Come ride the Soul Train!

Sometimes MARTA decorates their trains, I assume for ad revenue. There's a Waffle House train, which is pretty cool, but I gotta say that my favorite one is the Soul Train, for the awards show in November.

Transit shopping & Smittens Part One

I was supposed to go home to Virginia for the holidays but given the weather, my butt is still in the Atl.  In order to entertain myself during my new found free time, I decided on a transit adventure - shopping on MARTA!  So I took the bus from my new house for the second time ever to the station.  MARTA buses are so much better than CCT, no lie. Folks who complain about MARTA need to take a trip to Cobb.

I started my day by hopping on the train to Midtown and had brunch with Two and the AC at J Christopher's.  After brunch, the AC and I headed to the Highlands for a little shopping. Yea, yea, we drove in her car cause it's not transit friendly at all.  But we found the most awesome transit gear at a little craft show.  So I introduce to you Smittens!

Smittens are these really cool scarves that have pockets for your hands. Jen, the creater of the Smittens, said that she had toyed with naming them Bus Stop Buddies, and its the perfect description for them.  Now you have warm hands without fiddling for gloves. And, its a great place to stash your Breeze card.

You can pick up some Smittens at mushbabygifts.etsy.com and support local artisans and public transit! And, most importantly, stay warm!

yet another reason to take MARTA

Because seeing a sign that reads "event route" on the GA 400 on ramp makes me want to take up smoking and learn how to play the drums like Meg White a la "Fell In Love With A Girl."

I really hate people like this

I mean seriously, you can't afford earphones for that psp? We don't want to hear your crappy song on repeat all the way from Kennsington to Five Points.  This also goes for those extra cool thugs who play that one snippet of a song on their cells to the whole train. Buy an ipod.

It was Kroger water, too

Later today (or sometime, let's be frank here) I will write a post about how my lovely room mate and I both ate MARTA floor this morning (and not together, mind you.  PS She's taking it way harder than me, I'm kinda like, o well.  She's kinda ticked.) but until then, have you heard of PeopleOfPublicTransit.com?  It's kinda like PeopleOfWalMart.com, but takes place on transit - imagine!  Anywho, the ATL is wonderfully represented:

At Least He's Honest

Which brings me to a story from last Thursday night on the train.  There was a dude, selling water.  I know, dudes sell stuff all the time, but he was the best darn salesman I've ever met.  I mean, if I owned a company that sold stuff, by golly, I would hire him.  I mean, that man could have talked me out of my last dollar for frozen bottled when it was 10 degrees outside (maybe I'm exaggerating on the temp, here, but I tell you what, I bought water just because he was SO good!).  Some of his awesome salesman tactics were:

"Buy my ice cold water, guaranteed to make you a billionaire!  And if it doesn't, then come back here and I will guarantee that you can buy another ice cold bottle of water!"

I should be in control

I like transit, really, I do.  And last night, when I got off the train to go to a campaign kickoff for a Jason Carter in Decatur, it was really awesome to see one of my clients from the shelter getting on the train.  It was a moment where I could relate to her more, since she had been really upset when her car had been repossessed and she had to start riding MARTA, there's this solidarity, "I'm on the train with you, too." 

But then mornings like this morning happen, and I'm not MARTA's biggest fan.  The train, the 105 eastbound, to be exact, was having technical difficulties.  They couldn't shut the door.  Every stop, the doors would bang and then open again.  Which, besides being annoying, made us late.  So late that we missed two northbound trains out of Five Points.  So late that I missed the 10b.

I love the 10b.  It's my favorite thing about this commute.  The bus is nice, the folks are nicer, we're like a community.  You get to know one another because  we're a regular crowd, all the office people going to work in the mornings and home in the evenings. 

But besides that, if I miss the bus, I am hosed.  I have to catch the 10 to CTC and then wait 15 minutes for the 50 when it's cold has heck this morning (37 degrees, to be exact, yay smartphones) and then take that bus to Powers Ferry and walk to my office, where as the 10b drops me off at the door.  And none of the cars stopped to let me cross the road.  What happened to pedestrians having the right of way?

Someone should make me the mayor, or govenor, or queen or something so I can make these people mind!

O well.  To make us all smile, here's a couple of wierd transit news stories:


Lawn mowers no longer qualify for the HOV lanes

Somebody needs to tell those horse buggie fellas downtown not to stop off at Elliot Street before their shift!

Day Tripper

I desperately want to shut down my computer. I have been working on a take-home final since 8:00 and I'm ready to call it a day. But I just remembered that in the aching, tedious, I'm-not-wearing-matching-socks-because-I-can't-find-any haze of finals I learned an important MARTA lesson that I need to share. People: Don't buy day passes. Because they are only good for the number of days that you pay for. Yeah, I know that this probably makes sense to the majority of you. But for the other kids out there who got moved to the front row of Mrs. Baldwin's first grade math class for never grasping the pie analogy, this is for you. For us.

Despite my obvious deficit of reason, I am a graduate student. I ride the train to school and usually buy a student pass from the University for $37/month. But I only have to go down to campus 4 days this month and even I know that purchasing a student pass doesn't make financial sense again until January. So on the morning of December 1st I bought a 4-day pass. To me, this equaled 4 round-trips. You get up, you go somewhere, you go home, it's a round trip and you start over again tomorrow. Not in MARTAville. My pass, which I swear was something like $22 because they included a charge for the plastic card on which my money was loaded, expired on December 4. After I had used it twice. Because it expired after 4 CALENDAR days, not 4 round-trip sensical days of logic. Unless you are a tourist or a participant in a corporate-sponsored scavenger hunt with some guy named Doopey (this happened) don't buy a day card. Buy a trip card. Or better yet send me one since I'm out fourteen bucks.

If I miss the bus today

I'm gonna kill somebody.

CCT hate pt 3

Well that was hell - why does transit hate me?  My original estimates were way off, I made it to the shelter at 11:10,  that's a three hour and forty five minute commute.  That's because MARTA was single-tracking on the East line and so we got to hang out at King Memorial with the doors open when it's 40 degrees outside.  So I finally got to the shelter and got to use the bathroom.  Now it's 11:56 and my toes are nearly defrosted as I eat my dinner. 

I WILL be on transit tomorrow - CCT I won't let you defeat me.  Only crazy homeless dudes will deter me from my commuting adventures.

Special Thanks to the City of Austin

This is only slightly relevant to public transportation. But I thought that it was awesome and it made me smile on a day when it seemed that nothing could. This has probably already circled the circles of the people inside the Big Circle. My proclivity to tragic unhipness would almost guarantee it. If it wasn't so late I'd grab my copy of "The Dharma Bums" and cruise down to Aurora, just to say I tried.

I would like to add that my SUV has a back-up cam and I think that people who wear scarves and flip-flops together just look stupid.

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/aus/1386329514.html

I fing hate CCT.

So its 9:07 and I'm on a 10 outbound to Arts Center. I had a teleconference this evening, so I was at the office late waiting for it. Turns out only one other person called in, the others scheduled couldn't make it. Then it was the damned bus incident. I haven't had dinner and my toes are freezing, these shoes weren't built for warmth. I could have waited 30 minutes for the next 50 to CTC and prayed I made it in time for the 10, but ran across the street at One's recommendation for the other 50. Then this 10 was late, and to think, I was afraid I was going to miss it. I've now been at this commute for one hour and fifty minutes, scheduled to arrive at MARTA at 10. Estimated arrival at the shelter, 10:45. That makes my commute three hours and twenty minutes. I am so writing a letter to CCT. A bus that runs hourly should not be early!

