So when I made my new list I decided to add some DC driving to it in order to [...]]]>

If you know me IRL, you know that I rarely drive to Virginia or DC….. I take the Metro everywhere mainly for 2 reasons…. people around DC drive like crazy people ….. and I hate parallel parking.

So when I made my new list I decided to add some DC driving to it in order to expand my horizons.  First up H St NE.  Why?  Metrorail doesn’t service the area.  You have to Metro to Minn Ave and then take the X2 bus.  Not a terrible trip, but time consuming.  Last week I had a Living Social deal at Dangerously Delicious Pies that was set to expire.   If I metro’d it would have been at least a 90 minute round trip.

Driving……. 30 minutes round trip.

I managed to find free street parking….. that didn’t require parallel parking… Woohoo!

This opens a whole new world for me, since there are some great restaurants on H St NE.

I don’t usually commute via the Red line. But whoa. Watching a press conference. General Manager Catoe seems to be vehement that the trains were not single tracking.

I was in SW DC when this happened (at happy hour!) and was actually in a place with a TV tuned [...]]]>

Something seriously went wrong here….

I don’t usually commute via the Red line. But whoa. Watching a press conference. General Manager Catoe seems to be vehement that the trains were not single tracking.

I was in SW DC when this happened (at happy hour!) and was actually in a place with a TV tuned to local news… and around 5:40 Breaking News alerts started coming in.

oddly enough never saw a metro alert that referred to the collision… only “mechanical difficulties” and “a police situation”.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

This is the second time in 3 years that I have been commuting via Metrorail, that your email alert system has sent out vague communication in regards to a MAJOR delay, caused by a derailment.

Exhibit A….back when this happened, Metro sent out alerts warning [...]]]>

Dear Metro — what is so hard to understand about this concept??

This is the second time in 3 years that I have been commuting via Metrorail, that your email alert system has sent out vague communication in regards to a MAJOR delay, caused by a derailment.

Exhibit A….back when this happened, Metro sent out alerts warning of delays due to “mechanical difficulties”.

Exhibit B… today … I’ve been getting alerts (and Tweets!) all morning about “track maintenance”.

WMATA…. what can you not understand that in order for commuters to properly plan their “Plan B” you need to describe the situation accurately?? How hard is it?

The real fun starts @ 3:03

From: csvc@wmata.com <csvc@wmata.com>Subject: RE: RAIL ANNOUNCE ORANGTo: XXXXXXXDate: Monday, September 15, 2008, 1:00 PM

Dear Ms. XXXXXXXX:

Metro¿s Blue-Orange Line Team received your email of concern regarding notreceiving subscribed e-alerts this past Friday, 09/12, morning. I apologize forthe inconvenience of not [...]]]>

An answer to why no email alerts about Friday’s Major Disruptions….(basically they blamed it on technical difficulties).

From: csvc@wmata.com <csvc@wmata.com>
Subject: RE: RAIL ANNOUNCE ORANG
To: XXXXXXX
Date: Monday, September 15, 2008, 1:00 PM

Dear Ms. XXXXXXXX:

Metro¿s Blue-Orange Line Team received your email of concern regarding not
receiving subscribed e-alerts this past Friday, 09/12, morning. I apologize for
the inconvenience of not knowing ahead of time of the delays, which caused you
not to be able to make alternate travel arrangements. Metro experienced a
temporary technical problem with the systems that provide the electronic
messages. The situation was corrected later that morning. We appreciate your
patience and thank you for riding Metro.

Sincerely,
Marjorie Strother
Customer Service Representative
Blue-Orange Line Team
Case number 432186

To speak to a Blue-Orange Line Customer Service Representative for Comments,
Complaints, Suggestions, or Concerns, please call 301 562-4606 weekdays between
the hours of 8:00 am – 5:00pm or email us at blue-orangeline @wmata.com.

Please call 202-637-7000 for trip schedules, fare information, general
information and customer assistance between the hours of 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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When I arrive at New Carrollton after my MARC ride – there is usually an 8 car train waiting… today it was 6…. I though oh well … maybe less cars because its Friday. In the rush from the MARC platform to the Metro platform I noticed 1 Bright yellow sign on 1 [...]]]>

When I arrive at New Carrollton after my MARC ride – there is usually an 8 car train waiting… today it was 6…. I though oh well … maybe less cars because its Friday. In the rush from the MARC platform to the Metro platform I noticed 1 Bright yellow sign on 1 faregate ( about the size of an 8×11 in piece of paper) that mentioned major delays, and you may want to reconsider swiping your farecard. I didn’t think much of it at the time… and proceeded on my way to the train.

Aside – Saw a dude taking up as much space as possible reading newspaper and with his messenger bag sitting on the other seat, this of course was my cue “Excuse me….” And with a huff of exasperation he moved his bag and then sat with his arms crossed… What a baby! LOL!

Anyway I pulled out my book, and started reading….Crackle-Crackle…. “If you have just arrived we have a situation… ” I think uh -oh! The Metro guy proceeds to tell us that there is a suspicious package at Benning Road area, and he is only going as far as Minn Ave… where there will be shuttle busses to Stadium-Armory. I check my phone — no alert from Metro ( which if they had sent one I possibly could have taken MARC all the way into DC) – (its now 8am – still no email alert from Metro)

We are on our way… after Landover, Metro guy announces… we are single tracking (so we switched to the Northbound track) due to a train already at Minn Ave. Ok… then we pull into Cheverly… where people heading into DC are on the opposite side of the track … Metro guy “Well people are on the other side of the track… guess that’s way it goes sometimes..” LOL – everyone on the train laughs!

We get to Minn Ave – Rush to shuttle bus … (I actually made it in the second one!) While waiting for the shuttle, Not in service bus pulls up… Driver starts shouting I am heading to Deanwood! Everyone around me “Why is the bus going to Deanwood, the trains are running to Deanwood!”

On the shuttle bus… we get cut of by a silver Durango – Metro driver lays on horn… Durango lays on brakes… Shuttle bus riders laugh… this continued for a while.

Arrive at Stadium Armory – go through faregates… which are all labeled with the Yellow Major Delays signs… Train headed for Vienna comes through, I get on, figure out the situation at Benning Road is resolved … and here I am !

It only took me about 1 hour and 50 minutes to get to work today… could have been worse, But Metro really needs to improve communications!

Sent from my BlackBerry

what a waste of money for the SmartTrip card. Oh well now I know…

Lesson Learned Metro and SmarTrip suck!!

It’s probably demagnetized