RSS
Home
Red line grief - is there an alternative?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
I can promise you it's worse in Rome, Italy
I have been seeing a lot of arm pits lately as my DC Metro Red Line commute has gone from a pleasant 15 minutes to a very crowded hour depending on the "incident du jour". However, I hesitate to complain as no amount of delays can compare to the horrible fate that befell those who lost their lives last week.
In fact, it has been a tough couple of weeks all around. First the tragic accident on the Metro, then several beloved celebrities passed away and today, another pedestrian death from a Metro hit. One might feel that some how, incessant negativity is plaguing our world these days.
To make matters worse, the train operator who lost her life in the Metro collision was almost immediately vilified before any hard evidence surfaced. People speculated on whether she was on her phone at the time or too inexperienced to be operating the train.
We now know that the emergency brake was depressed and it seems every effort possible was made to stop the train; there simply was not enough time. It turns out the problem was most likely from the track sensors although further investigations are on-going. Nevertheless, the negativity expressed toward the train operator was extremely unjustified. The situation reminded me of that poor security guard in Atlanta during the Olympics who saved people from a bomb only to be blamed later for planting the bomb.
But the delays this week are not only linked to the collision, but to a number of other incidents ranging from a cracked rail, stalled train, continuous single tracking (when two trains share one section of track) and a larger amount of riders due to tourist season. Still, I do not want to complain. I prefer to instead, focus on alternative ways to reach downtown.
There are actually many alternative methods which avoid the red line, most involving a bus of some sort. For example, did you know there was an express bus from Tenleytown that runs all the way to K St (no37)? From East Capitol, the no97 bisects the entire city. I have been researching Metro's homepage and planning routes accordingly. Believe it or not, you also save a bit of money as the bus is usually cheaper. I recommend you check it out.
Other alternatives include ride sharing. I only had to ask around my office to discover someone who drives in and lives very close to me. I just never thought to ask. Walking is also not a bad idea. If you live within 3 miles of your destination, you can usually walk there within an hour and, as we know, walking in DC is often quite pleasant.
So let us explore the alternatives and focus any negative energy toward finding a new way of getting to our destination. Additionally, for those that must take the red line, go out of your way to help others, make sure no one gets stuck in the doors and offer helpful information to tourists. Let us show the world how to turn a negative into a positive.
Related Articles:
Comments