I hate CCT

the damned 50 outbound had to have run more than 10 minutes early because my butt left the office at 7:25 and made it out to the bus stop at 7:30 because I was so paranoid about missing the damned thing because it only runs once an hour this time of night. Assholes. At least I had One to call, who talked to the dispatcher and told me to run and get the 50 inbound. Now I'm just riding the bus up to Marietta, going the wrong way, but at least its warm & isn't me standing on the side of the road in a deserted office park. And I intend to be carless this week? FML!

Mondays on CCT

Mondays mornings are never good, and this one was no exception.  Laura was late to relieve me, so I was rushing to the train station.  I got there barely in time for my train, which was running a minute late.  Because it was running a minute late, I had to run to the north at Little Five.  Had I not and missed that train, no 10b for me!

The 10b is such a lovely bus, and much better than the 10.  They have nice luxury coaches for the 10b, with cushionie seats that recline, and the bus driver turns the lights off, and we're quite, and guess what?  We inevitably fall asleep.  So I dozed off this morning and woke up right before my stop.

But I forgot to press the stop requested button.

Hehehe MARTA

Saw this at the North Ave station, a little bit of transit humor.

This phone is a bad idea!

Cause now I can blog the whole trip! So I'm on the 50 now and while I was waiting for 20 minutes, four 10s came. They're only supposed to run every 15 minutes. Something doesn't add up. In other news, the bus driver is complaining that CCT won't let then takeoff their vacation time before.the end of the year, so that the loose it or have to sell it back.

O lord

I'm on a training bus! The driver doesn't know the route and there's s dude sitting up front directing him. He missed the HOV on ramp for 75 north.

TMAtl in real time!

I got one of those new Droid phones, I am so cool. And it has a Blogger app, which means I can now blog while on the train and post pictures of the craziness. I know, its a dream come true!

So it's 7:45 and I'm late, I hit the snooze button twice and so I missed my usual train. I'm screwed, no 10b for me this morning :(

MIA

I'm sorry I've been MIA, if y'all knew my life, you wouldn't hold it against me.  And the Accidental Commuter is finishing up finals, apparently that's more important than blogging - the nerve!  But I promise there will be shenanigans happening soon.  In the mean time, I haven't been on the train too much because of car needs (mainly, hauling crap back and forth - o joy!) so I'm without awesome stories.  Two and I carpooled for Thanksgiving, I made him pose with a wooden bear statue outside of a gas station in Hollywood Georgia, but then I realized that would reveal his identity, and he's real concerned over that.  Something about his job, can't be associated, blah blah blah.  So, y'all are spared of the evidence of my torture.  However, on the way back from Asheville, we drove past a railroad museum and Two didn't want to stop.  I did, but he said no.  Can you imagine?  What kind of world is it that Two won't go to the train museum with me?  One was in shock.

But he let me stop at a Christmas store, so all was forgiven.  I bought a train ornament.  What has become of me?

Tomorrow the train goes up at the office, and then I will post my pictures of the Polar Express.  Until then, I found another nutso who combines his love of art and transit:

Trash bags + train grates = art!

In other news...

Dad watches a lot of the History Channel, and so we were watching a show documenting what would happen if humans suddenly disappeared off the face of the planet.  Apparently, the subway tunnels would start to flood in 36 hours and the damage of the water would cause the streets to collapse into the tunnels in 150 years.  Depending on the location, cars and buses would disappear in 75 to 100 years.  However, the most lingering aspect of humanity would be Mount Rushmore (and with that, I'd have to think Stone Mountain!).  I thought it was rather interesting, and therefore, needed to be shared.  I'm most surprised that the tunnels would flood so soon after we take leave. 

Psychology & Transit!!!

Now this I know!  I stole this great article from One:

Psychologists Have Been Watching Us on the Subway

I love how a lot of this refers to Milgram, one of the most influential social psychologists of our time.  I do love to sit on the train and study the folks around me, people like the God-Loves-You-Woman who greets every car every morning with the same greeting.  I've stared down girls who've littered to see them pick up thier candy wrappers and put them in thier pockets (but that only works with girls who are alone), but I have also noticed that people on MARTA are very reluctant to give up thier seats, same for the subway in NYC, too, even when I had my air cast on after breaking my leg.  I do believe in the bystander effect, even though the article speaks against it.

So what have you noticed on transit?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

In honor of transit fun, Two and I are carpooling to our respective families for turkey day - so look for a blog on our adventures once we return to the city.  I even made him pose with a wooden bear outside a gas station.  He hates me. 

Anyways, I'm way out here in the country, where I grew up, sans trains and buses.  However, I plan to spend my holiday running around the mountains in Big Red, our Dodge Ram, and maybe on the Harley if it doesn't snow tomorrow!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Come Ride the Polar Express!!!

My office is having a holiday decorating contest (coworkers who read this blog - don't be stealing our ideas!) and my department has picked a theme - the Polar Express.  I kid you not.  Don't look at me like that, I didn't suggest it.  Our AVP, BK, did.  But it means that I get to draw a train.

I was an art major in undergrad, so train drawing is loads of fun.  But this isn't any ole train, no sir, it's five cars long and the cars are a little over 7 feet long by 5 feet high each.  That, my friends, is a big train!

Lucky for me, I am surrounded by a wealth of train knowledge and resources, so I bummed some books from One for models to draw my train.  I'm sure that you're shocked, but he has LOADS of train books, and some even have pictures!  He didn't actually own the Polar Express though.  Says it's a children's book.  I don't see the problem here.  But trying to draw a train with One around, geez.  He got all technical on me, says passenger cars don't have cabooses.  Like I care, it's more artistically pleasing.  And they're called tenders not coal cars.  Psst.  Not like I work at Amtrak, so we're not so technical.

But I'll post pictures of my progress, because frankly, I wanna.  So you have to suffer through it.:)

Twitter

I tweet, do you?  My account is under ruchinadoll if you're so inclined, but that's not why I'm writing.  I'm writing because both the CCT and MARTA have twitter accounts.  They even advertise the CCT account on the buses.  I actually intended to write this blog to make fun of the CCT because they hadn't used the account since the floods in September.  But guess what, they recently left a tweet, advertising their new route! 

CCT added a route from Austell to Six Flags to the Holmes station, route 35.  So there's at least one good thing for transit in Atlanta - a new option!  Now if someone can work on Clayton county......

Good job CCT!

Contest

Saturday Two and I drew the winner for the contest, and the results are in!

Special thanks to Two for tolerating my antics!

Contest

View more presentations from ruchinadoll.

The Thursday Commute - Part Two

As I was leaving the office to go to the bus stop, I got a phone call from the Accidental Commuter.  Yes, we talk almost daily for hours like we were back in middle school, so how is this one different?  Well, for the first time in ages, I was actually able to convince her to have dinner with me.  See, if you haven't caught on yet, the AC is in grad school, and for those of you who haven't signed up for that torture, it kinda rules your life.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that part of the rules of grad school is that you can have no life outside of grad school and the only friends you can have while in grad school are from your program.  You may be allowed to intermingle with people in other grad school programs, but only twice a semester.

But she made time for me!

And that meant taking the train more north than I had ever gone, all the way out into the suburbs, all the way to Dunwoody!  Field trip!

I'm pretty sure that it's a completely different train, actually.  A totally different transit system all together, different clientele (People in business suits!  With brief cases!)  and the station, whoa man is it nice!  (PS - Hey MARTA, why they got fancy enclosed waiting area while those of us at Kensington gotta sit out in the cold?  Huh?)

