Metriquette, Part 1: Why I've Given Up on Public Transportation

» Bill_Samuel - To Metro or Not to Metro, That Is the Question

Gee, I wonder how long it would have taken you to drive home in a snowstorm? Road delays are usually much worse than Metro delays in storms.

You shouldn't read the paper while driving (I know some people do), but you usually can on the Metro. Or do office work, or many other things. It often takes more elapsed time to Metro than to drive, but you should be paying attention to the road when you drive while the time on Metro can be productive. Therefore, using Metro can decrease wasted time even though it may increase commuting time.

I walk to the Metro, about 15 minutes, so I'm getting in some exercise time, as well as using the time on the Metro as reading time. I think Metro is generally lower stress than commuting in Washington area traffic, which results in significant health benefits which people often don't factor in.

-- posted by Bill_Samuel

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» Gwrites - Wouldn't drive if snow were predicted...

Yes, Bill, you're absolutely right--there are great benefits to riding Metro, and as I said in Part 1, if I lived any further out of the city, I would definitely ride the Metro. Or, if I lived in the city itself, I would definitely ride the Metro. But because of where I live, I never, ever (except in very off-hours) get a seat, which means, when juggling a bag, a laptop and a lunch bag in one hand or on shoulders and using the other hand to hold on, that I wasn't getting much reading or work done at all.

Now, when I was commuting from Frederick, Md. to D.C. (And THAT was a horrible commute!), I drove to the Shady Grove Metro station, at the end of the Red line, and then had a solid 35 minute ride into town--plenty of time to get work done, relax, take a nap on the way home, whatever. I wouldn't have traded it for the world. Same thing when I lived in Falls Church. I lived about 3 miles from the Dunn Loring station--too far to walk, but close enough to just do a quick drive and then hop the train for a 25 minute ride. I had plenty of time to read or whatever. But because I live so close, the ride is too short to really get anything done, most of the time I'm not sitting down anyway, and the bulk of my commute is the walk to or from my house to the station and to and from the station to my job, so it's more stressful.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the article. I hope you'll come back for Part 2, when I get into some of the rider behaviors that get on my nerves. I think you'll appreciate it, and maybe even get a chuckle if you recognize some of those you've seen before!

-- posted by Gwrites

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» jerrib - This brings back several memories for me.

I used to work back there on occasion and I stayed at the Marriott in Crystal City. I loved to explore and ended up somewhere underground where I quickly got told I was in a restricted area! Actually I was looking for shopping places. Interesting place.

The second memory comes when I was there the first time DC shut down the city because of snow and ice. I rode the subway to DC to work and it was mighty cold! I was glad I didn't have to take a cab. Getting out of DC was all I could think of after nearly freezing to death and having a time walking across the street to work from the subway. (Dept. of Labor was nearly the last to shut down in town!)

But I love the subway! I love to go eat Mexican food at L'Enfant Plaza. I stayed at the Ritz Carlton once. I stayed by the Capitol several times. I preferred staying out of town and riding Metro - felt safer, actually, than being downtown where I didn't go out at night.

I remember the first time I rode Metro when I got on the wrong side of the escalator going down to catch the subway. Moved over! I learned the rules quickly. I'll look forward to your next article.

Jerri

-- posted by jerrib

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