish Abe a few times, his beard a little more trim than before, but still with the matching suspenders that make him look like he's wearing formal overalls. Tazz has all but disappeared, which makes me wonder if he's just using an alternate park-and-ride in light of the "construction" currently underway. Grumbles is still shuffling about, and if I didn't know any better, she crinkles her nose when she sees me. But that could also be just the way she chain smokes, too. At least she cuts the acting when she cuts the line in front of me.
I've noticed that the general commuting public has actually stopped doing the sudoku or crossword puzzles in the newspapers, and transitioning to playing them on their Blackberries or iPhones. In fact, I've seen a noticeable shift in people using their electronic gadgets to help pass their time. Only those without said gadgets still read the paper or just sleep during the ride. Unfortunately, this hasn't reduced the sheer tonnage of cage liners that pile up in and around the newspaper recycling bins at the stations. I think those with gadgets, out of sheer habit, still pick up the free newspapers and when they arrive at their station, forget why they got it in the first place, and just toss it or add it to the pile when they disembark. Either that or they just leave it in the seat next to them. I have noticed a greater number of people reading on the way in as well, gadget or not. I had an amusing encounter with one of them, too.
There was this couple sitting together, the man with a distant look on his face, staring out into what looked like oblivion. The woman was reading one of those romance novels with the airbrushed hero and heroine on the cover who looked like they were caught in a gust of wind, and had it not been for the adonis holding her, she too would have been swept away into the air like the frail leaf she is. The black stallion in the background looked like it could give a fuck and wants to get inside as quickly as possible. No, I'm not kidding. It looked exactly like that, and the woman wasn't exactly shy about hiding what she was reading. It was amusing to see the woman's face blood when she got to the "good parts" and would occasionally look over at her otherwise oblivious significant other (whom, compared to the shirtless gladiator on the cover, was fairly insignificant) with this sideways glance that hinted that her heart might be with him, her mind was definitely elsewhere. Someplace very windy, I'd imagine.
{STAND BACK! DOORS ARE CLOSING!}
10 June 2008
FusterCluck
{DOORS OPENING}
Oh yes, it is going to be one of those posts. No doubt the majority of you have heard what transpired over the last 48 hours on the Orange Line. Considering how bad things have been in the past, I’ll be the first to admit that it could have been far, far worse. But then again, what little faith I had left on the reliability of our public transportations has been whittled down to the thickness of a sheet of rice paper. Not to mention that commuting in general sense for this area is also starting to feel the effects of the price of gasoline.
{PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS}
Riling Rosslyn
I’ll keep the first part simple, so here is a relevant article to concerning what happened:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061000546.html
Done? Okay, let’s move on. I just happened to arrive at Rosslyn just a few minutes after the train in question had left the station. When entering the station I passed a group of firefighters by the station manager’s booth waiting around for something. I didn’t think it peculiar until I saw one of the group take a call inside the booth. The signs were telling of problems on the green and yellow line. The pre-recorded message on the PA system was warning us of delays on the blue line. Then the orange line. Then both the blue and orange line in both directions. Then the station manager cut over the prerecorded message to tell us that the orange line was completely shut down. Metro buses and emergency shuttles were available and ready to take us to our destinations. From the time I passed the firemen until that point took all of about seven minutes.
So if it wasn’t that bad, why the post? The article failed to mention a few peripheral details that added a few more of those proverbial straws to the camel’s back. I’ve mentioned in the past that on bad air quality/high heat days, bus rides are free in an effort to reduce pollution and street traffic. For the most part, it is effective, as ridership tends to increase 20%-30% on those days. The problem here is that some of the dimmer light bulbs amongst us take that as a sign that traffic will be therefore lighter and drive in regardless. This immediately puts 10% additional traffic above the normal rush hour. So, on top of being nose-to-armpit with others on the busses, you’re stuck in traffic with the rest of the golf ball sized-brained drivers on your way to the already overcrowded trains. Couple that with Monday’s incident, and it makes for a Monday you wished you’d worked from home.
On top of it all, quite literally, is the ongoing demolition of the building that straddles half of the station. From the looks of things, they are done gutting the building of the recyclable metals and non-structural infrastructure materials (e.g., wiring, plumbing, ducting, paneling) and have entered the actual tear down phase of interior walls and pillars not crucial to supporting itself. Bear in mind that the recent heavy rains have made the constant seepage of water into the station all the worse. And frankly, putting a five-gallon bucket to catch water gushing from a hole the size of a tennis ball does not make me feel any better.
