Oh great. Now the D.C. Council wants to have a say in what fares will be administered as part of the recently authorized time and distance meter system in cabs. Could anything be more ripe for a political stalemate? Maybe the council should also have a say in how much vendors can charge for a Snickers bar or a pizza. Now I feel sorry for the cabdrivers who will have to try to make a living on politically manipulated fares. If the cab fares are too high for every single resident in the city to make use of, then maybe they could consider taking a bus or the rail instead. We have plenty of options in this town, and the council should at some point let the free-market system do its thing.

Escalators wail like whales

Ralph writes: “A few weeks ago you printed a message from a reader who noted that maybe Metro’s escalators are more susceptible to breakdowns because they’re exposed to the elements, an observation that you seemed to go along with. But if that were the case, how to explain the repeated breakdowns of those inside the stations? And why do so many that are renovated end up sounding like Willy the Whale?!?”

Escalators exposed to the elements do break down more often than those indoors. The ones inside the stations that never get rained on or have ice form under their treads still need some maintenance from time to time. I just don’t understand why it takes months and months to get them back into service.

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That “whale” sound that you hear is a sign that a recently repaired escalator is balancing itself into shape. The sound comes from the rubber parts of the transport system finding a groove (literally), and that can take a little while. Just imagine you are in an aquarium surrounded by colorful tropical fish, and eventually the sound will disappear.

Stop sign ignored

Richard writes with a concern: “Just East of Union Station there is a busy crosswalk between Union Station and the Thurgood Marshall Building. I cross there on my way to the Metro every morning. Two lanes run between the two buildings, both North-bound. One leads East into Capitol Hill NE; the other leads to a ramp into the Union Station garage. There are stop signs for both lanes, and drivers routinely ignore the one on the lane leading into the parking garage. Unless there are pedestrians in the crosswalk, easily a third of drivers just ignore the sign and another third slow down a bit. The Gray Line tourist bus drivers are among the worst offenders. Police really need to enforce the stop signs there before someone is hurt.”