Metro Run-Ins

Most of the time I love Metro. Except when they make me wait on the platform for forever, like they did this morning to get to work. Oh well, since nobody is here, and since I never do anything all day anyways, it wasn't a big deal.

But yesterday was a big day for me on the Metro. On my way into work, I rode opposite Roy Hibbert of Georgetown. Let's just say that he was a big, big man. His calves were big old things, as big as my thighs. And anyone boarding the train had to walk on the opposite side of the pole from him. Because his knees stuck out all the way to it. I guess I had forgotten just how tall 7' was even though my boy Matt Slanika from the old Silver Spring Blue Devils Days.

Then on my way home, walking up the steps at Union Station, who walks by me, but the author of one of my favorite websites -- bobbyboswell.com. Of course I tell him, "Keep up the good work Bobby" which caught him off guard. He shook the hand, complimented me on the Bobby Boswell.com wrist bracelet from my night of heavy drinking and sleeping on the couch.

Of course, then he asks where I'm going, and I BLEW IT!!! I was going home. Totally should have tagged along with him on his Metro ride. Next time, I'll take the ride.

And Bobby, if you read this, give a shout out to section 131 tomorrow vs the Pink Cows and the drinks are on me next time. VAMOS UNITED!!!

Metro Madness

I can't understand Metro. Seriously.

Don't get me wrong, it's an easy commute that ultimately drops me off everyday just a half block from my office.

But I can't understand something. With July being a month in which Metro set a ridership record in terms of number of riders on the rails, combined with the fact that everyone on each of those 19.2 million is spending at least $1.35 to ride, and large numbers of them, at least in the morning and evening rushes.

Now, even though I was a physics major in college, the numbers and math side was never my strong suit. But let's just for a minute assume that the average fare on Metro is $1.50 for each of those 19.2 million people sticking a fare card through the gates each day. That means that in July, the transport system took in $28.8 million. Since we're physicists, let's just round that to $30 million. And that's just the train part, not including the bus service, parking for those train riders in the outer suburbs.

Why all the math first thing on a Monday morning? Well sitting in the subterranean caverns under the Centurions (Union Station Metro stop, Red line), I waited for two trains to roll through because they were too full. The problem? At least one car in each of the first two six-car trains, had it's lights turned off and was out of service.

I see cars out of commission every night on my way home too. In times of record ridership, why can't Metro throw the money back into the cars and service? I can deal with having to wait, with single tracking and trains that aren't evenly spread out. But that's because at the end of the day, I expect that when a train rolls into the station, I'll be able to hop on quickly. When cars are too packed to stand there without spraining your back (as I did this morning piling on and then arching my back to fit in with the seas of humanity), can I ask where my transit money is going?

And does anyone know why this is happening repeatedly? Has Metro said anything? And isn't Metro a non-profit? Don't they have to sink all their money back into the system?

Why hide behind a shield?

So I'm sure you're trying to figure something out. Why the DC Centurion? Well, here's a piece of fun info:

The exterior and interior of Union Station are guarded by a series of statues of Roman centurions. When he received the commission for designing the statues, Saint-Gaudens [the artist who sculpted them] asked the Fine Arts Commission if they wanted the statues to be historically accurate and was assured that they did.

When the models were delivered, the Fine Arts Commission were dismayed to find that some of the statues were obviously naked below their tunics -- historically accurate, yes, but not acceptable to turn-of-the-century Washington.

Saint-Gaudens redesigned the statues so the centurions now hold "modesty shields".

That's where the guy to the right comes in. I've always thought that whole idea was hilarious. Here we are, two blocks from the Capitol Rotunda, and we could have sculptures of the ideal of manly beauty with everything hanging out? I can hear the Bible Belt fainting in a heap already.

But, you'll also notice the shield of the under-appreciated DC United soccer team front and center, instead of the Roman Eagle adorning the real sculptures as they stand sentinel over Union station huh? [The profile picture will be coming soon. Bear with me]. Take a look at all these pictures and tell me if it's not an improvement.

But why Union Station? Well, I live in Washington, D.C. I won't call it what it used to be called in terms of the "Free World" but since I live two blocks from Union Station, walk by these semi-nudes every day and sometimes get freaked out by the idea of them coming alive and down to beat on me ... it seemed to fit.

I'm a young, mid 20's professional, and as it says in the subtitle, this is a scattershot blog. I'll be harping on all kinds of fun things. Currently on my list of topics to discuss are the books I'm working on, the movies I see, the food I eat, all of my soccer and other sports fun, my soccer reffing career and anything else that piques my interest.

Check back in, and if you want me to track anything down for you, I'm happy to.