Is it really that hard to realize other people are in line, waiting for the same bus you are, so you should probably stand at the end of that line, rather than moving to the front?
Is it really that hard to stand down breeze of said people while you smoke?
I don't really care if you do, but please, down wind. I have to go to work, and I don't want to reek of cigarette smoke thank you very much. I don't wear my club clothes to work for a reason.
Lastly, when you are asked to please do these things, be polite, apologize and just do it. Don't start an argument.
And to the other person. Just saying "Second hand smoke kills" Is not a polite way to ask someone to move their smoking down wind. Try, "Can you possibly move down wind of me?"
Monday, July 7, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Costs and Conditions
the buses are simply getting more crowded. The gas station across from where I catch the 174 is up to 4.25 a gallon for regular unleaded. Car dealerships are not even willing to take in the HUGE SUV's that they have been selling. You almost cannot give those vehicles away. More and more people are seeking other options on how to get to work.
There have been articles in the major news sources all citing that cities are going to have to do more for public transportation. Most systems are already growing taxed with the number of additional riders. The problem is only going to grow as the summer progresses and gas prices continue to climb.
Rumor has it that Metro is going to raise fares again soon. I can understand that. Diesel gas is $5.00 a gallon. That is a huge cost increase for them. But they are going to have to increase service somehow. Buses cannot operate at above capacity and skip stops because they are full
There have been articles in the major news sources all citing that cities are going to have to do more for public transportation. Most systems are already growing taxed with the number of additional riders. The problem is only going to grow as the summer progresses and gas prices continue to climb.
Rumor has it that Metro is going to raise fares again soon. I can understand that. Diesel gas is $5.00 a gallon. That is a huge cost increase for them. But they are going to have to increase service somehow. Buses cannot operate at above capacity and skip stops because they are full
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Back on the bus
I'm back to riding the bus the last two weeks, and it has been both good and bad.
The 522 in the morning is usualy pretty busy, as I'm near the end of the line for it. I'm thinking of researching when the 312 comes by. If it is within 5 to 10 minutes of the 522 I may switch to it. The reason is that the 522 misses my connection to the 545 by about 2 minutes every day. This isn't a big deal, I just end up waiting the 15 minutes for the next 545.
The down side is that I end up 15 minutes later to work. That extra 15 minutes puts me into the time frame when I have to wait for a fixed route shuttle to get me from my work building, back to Overlake Transit Center. The walk from work to where I pick up the 545 is a bit long. The bus stop has no shelter, and if I can't count the number of times I've been waiting for the light to change, only to see the Bus go by right in front of me. It's about 2 blocks from the light to my bus stop, and there is just no way I can run to catch it. So I started catching the work shuttle to Overlake. Here is the rub. If I miss the first shuttle, it's 20 minutes to the next. That 15 minutes in the morning, can easily translates to an hour at night. Not because of how long the bus takes, but entirely because I have to wait for connections. So, if the 312 runs a bit earlier, I can make that morning connection, and get home at a reasonable hour!
Really wish I had a direct line from home to work, but alas. At least I get to ride Sound Transit the entire way, unless I change to the 312.
The 522 in the morning is usualy pretty busy, as I'm near the end of the line for it. I'm thinking of researching when the 312 comes by. If it is within 5 to 10 minutes of the 522 I may switch to it. The reason is that the 522 misses my connection to the 545 by about 2 minutes every day. This isn't a big deal, I just end up waiting the 15 minutes for the next 545.
The down side is that I end up 15 minutes later to work. That extra 15 minutes puts me into the time frame when I have to wait for a fixed route shuttle to get me from my work building, back to Overlake Transit Center. The walk from work to where I pick up the 545 is a bit long. The bus stop has no shelter, and if I can't count the number of times I've been waiting for the light to change, only to see the Bus go by right in front of me. It's about 2 blocks from the light to my bus stop, and there is just no way I can run to catch it. So I started catching the work shuttle to Overlake. Here is the rub. If I miss the first shuttle, it's 20 minutes to the next. That 15 minutes in the morning, can easily translates to an hour at night. Not because of how long the bus takes, but entirely because I have to wait for connections. So, if the 312 runs a bit earlier, I can make that morning connection, and get home at a reasonable hour!
