The usual humdrum 3:57 3A from Annandale was enlivened at East Falls Church metro when, instead of 6 commuters embarking, a mob of 50 people tried to break into the bus from the back and front doors, without paying.
The bus driver attempted to hold them off. "This ain't a shuttle! This a regular bus! You gotta pay! No, you can't come in the back, come on in front!" People were protesting, yelling. It woke me up---I'd been dozing (having finally learned how to doze on a bus).
A police office materialized and started hollering at the bus driver. "It's on me!" the officer shouted---no one had to pay. So the driver relented and let everyone on.
Continuing problems on metro closed the tracks between East Falls Church and, I suppose, Rosslyn, where the 3A goes, so all of the metro dumpees were looking for the free shuttle to Rosslyn. At least today they weren't dumped in the middle of a thunderstorm/tornado, which is what happened two weeks ago when downed electrical lines closed the tracks between E. and W. Falls Church.
This seems to be the perfect storm to test wmata's capabilities: deteriorating infrastructure tested by increasing crowds due to $4 gas, and typical DC summer lighting knocking out power.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Bad day for a rider
This afternoon I watched despairingly from a block away as the 3A tooled east on Little River Turnpike. It was 3:42 pm. It should have been there at 3:47. Early buses are much more frustrating than late buses.
I don't sit around and wait for the next bus--I walk. So I headed east on 236 (sidewalks), north on Annandale Rd. (sidewalks) and continued northeast on Annandale (intermittent sidewalks on the western side, no sidewalks at all on the eastern side, which of course is where you have to be to catch the bus).
I calculated that the next 3A should reach Casilear Rd. at about 4:30, so crossed the street at 4:25, found a tree and a Hispanic woman waiting under it, and collapsed in the shade.
Time passed. Hispanic woman gave up and left, replaced by Hispanic man. At 4:50, the 3A passed as well---the man and I jumped and waved--"Hey! What the f#%@!" (from me, not him)
The bus stopped 40 yards away, thank God.
But apparently the bus driver had never driven this route before. She missed a couple of other stops and had to be alerted by passengers "hey! stop!" At Harrison St., I heard her ask someone "this where I turn? I know I gotta turn off somewhere."
I had to tell her how to get to Rosslyn. I disembarked at Glebe Rd. and was a little worried about the rest of the passengers.
I don't sit around and wait for the next bus--I walk. So I headed east on 236 (sidewalks), north on Annandale Rd. (sidewalks) and continued northeast on Annandale (intermittent sidewalks on the western side, no sidewalks at all on the eastern side, which of course is where you have to be to catch the bus).
I calculated that the next 3A should reach Casilear Rd. at about 4:30, so crossed the street at 4:25, found a tree and a Hispanic woman waiting under it, and collapsed in the shade.
Time passed. Hispanic woman gave up and left, replaced by Hispanic man. At 4:50, the 3A passed as well---the man and I jumped and waved--"Hey! What the f#%@!" (from me, not him)
The bus stopped 40 yards away, thank God.
But apparently the bus driver had never driven this route before. She missed a couple of other stops and had to be alerted by passengers "hey! stop!" At Harrison St., I heard her ask someone "this where I turn? I know I gotta turn off somewhere."
I had to tell her how to get to Rosslyn. I disembarked at Glebe Rd. and was a little worried about the rest of the passengers.
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