All jokes aside, it is a different world.  Granted Kensington is no Garnett but it is heavily used by a rougher group of folks and is a little intimidating at 10:30 at night (I mean, the MARTA PD have a robot thing out there, sky tower, whatever, I still think it's meanacing).  But not to devalue AC's transit adventures, she ends up at Five Points, coming back at night!, and we all know how I feel about Five Points.  But it was a trip to see how the other half, in their fancy smancy houses in the burbs live.

Dinner was awesome, the company was phenominal, and the ride back was an experience, to say the least.  The were single-tracking the east bound line.  For those, like the AC, who don't know, single-tracking is when they run both lines, inbound and outbound, on one track.  I know, who would have thought?  But they do this when they are working on the track or soemthing to that effect.  This means, however, that we got to sit a King Memorial for 20 minutes while we waited on the train coming in from Candler Park.  Thanks, MARTA, for making me late to work!  O well, Laura's here on Thursdays and she never leaves on time, anyways.

MARTA and Multiculturalism

Right, like I'm going to address the finer points of cultural and ethnic diversity and their interaction effect with public transportation in a blog post. But while cct girl was on the topic of good MARTA reads (I know, I said that I wouldn't scream, but I'm the only one who doesn't capitalize it and I feel like a slacker) I thought that I would throw out my two cents. I just finished It's the Little Things: Everyday Interactions That Anger, Annoy, and Divide the Races by Lena Williams. I'm not going to say that this was the greatest book that I've ever read. Parts of it were insulting. But it did raise my awareness about some of the things that I do everyday that can send out the wrong message. It also made me take on someone else's perspective for a moment, which in my humble opinion no one can ever do too often. Riding MARTA means sharing your commute with people from all walks of life. This book kind of explains where other people are coming from, what they think of you, and how everyone could stand to drop a little bit of their baggage.

Hear ye! Hear ye!

I, the CCT girl, have decided to make some changes to the blog.  I appreciates your support, and have decided that in all of our best interests, the Accidental Commuter should be a full-blown co-author of the blog, as opposed to a guest author.  So look forward to new up-coming craziness, such as field trips! (As soon as she is able to have a life).

In other news, the contest will end tomorrow, so get your comments in!  Two will be drafted to participate in the drawing as to assure you of my impartialness, and we'll photo document it too, mainly cause it'll annoy him.

And finally, I've decided that since I love to ride the bus so I can read, I'm going to sporadically throw in book reviews!  Yay!  So my first book review is of Push.

If you haven't heard of it (you must be living under a rock!), Push is the novel that the movie Precious was taken from.  Based on true events the author experiences as a teacher in Harlem, Push is the kind of book that stays with you at night once the lights are out.  It's the story of Precious Jones, a girl who has the sort of life you wouldn't wish on your enemies.  She is abused by both of her parents and has been overlooked by the system.  Having passed into the 9th grade, she can neither read or right when she is suspended from school for being pregant with her second child by her father at the age of 16.  The story follows along as she escapes from her life into one where she meets the first friends she's ever had and a teacher who takes the time to work with her. 

I won't lie, it is a hard story.  There were times that I was so shaken by the book that I had to put it down, Precious describes in detail things that no one should ever have to go through and she suffers immensely.  But Push is a story of the beauty in human nature, what we can overcome with faith, stregth, and a little bit of help.  So I would recommend the book and I might even let you borrow my copy ;)

Counties worried about MARTA takeover

 More to the MARTA saga...

Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Dave Williams Staff Writer

Officials from Fulton and DeKalb counties don’t want the state taking over MARTA without some financial guarantees.
A joint transportation committee made up of Fulton and DeKalb county commissioners agreed Thursday to bring a resolution before their full commissions opposing a state takeover of MARTA’s governing board without a commitment to ensure the long-term viability of the transit system and protect the two counties’ financial investments.
“We’ve put in a lot of money over the years,” DeKalb County Commissioner Lee May said. “We should get some kind of credit.”
Georgia Rep. Fran Millar, R-Dunwoody, said recently that he plans to introduce legislation this winter creating a public transportation division inside the Georgia Department of Transportation that would operate public transit systems across the state, including MARTA.
Millar cited operating shortfalls that have hit MARTA severely during the current recession and threaten to continue for at least the next several years.
MARTA is the largest transit system in the country that doesn’t receive financial support from its state government, forcing it to rely on a 1 percent sales tax levied by Fulton and DeKalb and the city of Atlanta.
While MARTA has been using reserves to plug its budget gaps for the last decade, the agency’s finances are “unsustainable” long term, General Manager Beverly Scott told the joint transportation committee Thursday.
Millar warned that MARTA will go bankrupt without a broader source of funding. He said the agency’s plight is too serious for commissioners to be quibbling about financial restitution.
“The people who actually use the system don’t care who owns it as long as it’s reliable,” he said.
The two county commissions are expected to vote on the resolution within the next month.

Nascar is for suckas

Someone, who shall remain nameless, save for the moniker 'Annoying One', asked me why I don't write about other modes of transportation, such as biking & running.  I promised to do one, who knows why.  Well here, dear sir, is said blog.

Running is not a mode of transportation.  Running is for suckas.  Transportation gets you from point A to point B for the purpose of doing something important at point B, like going to class or to work.  Running is in circles for the point of exercise.  Circles, like Nascar.  Nascar is also not transportation.  In the end, you're not going anywhere.  You don't run to class, or the office, or the doctor's.  Unless you're late, which either means you're a sucka, or riding CCT (which probably also makes you a sucka).

But in all seriousness, while I told the Annoying One that my blog is about me riding the bus, all alternative modes of transportation are key to making this a happier, healthier place to live.  The Annoying One does ride his bike a lot, which is great for a college town.  But whatever you're doing, you should get out of your car and find yourself an alternative mode of transportation once a week.  Except running.  Don't be like Nascar.

The CCT & I, we are both afflicted

My family has it's own language, mainly stemming from the crazy stuff my Dad says, but sometimes, people get confused by what I say.  One thing my Dad likes to say, though, is that people (or me a lot of the time) get inflicted with a case of the dumbass.  We often just shorten it to say that someone's afflicted.  Today, I got a severe case of the affliction.

I got up this morning, made my coffee, and got to the station with in time for my train.  Score! It's a beautiful, crisp, fall morning and I'm reading Push, which, if  you're unaware, is the novel the movie Precious is based on.  It's an engrossing book.  Seamless transfer at Five Points (except for the idiots who won't let me off the train ahem AC) and the morning is good.  Get on the Northbound, some dude is trying to talk to me about my book.  I don't hear well, especially when it's loud, like on the train, and this man is mumbling and I'm trying to read.  But he gets off, leaves me alone, and I'm back to my book.  Did I mention that it's engrossing?

Train stops, I get off.  Go up the escalator, look around, and well, shit.  I know this station, I'm here a lot, and it ain't Arts Center.  It's Midtown.  What was I thinking?  So back down the escalator, it's 8:00 with the next Northbound train coming in four minutes.  My bus leaves at 8:05.

I get to Arts Center at 8:07, and of course, there's no 10b.  But I know my CCT by now, so I can get the 10 to CTC and hop on the 50 to the office.  No worries, keep reading.  Get to the CTC, look around, of course the 10b is no where in sight, so I go to the little shelter to read my book and wait on the 50.  Did I mention the crisp, fall morning?  If I knew I was going to be hanging out at the bus stop, I would have dressed warmer.  This evening is going to be fun, why wasn't I thinking?