Really wish I had a direct line from home to work, but alas. At least I get to ride Sound Transit the entire way, unless I change to the 312.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
May 20th, on the 174, at 5am
As I have stated before, this route is normally standing room only. So crowded. This morning's actvities are becoming more normal. I mean relly. i used to ride both the route 385 and route 7, which are both bad routes, but the two of them combined to not match the route 174.
Two people having a violent verbal altercation, screaming profanities at each other. Standing up from the seats they werein.
The driver did nothing, nothing at all. they are supposed to at least contact dispatch and advise them of the problem.
The group of commuters were appalled at the lack of response, and according to them, this type of behavior will only get worse as the summer goes on.
I voiced my complaints to King County Metro and will continue to call.
Two people having a violent verbal altercation, screaming profanities at each other. Standing up from the seats they werein.
The driver did nothing, nothing at all. they are supposed to at least contact dispatch and advise them of the problem.
The group of commuters were appalled at the lack of response, and according to them, this type of behavior will only get worse as the summer goes on.
I voiced my complaints to King County Metro and will continue to call.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
after two days of driving...
I am already ready to go back to riding the bus. Even just two days of sitting in I-405 traffic has made me more grumpy and irritated.
Riding the bus is not easy, it means getting up way too early, and having to go to be way too early. But it means not having to face the annoyance of 405
Riding the bus is not easy, it means getting up way too early, and having to go to be way too early. But it means not having to face the annoyance of 405
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Odd conversations overheard on the bus
the couple sitting behind me was speaking in Russian, but I understood just enough that they were talking about their nephew's bar mitzvah this upcoming weekend.
The two people in front of me were discussing how long they thought they could ride the bus so they could get some more sleep. Which buses routes were better because they stayed more crowded, then the folks needing the sleep could hide. the driver would then never make them get off.
Around me other conversations in Chinese, Russian, Arbaic, and other things I don't undersand. I don't even recognise them. I am always amazed at everything I hear on Metro.
The two people in front of me were discussing how long they thought they could ride the bus so they could get some more sleep. Which buses routes were better because they stayed more crowded, then the folks needing the sleep could hide. the driver would then never make them get off.
Around me other conversations in Chinese, Russian, Arbaic, and other things I don't undersand. I don't even recognise them. I am always amazed at everything I hear on Metro.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Paused to collect thoughts
I must agree that Metro needs to raise fares. However, that being said, I think they do a good job based on the funds available to them. No matter how poor the service, they are hopefully doing the best they can.
The problem with raising fares is sometimes it hurts those you are trying to help get to their paying jobs. From personal experience, I can say, that unless my employer was paying for part of my pass, it could get really tight to buy a pass, or to have exact change for the bus. thus, making it hard to get to work. Granted I had a car, but there were times that money was so tight that gas was hard to come by in the budget too.
The fare raises do not have to be in .25 increments. The Bus in Hawaii, frequently only raises fares by dime. Increasing the revenue, but not causing hardship to the poorer riders, that we want to be able to get to work.
The problem with raising fares is sometimes it hurts those you are trying to help get to their paying jobs. From personal experience, I can say, that unless my employer was paying for part of my pass, it could get really tight to buy a pass, or to have exact change for the bus. thus, making it hard to get to work. Granted I had a car, but there were times that money was so tight that gas was hard to come by in the budget too.
The fare raises do not have to be in .25 increments. The Bus in Hawaii, frequently only raises fares by dime. Increasing the revenue, but not causing hardship to the poorer riders, that we want to be able to get to work.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Metro should raise fares again. They should also start selling ad space at stops.
I know, it's a shocking suggestion -- it's only been two months, and before that it had been over five years!