Herndon-Mon-woe
I’ve talked in the past about the rapidly-deteriorating parking garage at Herndon-Monroe and Fairfax County’s futile duct-tape and fairy-dust patchwork repair attempts. I laughed at their optimism at having the repairs done by March of this year back in December. Time has proven me correct. I think they finally realized how dire the situation was because they are now completely redoing the entire structure, but in an effort to minimize the impact on people’s commute, they are going to do it front-to-back, level-by-level from now until some time next year. This might be hard to understand, but let me describe it this way: Think of a house of cards whose individual pieces you have to replace one by one, with only two heavily-taped fingers drenched in cooking oil, and this is all taking place on a very wobbly card table that you got at a garage sale for $5.
Okay, I’m exaggerating. The table was free because the top was badly damaged and a leg was missing.
The slug line has grown to about twice to three times the size I’m used to seeing. I am certain that the price of gasoline is a part of the reason why; it seems that a number of people seeking an impromptu carpool buddy have instead joined the lines themselves. Now, I’m not one given to nihilism, but some time between now and September will see something in our public transportation reach its critical mass and everyone will have that one bad day where they will start to live out the movie Falling Down with them in the role played by Micheal Douglas.
I really hope I’m wrong.
{STAND BACK! DOORS ARE CLOSING!}
Oh yes, it is going to be one of those posts. No doubt the majority of you have heard what transpired over the last 48 hours on the Orange Line. Considering how bad things have been in the past, I’ll be the first to admit that it could have been far, far worse. But then again, what little faith I had left on the reliability of our public transportations has been whittled down to the thickness of a sheet of rice paper. Not to mention that commuting in general sense for this area is also starting to feel the effects of the price of gasoline.
{PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS}
Riling Rosslyn
I’ll keep the first part simple, so here is a relevant article to concerning what happened:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061000546.html
Done? Okay, let’s move on. I just happened to arrive at Rosslyn just a few minutes after the train in question had left the station. When entering the station I passed a group of firefighters by the station manager’s booth waiting around for something. I didn’t think it peculiar until I saw one of the group take a call inside the booth. The signs were telling of problems on the green and yellow line. The pre-recorded message on the PA system was warning us of delays on the blue line. Then the orange line. Then both the blue and orange line in both directions. Then the station manager cut over the prerecorded message to tell us that the orange line was completely shut down. Metro buses and emergency shuttles were available and ready to take us to our destinations. From the time I passed the firemen until that point took all of about seven minutes.
So if it wasn’t that bad, why the post? The article failed to mention a few peripheral details that added a few more of those proverbial straws to the camel’s back. I’ve mentioned in the past that on bad air quality/high heat days, bus rides are free in an effort to reduce pollution and street traffic. For the most part, it is effective, as ridership tends to increase 20%-30% on those days. The problem here is that some of the dimmer light bulbs amongst us take that as a sign that traffic will be therefore lighter and drive in regardless. This immediately puts 10% additional traffic above the normal rush hour. So, on top of being nose-to-armpit with others on the busses, you’re stuck in traffic with the rest of the golf ball sized-brained drivers on your way to the already overcrowded trains. Couple that with Monday’s incident, and it makes for a Monday you wished you’d worked from home.
On top of it all, quite literally, is the ongoing demolition of the building that straddles half of the station. From the looks of things, they are done gutting the building of the recyclable metals and non-structural infrastructure materials (e.g., wiring, plumbing, ducting, paneling) and have entered the actual tear down phase of interior walls and pillars not crucial to supporting itself. Bear in mind that the recent heavy rains have made the constant seepage of water into the station all the worse. And frankly, putting a five-gallon bucket to catch water gushing from a hole the size of a tennis ball does not make me feel any better.
Herndon-Mon-woe
I’ve talked in the past about the rapidly-deteriorating parking garage at Herndon-Monroe and Fairfax County’s futile duct-tape and fairy-dust patchwork repair attempts. I laughed at their optimism at having the repairs done by March of this year back in December. Time has proven me correct. I think they finally realized how dire the situation was because they are now completely redoing the entire structure, but in an effort to minimize the impact on people’s commute, they are going to do it front-to-back, level-by-level from now until some time next year. This might be hard to understand, but let me describe it this way: Think of a house of cards whose individual pieces you have to replace one by one, with only two heavily-taped fingers drenched in cooking oil, and this is all taking place on a very wobbly card table that you got at a garage sale for $5.
Okay, I’m exaggerating. The table was free because the top was badly damaged and a leg was missing.
The slug line has grown to about twice to three times the size I’m used to seeing. I am certain that the price of gasoline is a part of the reason why; it seems that a number of people seeking an impromptu carpool buddy have instead joined the lines themselves. Now, I’m not one given to nihilism, but some time between now and September will see something in our public transportation reach its critical mass and everyone will have that one bad day where they will start to live out the movie Falling Down with them in the role played by Micheal Douglas.
I really hope I’m wrong.
{STAND BACK! DOORS ARE CLOSING!}
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