So I wait.  And I wait.  Hey, there's a tiny MARTA sign now down by the shelter the 12 picks up at.  (Did I miss that before?  It is tiny.  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have missed it, I did look nearly every time I was at the CTC for One, but I have to go up and inspect it to see if it's been weathered.  Can't tell, looks new, but as already been vandalized.  Of course, that could have happened the hour it was put  up).  And I wait.  Finish my book, and I am freezing, my poor toes are so cold!  What the heck?  So I walk down to the schedule and the 50 is supposed to be there at 8:53.

Guess when it comes?  I see it turn into the mall at 9:17.  By the time it gets to us and pulls out, the next 50 is pulling in behind it.  The 50 runs every half an hour, so guess how late that makes the bus?  Yup, half an hour! (You kids are so smart!)  This means that I got to the office at 9:35, over half an hour late.  Thanks CCT!

PS - CCT, while we're at it, all the nice things I said about Eric, the bus driver Monday night, I take back.  So I've been on the phone with the lady at CCT who is in charge of refunds, I can't understand her name, sorry, and she's not too optimistic.  She says she has no record of me being on that bus and no form from the bus driver, Eric.  So therefore, she has to investigate it to prove I lost my money.  And she said it could take 4 to 6 weeks.  So in two months, I may get my money back.  CCT - I am not pleased at all.

But what the hey, if this crap didn't happen, what would I need a blog for, anyways?

How To Hijack A Transit Blog: A User's Guide

I can't sleep, despite the fact that I have been looking forward to going to sleep since my second cup of coffee this morning. Lately I have had the type of insomnia that should make the people over at Ambien look into sponsoring me. Kind of like how Jenny Craig keeps paying actresses to lose weight. There should be some kind of Courtney Love Celebrity Pro-Am Sleep For the Cure Fun Run and I should be their spokesperson. Anyway, since I can't fall asleep I started thinking about some of the things that I have a responsibility to cover as an invited guest blogger.

I think that part of the reason that cctgirl decided to start a blog about public transportation in Atlanta was to encourage people to actually start using it. Before I started taking Marta to school I had a lot of questions about safety, customs, etiquette, etc. It was intimidating. Here's my top five of what I hope will be a running list of tips and tricks. Please feel free to add your own.

1. The sideways seats next to the door are for the elderly and people with physical disabilities. Please don't sit in them unless you qualify. I have reprimanded complete strangers for this.

2. You need to swipe your Breeze card again at those little double-door thingies to make them open and let you out of the station. Don't push on them, it doesn't work and people will laugh at you (or so I've heard...)

3. Please, please, please let people get off of the train before you try to board. All my life I thought that everyone knew this but I have been proven wrong over the past few months. People who ride public transit in cities all over the country are able to observe this rule. This is the South, we invented good manners. We should be setting the example.

4. Escalators and stairways are kind of like roads. Slower traffic should stay on the right side. The left side is for passing and people in a hurry.

5. You can let people who you don't know sit next to you.

I hope that this helps and maybe even encourages some of you to ditch your car for a day and ride public transportation. It makes you feel good - kind of like recycling minus the big piles of trash in your home.

Night!

Monday Funday on the CCT

Monday night was an epic commute.  It consisted of catching the 50 outbound to CTC to get on the 10 inbound to go up to my apartment to feed Lucky, Q's cat, and Mystery, my cat.  This involves a two mile walk, mind you, because Q lives at the back of the frickin apartment complex.  I'm not lazy, I love walking, but one good two mile walk and my leg hurts for a week.  Don't ever break your leg, I don't recommend it.  So post kitty feeds, then it's back out to Cobb parkway to catch the 10 outbound to have dinner with Dave in town before heading to the shelter.  Not so bad, right?

Well first I tried to go to the little ride store at CTC to purchase some trips for my Breeze card.  See, the last time I reloaded my card, I messed up and added MARTA trips instead of just putting money on there.  Guess what CCT doesn't take?  MARTA trips.  Someone seriously needs to work on that one.  It would be swell if I could get a monthly use card, but CCT doesn't accept that.  Can't they play well together?  Rant aside, guess what?  The ride store at CCT closes at 6.  Like no one rides the bus after 6.  I guess that's kinda like how no one rides it on Sundays.(the MARTA stores are open til 8)

So I get on my 10 to the apartment and hear the bus driver, Eric on the 4119 on Monday night (CCT folks, give him a commendation for me, cause he's a super duper bus driver.  One of your best, really.  Cause you got some crappy ones) telling another passenger that they can reload their cards there, on the bus.  What a novel idea!  So after the one guy loads his card, I go up there to reload mine.  He walks me though it, I put in my $10 - the machine malfunctions, takes my money, and doesn't put any value on the card.  So Eric has me fill out a little blue form, assuring me that it would be taken care of.  Well it's now Wednesday and still there's no value on my card.  I called the Breeze folks, who are awesome, and then the CCT folks, who are apparently in a meeting so I left a message.  I'll let you know how that ones goes.

On the second leg of my commute, the bus is late, but my transfer from earlier is still good - rock on! It's gonna be a good night.  Until the next stop.  Then this older fella gets on the bus, smacks the Breeze machine as he walks by, and then sits beside of me.  The bus driver starts yelling.

"Hey man, you didn't pay."
"What?"
"You just tapped the machine, man, but you ain't got no card."

So dude gets up and proceeds to go to the front of the bus and gets out his wallet, he must have ten or fifteen bus tickets in there.  And he tries them all.  Of course none of 'em have any value.  The bus driver tells him he can't ride for free, so then dude turns and starts begging on the bus for change for his fare.  All this time the driver ain't driving, he's just sitting there on Cobb out in front of the Best Buy while dude begs for change.  Doesn't kick him off, either, just lets him beg.

So the bus comes up with the fare for the man, and he comes back and sits with me.  So we're double late now, which makes me late for dinner with Two.  Why do I attract these people?

They see me riding Nerdy

The Accidental Commuter called me a nerd, something about having a transit blog and listening in to the high-speed rail webinar.  She's just jealous she's not as cool as me, so she gotta mooch off my blog.  Whatevs.

But did anyone catch that webinar? (Like you're gonna answer if you did, you readers but non-commenters, you).  I have to say, as a newbie to this transit community, it was a tad overwhelming.  Especially the dude who showed us what it takes to construct a track for very high speed rail.  But what I did catch were some survey results (I'm a statistician, afterall, I like surveys.  I really am a nerd, aren't I?)  The survey said that, given the availability of high speed rail in the US, 54% would take it for trips, as opposed to 33% who would drive and 13% who would fly.  Do you really think America is ready for a rail culture?  Would you choose rail over air or cars?

Comment!  I know you people read this, now let me know what you think!  Please?  Pretty please with a cherry on top?  In fact, I will randomly draw a name from those who comment and send you a present.  It will, in fact, be a transit present.  It may also involve cupcakes if you're local.

Transit themed dinners!

So Sunday night I had the obligatory date night with One and Two.  I'm getting rather used to being the third wheel.  But this time we went to the Old Spaghetti Warehouse on Ponce.  I had never been, and truly, it's a very good restaurant; but my yummy cheese spaghetti is not why I'm writing, this is a transit blog after all, not a foodie one.  There's a street car in the middle of the dining room.  I was informed, a couple of times, that it is not a real street car, but somebody seems to have done their homework, because they got the name right on the side, the Atlanta Street Railway Company.  (PS, did you know Wikipedia has a time line of mass transit it Atlanta?  I wonder who we can thank for that?  looky see!)

But I have to laugh at the adorableness of the transit boys, because one of 'em (I'm trying to not call them out too much) ordered his dinner based on the route going down Ponce, the number 2.  That got them into a discussion of what they could order if the place was located somewhere else in the city.  I can barely remember what bus takes me where on the CCT, and these two know the whole stinkin city by heart.