Last summer I visited Portland, after an absence of about eighteen months. (I lived there from 2003 to early 2005.) I was shocked to discover that bus fares had risen from $1.50 to $2.10 for a 2-zone ride! (Portland's Tri-Met is also not scared of fares that are not multiples of $.25, which I think is commendable.) I was also impressed to discover that they have much more frequent service between downtown and the suburbs, new buses with nifty LED readouts that display the next stop (and an attached computerized voice that announces it, much better than the flaky mics and unreliable drivers Seattle riders depend on), and LED readouts at most stops which tell you how long until the next bus will arrive (these actually communicate with a GPS system, so they're giving you real info, rather than just regurgitating schedule data). Their fleet is newer and cleaner than Metro's. They have the balls to tear up 5th Avenue downtown to build light rail!
Okay, some of this reflects significant differences in attitude between Seattle and Portland residents. I'm sure Sound Transit would like to be more assertive, if only we'd give them sanction and funding. But a primary difference is that Tri-Met has more money, and they have that money because they have sought more funding.
The usual protest against fare hikes is that they will "harm the poor". Well, I know from experience that when it costs an extra $.50 or $1 a day to commute, it can be a difficulty. However, at this point the gas prices are rising fast enough to make that much difference each month, and what will help "the poor" in this climate is more frequent, less crowded, more useful bus service. The #8 runs from Queen Anne Ave & Mercer up Denny and Olive past SCCC, and then down John and Thomas to the CD. Can you believe that it runs only every 30 minutes during the day? They could double its frequency and still fill it up -- I usually walk out of my way, down to Broadway & Union, to catch the #2, which takes a much more circuitous route to my work in Belltown, because it runs every 15 minutes. Or I give up and walk, because I'd rather do that than stand around.
Last summer I visited Portland, after an absence of about eighteen months. (I lived there from 2003 to early 2005.) I was shocked to discover that bus fares had risen from $1.50 to $2.10 for a 2-zone ride! (Portland's Tri-Met is also not scared of fares that are not multiples of $.25, which I think is commendable.) I was also impressed to discover that they have much more frequent service between downtown and the suburbs, new buses with nifty LED readouts that display the next stop (and an attached computerized voice that announces it, much better than the flaky mics and unreliable drivers Seattle riders depend on), and LED readouts at most stops which tell you how long until the next bus will arrive (these actually communicate with a GPS system, so they're giving you real info, rather than just regurgitating schedule data). Their fleet is newer and cleaner than Metro's. They have the balls to tear up 5th Avenue downtown to build light rail!
Okay, some of this reflects significant differences in attitude between Seattle and Portland residents. I'm sure Sound Transit would like to be more assertive, if only we'd give them sanction and funding. But a primary difference is that Tri-Met has more money, and they have that money because they have sought more funding.
The usual protest against fare hikes is that they will "harm the poor". Well, I know from experience that when it costs an extra $.50 or $1 a day to commute, it can be a difficulty. However, at this point the gas prices are rising fast enough to make that much difference each month, and what will help "the poor" in this climate is more frequent, less crowded, more useful bus service. The #8 runs from Queen Anne Ave & Mercer up Denny and Olive past SCCC, and then down John and Thomas to the CD. Can you believe that it runs only every 30 minutes during the day? They could double its frequency and still fill it up -- I usually walk out of my way, down to Broadway & Union, to catch the #2, which takes a much more circuitous route to my work in Belltown, because it runs every 15 minutes. Or I give up and walk, because I'd rather do that than stand around.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
good points of metro riding
As I look back, all I am doing is complaning about the 174. But there are some advantages:
1-- I get to read or doze on my way to work instead of drving in I405 traffic
2-- I am not paying 3.75 a gallon to fill my tank every couple of days
3-- the ST 545 express is great.
4-- I am not paying 3.75 per gallon to fill my tank every couple of days.
5-- in the afternoons I read on the way home, and get more work don
6-- I am not paying 3.75 a gallon to fill my tank every couple of days
1-- I get to read or doze on my way to work instead of drving in I405 traffic
2-- I am not paying 3.75 a gallon to fill my tank every couple of days
3-- the ST 545 express is great.
4-- I am not paying 3.75 per gallon to fill my tank every couple of days.
5-- in the afternoons I read on the way home, and get more work don
6-- I am not paying 3.75 a gallon to fill my tank every couple of days
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Still Driving
Last week of driving for me.
I do have one question for riders out there, is sitting that much more important than comfort?
I mean seriously. The side benches at the back of the Metro busses claim to seat three. But once you have two people on them, the third person to sit just creates a sardine like position. No one is comfortable, it's hard to even read when your arms are pressed against your side, and your shoulders are fimly sqeezed against another person.
Is this really better than standing?
I guess I could stand up, but dangit, I was there first. Please folks, be considerate, if sitting down is just going to make everyone less comfortable, why not take the higher road and stay standing? I know I do. I never try and squeeze into the small space between two people.
And to Metro. I understand you need to put polls up for those standing to hold on to, but really. The current design, as they attach to some horizontal seating in the bus, just makes the seats unusefull. I really think you need to redisign these supports to allow for more room on the seats.
I do have one question for riders out there, is sitting that much more important than comfort?
I mean seriously. The side benches at the back of the Metro busses claim to seat three. But once you have two people on them, the third person to sit just creates a sardine like position. No one is comfortable, it's hard to even read when your arms are pressed against your side, and your shoulders are fimly sqeezed against another person.
Is this really better than standing?
I guess I could stand up, but dangit, I was there first. Please folks, be considerate, if sitting down is just going to make everyone less comfortable, why not take the higher road and stay standing? I know I do. I never try and squeeze into the small space between two people.
And to Metro. I understand you need to put polls up for those standing to hold on to, but really. The current design, as they attach to some horizontal seating in the bus, just makes the seats unusefull. I really think you need to redisign these supports to allow for more room on the seats.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Overcrowding
Not quite sure why I am bothering to rant about the crowded state of Seattle Metro, but it does make me feel better. Tthe buses in the poorer sections of town are consistantly late and more crowded. They don't run as often as other routes in more affluent sections of town. Their routes are also longer geographically so they get more crowded, and stay that way.
Why is that? Complaints of over crowded buses and other issues go unheard and unresponded to by Metro. Could it be because the people who ride them are not the rich residents of Mercer Island, but the construction workers try to get to work by 6am.
My early bus starts its day in Federal way and ends in downtown Seattle. it is a local not, not an express, and no expresses are available on this route. This means it is full consistantly starting at 5am. I would get up even earlier to take an express if it were available.
If all this were not bad enough, if the bus is running too late, it skips stops. Not picking up the people waiting for it. It will stop if someone requests one, but not otherwise. Unlike many of my fellow riders, I have the option to drive, but choose not to. Buses skipping stops makes everyone late and miss connections.
My suggestion call Metro and complain loudly and with great regularity. or make comments to an open forum. They might listen
Why is that? Complaints of over crowded buses and other issues go unheard and unresponded to by Metro. Could it be because the people who ride them are not the rich residents of Mercer Island, but the construction workers try to get to work by 6am.
My early bus starts its day in Federal way and ends in downtown Seattle. it is a local not, not an express, and no expresses are available on this route. This means it is full consistantly starting at 5am. I would get up even earlier to take an express if it were available.
If all this were not bad enough, if the bus is running too late, it skips stops. Not picking up the people waiting for it. It will stop if someone requests one, but not otherwise. Unlike many of my fellow riders, I have the option to drive, but choose not to. Buses skipping stops makes everyone late and miss connections.
My suggestion call Metro and complain loudly and with great regularity. or make comments to an open forum. They might listen
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Week off from the ride...
Due to home concerns, I'm driving this week.
It does mean I actually get home at a resonable hour, but the converse is that I spend way to much on gas. $3.79 a gallon last fill-up. Makes the company sponsored flex-pass that much more valuable.
Will be back on the bus next week.
It does mean I actually get home at a resonable hour, but the converse is that I spend way to much on gas. $3.79 a gallon last fill-up. Makes the company sponsored flex-pass that much more valuable.
Will be back on the bus next week.
May 1st the 174 to Seattle
I would not mind this bus so much if it ran ontime, and was not full of people taking up three seats with their stuff. It is annoying in the extreme.
One of these people was obviously having a nihgtmare about bugs crawling all over her. It was a bit disconcerting.
I wonder if it is going to be like this every morning...
One of these people was obviously having a nihgtmare about bugs crawling all over her. It was a bit disconcerting.
I wonder if it is going to be like this every morning...
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