I feel so inadequate.  I need to hang out with the AC more, except she always has to do something for grad school.  She should have done transit planning too.  I'd be willing to bet that traffic signals is way easier than physics of the vocal system or whatever it is that she's taking.

Now I'm getting all high tech on ya!

I am really making up for slackin off the end of last week

 Blog number 4 for the day!  But as I see things I think you transit minded folks might be interested in, I feel compelled to post them.  I figure you're transit minded, at least to some extent, because you're reading this.  Or you think I'm a crazy and like to laugh at me.  Either way, tomorrow there's a webinar being hosted regarding the future of high speed rail.  It's at 2pm on Tuesday, the 10th, and I'm signed up.  I like to learn as much as possible about things, so it seems like a good idea :)  I may walk away utterly confused, but whatever.  That's what my transit boys are for, to decode.

You can find out more about the free webinar & register for it yourselves at:


clicky clicky

The Club

I'm so happy now, I have myself an umbrella!

You make think I'm crazy, but I'm really excited about this.  I had never been an umbrella kind of girl, too much to keep up with, for starters.  And I am neither a witch or made of sugar, so they didn't seem too necessary.  But out here in Cobb County, I do a lot of walking and bus waiting, and there aren't any sheltered bus stops out by my office.  So I had been coveting a big, simple umbrella, like One has, for a while now.  I had looked at Target, but they had ridiculous ones, double-vented golf umbrellas or shiny gold ones, and that just ain't my style.  So I mentioned my umbrella desires, and One gave me one.  Yay!  Now I'm fully prepared for tomorrow's rain storm.  I even checked the weather this morning to see if I'd need one, and it said no, but there were people on the train with umbrellas this morning.  Maybe they had new umbrellas, too.

Anna was late to the shelter this morning, which put me behind on my whole trip.  I was walking up to the station trying to get out my Breeze card when I heard the train pulling up.  That's the first time I've had to run to catch it.  But I made it, and on the same car as the super friendly lady, who always announces to everyone to, "Have a blessed day, God loves you."  She and I commute a lot together these days.  No one responded to her this morning, so I took it upon myself to greet her as well.  I really do love this whole commuting thing, even if it is nearly two hours of my morning, it's a good two hours.

I did actually own a Breeze card before meeting One & Two, and used it as often as I thought I could, be it to Braves games or taking my Dad to the High.  Trains are easy, just follow the colored lines on the map to where you want to go, and if you mess up, get off and switch trains.  Admittedly, though, I had never been on a bus (in America, I did ride those double-decker deals in London).  The whole bus thing seemed way too confusing.  What bus are you supposed to take?  How do you know where to get off?  How long will it take?  Inbound?  Outbound?  What's the schedule?  Buses are intimidating.  And that was before my whole fiasco at Five Points.  (Please excuse the gratuitous plug, but if you haven't heard of it, The A-Train Trip Planner is a godsend for me)

But I had wanted to see what it was like, trying the whole major commute thing, and had tried to figure it out a couple of years ago when I totaled my car, in an attempt to see if I could make it without one (I still don't think I could give up owning some means of transportation, being that my family lives in BFE).  But knowing them gave me the inspiration to actually try.

I won't soon forget that first attempt, though.  The first Sunday I tried, I walked from my apartment to the bus stop on Cobb Parkway, not a bad walk at all.  Then I sat down and looked around, and noticed that someone had stuck a flyer to the shelter, something about how we need to stand up for ourselves that it's ridiculous that CCT doesn't run on Sundays.

Huh?

So I got up to read the schedule.  You mean I walked all the way down here and the bus doesn't run on Sundays?  What kind of nonsense is that?  Like I don't have anywhere important to go on Sundays?  (Granted, I should have checked the schedule before I walked out the door).  Well I was committed to this idea, so I called the Atlanta Cab Company, since they were programmed into my phone, to see if they'd pick me up in Cobb to take me to Arts Center.  The lady, an angel, said that yes, they could pick me up though it'd probably be faster if I called Victory, but there is a bus that runs from Cumberland.

Great!  I'll just walk there!

That is a horrible walk!  It is a long, hilly, walk, and you have to cross over 285, over a pedestrian bridge, and that is loud.  It took me 45 minutes, plus a stop off at QT, to get there, carrying my stuff for the shelter that night.  I got to CTC right as the 12 pulled up, and I was swearing I was never doing that again.  However, the Monday morning commute was awesome and it won me over.  But that's the way it goes, my morning commutes are great, the lady who drives the 8:05 10b is my favorite bus driver in the world, even better than Charlie who drove my school bus in Virginia, and the evening commutes are insane.  I actually dread those sometimes.  And now that it's dark when I leave work, it's not my favorite part of the day.

But I persist, because it makes my day better (I get way too hostile driving on 285 in rush hour), it's better for the environment, it's fun, I get to drink my tea/coffee and read a book, or steal a few zzzs, and I like being in this club.  It's a club for cool kids, and now I get to pretend I'm one, too.  And I say pretend, because I still get confused at Five Points, can't figure out which exit to use at Peachtree Center, and half the time guess when the bus might come, but I'm learning.  I'm trying this whole pre-walking thing Two talked about, but I've determined that's futile when trying to plan your arrival at Arts Center.  There's just one way up to the buses, and it puts you out on the exact opposite of where my bus is. 

I'm lucky, though, cause I have the Accidental Commuter, who is just as new to this as I am, and One and Two, that I get to ask my crazy questions to, like:

Why do the lights randomly turn off on the train? (Two says it's something about losing connection with the third rail, there may be a switch or something.  And I'm pretty sure it happens out on the East line way more often than it's supposed to, based on his answer.)

Why don't the train drivers ennuciate? (One says it's part PA system, part train driver)

How do you know which left side of the train the doors open on (The left of the direction of the train, apparently AC heard a train driver say that, but I always get the ones who don't enunciate)

Are they supposed to be called train drivers or conductors?  (That one just occured to me, so y'all need to clarify)

And because of knowing them, I get the inside scoop on stuff and get to do fun things, like check for a MARTA sign for the 12 at CTC, which gives me a false sense of being important, because I'm not a transit planner (though I think I could be, I mean, a class in traffic lights, I would take that over employment law anyday), but now I have a fancy-smancy umbrella like a real commuter and now I get to be in the club.  :)

Georgia Needs a Real Department of Transportation

State Rep Fran Miller (R. Dunwoody) wrote a column in the Marietta Daily Journal regarding transit reform:

Many people in our growing 10-county Atlanta metropolitan area have witnessed with frustration the failure of our state government to deal with transportation and congestion issues in a comprehensive manner.

To compound the problem, Georgia State University researchers say the rapid transit MARTA system will probably be short $85 million in sales tax receipts for fiscal 2010 and over the next decade could be short $1.4 billion. So what's the bottom line? MARTA can not be financially viable in the long run with only Fulton and DeKalb counties as its prime source of funding.

2010 is an election year and it is politically imperative that the General Assembly give Georgians an opportunity to vote on a comprehensive transportation solution.

I believe a regional approach with a sales tax component has the best chance of acceptance by the public. No other statewide approach has passed in recent years.

In 2009 lawmakers passed SB 200 which created a Planning Division in the Department of Transportation. The purpose of the Planning Division is to be responsible for planning and transportation policy (not just for highways).

It is my intention in 2010 to add to SB 200 or any other approach a Public Transportation division under DOT, with the director of that division also being appointed by the governor. This director can be responsible for operating Georgia public transportation agencies including MARTA.

At the same time, I plan to introduce local legislation in DeKalb and have one of my fellow members in Fulton do likewise to repeal the current MARTA Act.

Obviously there are details that need to be worked out with the state assuming the assets and liabilities of MARTA. Priority issues include operations and federal funding. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, other transit systems such as Cobb and Gwinnett and agencies such as Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and the State Road and Tollway Authority can be incorporated into this comprehensive approach.

Any comprehensive transportation solution voted on by the people requires a two-thirds vote by the House of Representatives and the Senate in order for the initiative to be placed on the ballot.

Local legislation requires a majority of the county representatives and the county senators to sign the bill and a majority vote in each chamber.

This is our one chance to get away from a Department of Highways and have a meaningful Department of Transportation. With this new MARTA financial data, any reasonable person must conclude that Fulton and DeKalb can no longer carry this burden alone. I would hope Fulton and DeKalb representatives and senators would agree with me and insist that MARTA be folded into any comprehensive transit solution.

Furthermore, according to Georgia State University, metro Atlanta (10 counties) generates 53 percent of the state income and receives 37 percent of the state's spending. If metro Atlanta's physical infrastructure cannot allow further growth and/or our competitive position deteriorates, then the balance of our state will not continue to receive this additional funding over what they collect.

This alone should be the necessary incentive for non-metro legislators to support the creation of this public transportation division under DOT and a regional transportation solution with a sales tax component.

No great city in our country (New York, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco) relies only on highways. We either seize the initiative now or in the not too distant future explain to our children why Atlanta is no longer the Capitol of the South. Remember when we were the financial headquarters of the South?

Contact your state representatives and senators and voice your support for this approach.

A great start would be if every metro Atlanta county starts to climb aboard this train.

I don't know how I feel about this proposal.  He talks a good talk, and obviously something needs to be done, but GDOT is notorious for screwing things up.  Maybe, all things considered, I have a skewed view and tend to hear about it more, but this strikes me as a bad idea.  Georgia just got chastised and became the laughing stock of the transit planning community when we disbanded the Intermodal division.  And they lost track of the Greyhound buses they had purchased.  Buses!  How do you loose buses?  Sometimes I loose my car in the parking deck, but it's small, and blue, and there are loads like it.  I think I could keep track of a bus.  And you want to give them a much larger fleet of buses?  And trains.  I guess those are easier to keep track of, they needs tracks, after all.


I like the idea of a regional transit authority, but GDOT?  Really? 


Please please please tell me your thoughts.

Atlanta Magazine Survey

Atlanta has it's own magazine (I know, I was impressed, too) and both One and Two subscribe.  Between their respective places, I may actually read the whole thing.  This month is the the Singles issue - everything you need to know about being single in the Hotlanta.  As a side note, it says one great place to meet people is through Hands On Atlanta - this is what the Accidental Commuter and I have been saying forever!  Barring that you're of the male persuasion, because the ratio at HoA tends to be very estrogen-heavy.  But it is how the AC and I met, and now we're tight hetero-life partners and I simply can not live without her.

Following that awesome gush-fest, you may be asking yourself how this is transit related.  Well, my friends, the fine folks at the Atlanta magazine had themselves a little survey, and one great question was:

If someone asked you out at one of the following places, would you accept?
MARTA train: 43%
MARTA bus stop: 18%

So I ask you, would you accept a date offer at one of the two places?  I would imagine that the AC and I would give a completely different response than One or Two would.  To me, it would be highly unlikely.  In a hypothetical world were I didn't know them, I might even be forced to turn down One or Two if they asked me out on the train, but especially at the bus stop (sorry, fellas) cause that's just a little creepy.  I guess it is better than being approached at the MJQ Meat Market, but really.  I don't think a bus stop is any sort of place to pick up dates.  Maybe I would feel differently if some high caliber of dude actually asked, like the hot MARTA dad or One & Two, but the guys that do, ew, no.

Atlanta's Number One!

In toxicity!  Boo! 

Hello soap box, nice to meet you.  Mind if I step on top of you for a minute or so?

If you haven't seen the article yet, Forbes, which has also ranked us as one of the top places to be single, has jsut declared Atlanta the most toxic city in the US!

Read the article here

Wow.  We beat out the entire nation on sucking so hard environmentally.  Guess why New York did so well, dum dum dum, the Subway!  If we all got out of our cars and on MARTA, we might not be forced to breathe in that crap. 

Also, turn off your lights, people!  Did you know that the number one use of water is actually to create electricity?  So despite Atlanta's over-developmentation (is that a word?  I think if I write it, it gets to be) and stealing water from the poor mussells, the coal-fire power plants are the biggest user of water in the state.  And guess what else puts all those harmful chemicals into the air to add to all that toxicity?  That's right, those same darn power plants!  And now they're trying to build some more, which we don't even need!  We don't need the additional base-line power these plants would produce if we all could conserve a little bit.

So here are your take-aways from todays rant:
1.  Get out of your car!
2.  Turn off some lights and unplug unnecessary appliances and electronics, like cell phone chargers and toasters, the stuff you don't use all the time.
3.  Call your representives and advocate for transit funding and against more coal-fire power plants.

O - and vote!  We just had some elections in the city yesterday which will now lead to a few run-offs.  There are a few great candidates that still need your support.  We have a chance to make a difference, so if you have time to volunteer for a campaign, hit the streets! 

Thank you, and I'll shut up now.

:)

twain

by the Accidental Commuter

I caught a glimpse of a sh li's future children this evening. I was on the train coming home from school when a rather attractive father boarded with his two little ones at the Lindbergh station. I was sitting perpendicular to the seats that are designated for people with disabilities. As the children got on the train I heard a very calm, reassuring voice say "guys there aren't any seats next to the window but we can sit here" as the three sat down. I felt like I should get up. I was sitting next to a window and obviously depriving children of joy. They were pretty cute children, too. The little boy seemed to be about five or six years old and the little girl, who had a flower painted on her face, was about two. They both had a minor physical disability but it only made them more adorable.

Once they were settled in their father pulled something out of his backpack and handed it to his son (I couldn't tell what it was because I had a book out and was pretending to read.) Then he asked his little girl "would you like a train, too?" Really? Not cars, not a Barbie, not even Thomas the Train but little, authentic-looking metal trains. Totally something that A's unborn children would do. Anyway, his daughter took the red train but then requested the "gween" one. She started crashing them together making choo-choo noises and repeating the word "twain." It was cute overload *and* I got to listen to the disordered/underdeveloped speech patterns of a two-year old. Marta must be quite a treat in this little family, as I imagine it would be in the future, hypothetical family that A. could have with one of her transit-loving boyfriends. The little boy asked if they could ride Marta to the park this weekend the way that I would have asked my parents if we could go back to that place up in North Georgia where people in hospital scrubs pull Cabbage Patch Kids out of little fabric heads of cabbage in a little cabbage nursery. Later on when the boy was acting up a simple "if you keep doing that we're going to get off at the next station" was all that had to be said to get the kid back in line.

I remember once when I was about four my mom had to go to a meeting on a Saturday and I asked my dad to help me put my socks on. Different generation I guess. Anyway, mad props to Hot Marta Dad for taking public transportation with two small children in tow and providing unobtrusive entertainment for them that had nothing to do with Disney or Dora the Explorer.

Folkston Funnel

This weekend was my trip down to the swamps of South Georgia. Despite what the Accidental Commuter says, I loved the place! Neill drove us past a great old Victorian home a five minute walk from the Funnel. I could see myself living there, swinging on the porch, having a mint julep, and waiting on the train to bring me a new dress and the mail.

Folkston

View more presentations from ruchinadoll.

A great column by Michael Walls

I didn't go into the office today, due to my rough night of sleeping with a trash can.  I tell you this, because the cord to connect my camera to the computer so I can write my next blog is on my desk, at the office.  Until then, I'll leave you with a great article by the Saporta Report:

Metro Atlanta can not Survive or Prosper without MARTA

Trains & Alligators!!!!

So I'm over the whole attack of the homeless thing, and everyone has been wonderful and supportive and caring and I really appreciate it.  It really wasn't that big of a deal, just shocking.

So this weekend I'm going on the Sierra Club retreat down in the Okefenokee swamp, which gives me a chance to go camping and get away from the city.  However, as a part of the retreat, I'll be checking out the Folkston Funnel, so I still won't be away from the transit geekery, despite the boys being in Boston at Railvolution and me being in a swamp.  However, I'm betting that there aren't any crazy homeless dudes at bus stops down there.  They'd get eaten by the alligators when they'd lay down.

For those of you unaware (like me about five minutes ago, let's not lie) the Folkston Funnel (yes, that's funnel, I thought it was a typo at first, and was expecting a tunnel) is the the railway super highway between Georgia and Florida.  So on Monday, look for a blog with pictures of my train adventures!

the marta make-out

by the Accidental Commuter

Let me start off by saying that old people love me. Maybe adore is a more appropriate word. So this morning as I boarded Marta (I think it's actually supposed to be in all caps because it's an acronym but all caps make me feel like I'm shouting, so from here on out please accept my spelling liberty) I did a quick seat scope-out. Let's face it, you don't want to sit down next to the lady who looks like she wants to tell you all about her bladder infection and recent divorce. Out of the corner of my eye I could see an oldish woman gazing at me with a familiar look of admiration that says "that girl is old-fashioned yet going places." I didn't want to sit next to her, either.

The train is usually pretty empty when I get on since I'm so far out in the burbs. And it wasn't really morning, it was more like after The View ended and I couldn't put off going to class anymore. I found a seat in front of an innocuous-looking man of about thirty. I pulled out a textbook, started reading, and everything was cool. Until the couple from hell boarded.

You know those moments when someone is doing something terribly awkward or disturbing and you just know that surely they'll recognize the inappropriateness of their behavior and stop? Multiply by two. It started out with a simple peck on the lips. Then two, then three, then eew. I could even hear that slurping "stirring macaroni and cheese" sound, as my college roommate used to call it. There was that train-wide feeling of "really?" as we all tried not to stare. I immediately thought of the old woman sitting next to the door and across the aisle from the couple. A few days ago on my way to school some guys got really loud and started swearing at each other and the man sitting in front of me stood up and shouted "hey y'all, there's old people and stuff on here and they don't need to be hearing your cussing and crap." Where was that guy when I needed him? Innocuous Thirty Something behind me was no help at all.

I figured that surely they would get off at the Buckhead stop or maybe they were on their way to Atlantic Station to buy some faux fur and skinny jeans. That was my only saving grace. They were in their early twenties but nothing about them said "student," no backpack, no books, no intelligence. We pulled into the Buckhead station. Nothing. Unless more sucking face counts as something. I guess that I have a little bit of a hang-up about PDA. I'm not usually a willing participant in anything beyond hand-holding and maybe a quick peck on the lips. When it comes to other people I can tolerate about as much as I can dish out. So at this point we're just sitting at the Buckhead station watching young love in action. Then, because things like this just happen to me, the driver/conductor/engineer (whatever they call people who drive big electric trains) announces that we will continue moving but at a much slower pace because of some construction up ahead. Fab.

Now I feel really horrible posting about all of this after my partner in crime was accosted by a homeless man at the bus stop earlier this evening. The lusty youths from my morning commute eventually stopped being vomity and de-trained at Peachtree Center. But on a Skeeve Scale of one to ten these folks were about a nine and a half. Plus a sh li can (and should) legally pack heat. My story doesn't have a moral, no one out there needs to be more aware of their surroundings because you never know when someone seated in front of you on the Marta is going to start making out. But today someone learned a little bit less about children's early comprehension of syntax and a little bit more about what is wrong with the youth of Atlanta.

Tonight the bus has defeated me :(

In a word, tramatized.  My transit adventures have left me in tears and I feel like an epic failure.  So here's what happened:

This evening there was a Greenpeace talk on climate at a joint in the nether-regions of Memorial, off of Flat Shoals.  This required me to take the bus from work to the train, and then get off at Five Points and take the 21 eastbound down Memorial.  I wasn't a fan, because this doesn't have me going through the best parts of town.  But whatever, I'm a bus girl now, three weeks in should have been enough to prepared me for this, right?  And even the shelter has me in not the best part of town.  But the not best part of Decatur is much much different than the not best part of Atlanta.

To catch the bus from Five Points, you have to go to the street level of Underground Atlanta.  To catch the 21, you have to walk to the furthest end of the street, away from the station and the police precinct.  So I walked down to the bus stop around 7pm and leaned up against the wall of whatever building along side two other men who were talking amongst them stuff.  Over by the signpost, between it and the trash can lay a man.  Whatever, homeless folks all over, I've become a little hardened to this fact after my shelter stint.

So the homeless guy gets up and walks over to me.  As soon as he does, I tell him I don't have any cash on me.  He has some tickets to something, free stuff they hand out to tourists, and says he wants to give them to me, but do I have any change because he's homeless and hungry.

When I first moved to Atlanta, I used to be so heartbroken by the homeless on the streets.  I even called my mom one time, the December I had first moved here, crying because a man had asked me for money and he was so nice and seemed so hurt but some cops had told me the week before to never give them money because they may be trying to steal my wallet.  I cried over that man.  Now I've learned that there are resources out there and some people are homeless because of really bad decisions and that's changed my perspective.  But sometimes I still see people that I think really need it and try to help them.

But they are never the people on or around MARTA.

So this homeless guy, after I tell him the second time that I'm sorry, but I have no money, puts his hands on my shoulders and pinned me against the wall and started yelling in my face, cursing me out.  And the worst part is, those men standing beside me do nothing.  So he walks off and I'm in shock.  A couple of minutes later The Screamer comes up to us and I just start laughing.

One is the one who told me about the Screamer, and thank heavens he prepared me.  Apparently the man has no tongue and is a little crazy, so we hangs out at the station and screams at people, generally pointing to something.  He had a small scrap of paper tonight, but I have no clue what it said.  But One has assured me that he's harmless, so rather than be shocked or afraid, I'm just happy to see him.  At least he won't try to assault me.

So here's this guy screaming at us, then he stands in the middle of the street screaming some more, and I have had it.  I can't do this any longer, I can't wait a second more for that damned bus and I can't stand out there on that street and God forbid it, I am NOT taking that bus BACK to that station at 9!  So I walk across the street and back into the station to get back on the train.

And I started crying because I should be able to do this.  And honestly, that was the first time in the three years I've lived here that I've been scared in Atlanta.  And I feel so defeated and like such a fool that I couldn't wait on a stupid bus in downtown.  Seriously, who walks away from a bus stop crying?

Ah DC

So it's not actually transit related, but it's one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time!

Thursday Morning

You may think I'm crazy, but commuting in like this actually helps me have better mornings! I get out of the shelter at a good time and I love the routine it forces me into to catch the 10b. I drink my coffee and relax while watching the sun rise. I'm falling in love with this whole transit thing and it reaffirms everything that I love about the city. I think that coming into the city from Kennsington may be the greatest view of Atlanta, the morning fog over Oakland, the pink tones of the sun through downtown, Atlanta really is an awesome place to live. And of course, my most favorite view, the mists of the Chattahoochee in the mornings as we cross over it. And it's fall now, so the leaves are changing; man, I don't think it could get any more gorgeous than it is down here! Granted, Atlanta has her issues, but we're not focusing on those today! And, I really like the regular bus driver for the 10b, now that I've got the knack of catching the fool thing. She's really nice, and funny. Today she called out a guy who tried to sneak past her without paying. It is an awesome day!

Storytime! Boys, you can stop reading here, it's only my musings. ;) Lillian, the Russian co-director of my shelter, remarked this morning how European it is of me to commute to work. While true, Europeans are more transit friendly, this made me think of something that I've noticed. These transit boys that I've come to find myself surrounded by seem to gravitate towards whatever transit girls they can find. M. married a girl from France and Erik Steavens at GDOT, his wife is from Germany (I think that's what he said), so obviously they went the European route. Two's ideal girl would be car-free, like him, and R.'s wife has the L map tattooed on her arm. My advanced degree tells me this is a noticable trend. That's what us psychologists are for, studying patterns in human behaviors. :p Maybe I should start a dating service.

Guest Bloggers

I've decided to have some guest bloggers to regale you with tales of thier mass transit misadventures.  But these aren't any ol' normal riders, there are the following most awesome people:

The Accidental Commuter - is my heterosexual life partner and has recently been inducted to the transit world now that she has started grad school downtown.  The AC is a suburban dweller who takes the train to class so she spends way more time on it than I.  She is also by far the funniest girl I know, so I'm looking forward to her snarky comments!

E - is kinda like my other half.  She recently, following some crazy tire issues, decided to hit the bus and train.  Like me, she also fell in love with the awesomeness that the bus is.  However, E rides it in town more, while I'm out in the burbs.She's also hilarious and new to the bus world as well as being overly enthusiastic, so this should be fun.

Two - Two is, well Two.  But Two lives in town and is car free, which is a way bigger step than I am prepared to take, though he tells me that my commute is more hardcore than he could do.  But Two also has a little more insight into the world of transit, so look out for his informative posts!

Bus Stories

I tried to make that clip art bus look like my bus. Yes, I am a dork!

Bus Stories

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Kinda sad

but kinda funny, in that way that the truth is ironic, and painful.

from the ajc.com

Bullet necklace, part Two.

So this bullet necklace has been a transit nightmare, or piece of quality entertainment, one.  The first week I had it, Two and I were on the train riding back from the Sierra Club office (where all gangstas hang out).  Well the chain broke and the bullet went rolling across the floor of the train.  Two, the gentleman that he is, immediately started chasing it for me, not realizing what eactly he was chasing.  A bullet.  Across a MARTA train.  Some nice man stopped it with his foot, and Two retrieved it for me.  He was not too pleased with me.  What can I say?  It's how us gangsta roll. 

Gangsta

We are all a lil G.

Gangsta

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So I know...

that I wrote about the things that suck about the bus, and thank goodness, as the Lady in the Cube pointed out, I do have options.  But this morning reaffirmed why I'm doing this - 285 at 8 am in the rain may be hell on Earth.  I don't REALLY need a car, do I?

Things That Suck

Mostly, I love the bus.  I like the time to read, to relax, to not have to fight the urge to kill someone on 285 in rush hour.  But there are a few downsides.
Things That Suck

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Makes me at least glad that Stoner represents me

From another blog, which also mentions the MARTA and GDOT merger:

http://saportareport.com/blog/?p=2268

The blog post to beat all blog posts!

Really, I'm just trying to catch up.

So Erik Steavens - he attended the CfPT Happy Hour last Wednesday and is some something or another for the GDOT.  I could look it up, but you could too.  Point being he's a great transit oriented dude who did (at least that night, from what I've heard of when he spoke to the RAIL committee) seem to have some hope for transit in Georgia.  However, he completely skirted the issue when he was asked his opinion on MARTA being merged with GDOT.

My unprofessional opinion (maybe someone way more educated on it, like One or Two :p, could chime in) is that this is a bad idea.  I mean, GDOT recently got into a bit of trouble for loosing some buses they had purchased.  Buses.  How do you loose buses?  I mean, those are pretty big.  In fact, one had been totaled and they were unaware.  Some were in other states, like Virginia and Texas, and those, my friends, aren't even neighboring states.  Granted, they were buses for intercity transit, but that's a huge intercity distance.  So if GDOT can't keep up with a small fleet of buses, do you think they can handle MARTA?  I think we're best to leave that one up to the folks that seem to be doing pretty well with it already given the circumstances, and just give them a bit more money to make it work.  That't where GDOT can lend a hand, in lobbying for funding for MARTA, because if MARTA operates, there are less people on the roads, so less wear and tear.  These people should really let me be the decision maker.

Some politicians and political candidates also showed up at the CfPT happy hour, including Amir Farokhi, Graham Balch, and Elena Parent, who I think we're all pretty excited about.  She is running opposed to Jill Chambers, who I'm a bit miffed at (but that's another post to be written).  It was a great evening and well attended, it was standing room only in the meeting room. 

In other news, my morning commute went really well.  I have this down to a fine science, as long as the train is running on time.  I am now driving to the station, it saves me 30 minutes and when you've got that long of a ride, I think it's a fair trade off.  Be mad at me if you want.  But if I leave the shelter by 7:15 then I make it to Arts Center by 8 to make the 8:05 10b, which is epic.  And that gets me to the office by 8:50.  So this morning I had my coffee (I know, what's become of me?  Coffee?!?!?) and read my book, 46 pages to be exact.  I'm currently reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, one of my favorite authors.  Ironically, this book heavily features the tube in London, complete with a map which includes the dates the stations opened.  I really had no clue how old the tube is; it was founded by an Act of Parliment in 1854.    Anyways, other than the wierd dude on the bus who kept staring at me (yes, I am the only white girl on here, but this is not a zoo!), it was a perfect morning!

I know, I know

Yea, I gotta do that whole blog post on the CfPT happy hour, which was awesome and loads of fun, by the way, but until I can devote some quality time to it, I wanted to share this local news story with you, in case you missed it:

Homelessness & Buses

CfPT Happy Hour

Tonight the Citizens for Progressive Transit are having a happy hour with special guest Erik Steavens of the Georgia Department of Transportation.  I plan on being there, and blogging about it, but I'm so concerned over HOW to get there!

My dilemma is that I'm at the shelter tonight, and I have to make cupcakes tonight for the Sierra Club open house tomorrow night.  And in order to make cupcakes, I have to go to the grocery store.  Which is NO WHERE near the shelter.  Or transit out that way.  And I have to take my baking stuff and fancy smancy cupcake carrier out the the shelter in order to make said cupcakes.  AND I totally do not see myself lugging four dozen cupcakes on that two hour commute around town in the morning, and then again in the afternoon back down to the office.  On top of the pumpkins, apple cider, and crock pot.  So I NEED my car.  Now what to do?

I could leave my car at the mall, take the bus downtown, and then come back up and get it, but that's a lot of time spent that could be used on cupcakage, which, being that it's for the Sierra Club, is essentially carbon-neutral, right?

But I can't show up to a CfPT happy hour in my car!  Grr!

Mission: Commute on Monday

The reason why I'm writing this blog is because I've yet to have one commute that went perfectly as planned. I don't think I could make this stuff up if I tried!

Cct Monday

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My Adventures On The Bus!

With some encouragement from Two, I've started a new blog of my commute. He says it'll be good to bring more awareness, I just think it's fun.

My Adventures On The Bus!

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