Post by jejozwik on Jul 7, 2008 9:22:20 GMT -8
this week i have a light workload, not expected to stay past 6pm. so i thought it would be a good week to try out public transit again for my commute.
i start on del mar park and ride lot for the 487. normally the lot here has quite a bit of space at 7 am. but not today, luckily i was able to snag the last open spot. the 489 was pulling away right as i parked, and i was in no rush as today was public transportation week! stress free right?
the 487 finally appeared after 8 min past schedule, acceptable.
inside the bus, standing room only, as is normal during rush hours.
so down the el monte busway we went, cruzing past single occupant vehicles. to the cal state stop, were a nice line of people wait to board. everyone packs in rubbing up against there neighbors to allow a few more aboard.
two folk will have to wait for the next bus.
down to union station, onward to the red line stop. were i noticed the "next train arriving" screens are still blank. i guess that one day of info was enough for the month.
red line trip pleasant as could be expected. i was used to this so i just sat back and enjoyed the ride. after the hollywood highland station i finally got a glimpse of that "moving ad" and thought, wow we might actually have a chance at a good system someday. it felt so modern cruising along with an LED light show between the blackness.
exiting north hollywood station i was impressed by the station design and brightness
at the surface i stood looking around for the orange line. looking looking, until i spotted a line of people running across the intersection. walked patiently to the intersection were i cought the dont walk sign. so i wait, pondering when the next metro liner will stop. walk sign flashes and everyone around me bolts across the intersection. mid-street an old woman starts to yell "dont run dont run, be patient, be patient. dont run!" i get across and the metro liner closes its doors, opens again then i finally decide i need to get moving.
aboard the metro liner, i think for a moment "hey this is not half bad!" looks modern enough to please me, cool looking articulation joint, full but not uncomfortably so.
then we start moving, then stop... waiting at the first cross street, a little residential road with no cars crossing. but we need to stop.
moving again, bouncing all around. the modernness and impressiveness disappear as i find out this is just like any other bus.
for 45 min i bop around dipping and jerking. were i start to think,"gee i wonder when reseda is going to show up?" as there are no station [stop] indicators other then the glimpse of a cross street sign.
hopping out of the bus i walk to my first crossing. reseda and the orange line ROW. me and my fellow commuters stand waiting for the signal to change, when a man next to me runs across the intersection trying to catch his connecting bus. almost gets hit by a f-150 about to take a turn. the man runs behind the truck and across the street just as traffic starts to fill it. he sits down as he has missed his bus.
everyone around me shakes there heads.
so we all now cross, i part ways heading south. crossing yet another street. ever one sees me, i am calm. walking along the shady side of the street i make way for the 101 bridge, close to my destination.
crossing hatteras at reseda no problem, nice big intersection, everyone slows.
collins at reseda is not as nice. just as i am about to cross a white van man decides he does not want to wait for me and drives in front of me for his right hand turn. i think "dick" and walk behind his van to cross. when a black bmw speeds up to the intersection, barely stopping for me. coming to rest inches from my left leg. i think "jesus!"
back to the safety of the side walk. i approach the off ramp of the 101 freeway north[west]. as i get the the crossing the light gives right of way to the freeway traffic. i stand, thinking how gigantic freeway "do not enter" and "oneway" signs are from a vantage point other then in a car. the light switches for me, i wait for all the cars to slow, then stop. [ive been hit before, dont want that again] everything seems fine until i make that first step, when a man driving his beater service truck decides he does not have the time to wait for me to make a move, and speeds up to me as i complete my third step. i freak out and walk quickly across.
under the safety of the 101 bridge i begin to realize something. no matter how many lines we build, or how grate our system is. im not doing this again until no longer do i feel fearful as to weather or not someone will notice me. im smart enough to wait for someone to come to a stop, but impatient drivers stop for seconds only to speed off again when they see no traffic oncoming. generally looking to there left, as i cross from the right.
in 2001 [the only document i could find at the moment.] there were an average of 3,000 [at 7-8 am] and 4,700 [at 5-6 pm] pedestrian related accidents in the city of los angeles [proper] for the year. coming out to 21 car-on-person accidents every freaking day.
transit is great, except for those location were you need to walk more then just to another bus stop.
Accidents list: Death on the Crosswalk: A Study of Pedestrian Accidents in Los Angeles (pdf)
i start on del mar park and ride lot for the 487. normally the lot here has quite a bit of space at 7 am. but not today, luckily i was able to snag the last open spot. the 489 was pulling away right as i parked, and i was in no rush as today was public transportation week! stress free right?
the 487 finally appeared after 8 min past schedule, acceptable.
inside the bus, standing room only, as is normal during rush hours.
so down the el monte busway we went, cruzing past single occupant vehicles. to the cal state stop, were a nice line of people wait to board. everyone packs in rubbing up against there neighbors to allow a few more aboard.
two folk will have to wait for the next bus.
down to union station, onward to the red line stop. were i noticed the "next train arriving" screens are still blank. i guess that one day of info was enough for the month.
red line trip pleasant as could be expected. i was used to this so i just sat back and enjoyed the ride. after the hollywood highland station i finally got a glimpse of that "moving ad" and thought, wow we might actually have a chance at a good system someday. it felt so modern cruising along with an LED light show between the blackness.
exiting north hollywood station i was impressed by the station design and brightness
at the surface i stood looking around for the orange line. looking looking, until i spotted a line of people running across the intersection. walked patiently to the intersection were i cought the dont walk sign. so i wait, pondering when the next metro liner will stop. walk sign flashes and everyone around me bolts across the intersection. mid-street an old woman starts to yell "dont run dont run, be patient, be patient. dont run!" i get across and the metro liner closes its doors, opens again then i finally decide i need to get moving.
aboard the metro liner, i think for a moment "hey this is not half bad!" looks modern enough to please me, cool looking articulation joint, full but not uncomfortably so.
then we start moving, then stop... waiting at the first cross street, a little residential road with no cars crossing. but we need to stop.
moving again, bouncing all around. the modernness and impressiveness disappear as i find out this is just like any other bus.
for 45 min i bop around dipping and jerking. were i start to think,"gee i wonder when reseda is going to show up?" as there are no station [stop] indicators other then the glimpse of a cross street sign.
hopping out of the bus i walk to my first crossing. reseda and the orange line ROW. me and my fellow commuters stand waiting for the signal to change, when a man next to me runs across the intersection trying to catch his connecting bus. almost gets hit by a f-150 about to take a turn. the man runs behind the truck and across the street just as traffic starts to fill it. he sits down as he has missed his bus.
everyone around me shakes there heads.
so we all now cross, i part ways heading south. crossing yet another street. ever one sees me, i am calm. walking along the shady side of the street i make way for the 101 bridge, close to my destination.
crossing hatteras at reseda no problem, nice big intersection, everyone slows.
collins at reseda is not as nice. just as i am about to cross a white van man decides he does not want to wait for me and drives in front of me for his right hand turn. i think "dick" and walk behind his van to cross. when a black bmw speeds up to the intersection, barely stopping for me. coming to rest inches from my left leg. i think "jesus!"
back to the safety of the side walk. i approach the off ramp of the 101 freeway north[west]. as i get the the crossing the light gives right of way to the freeway traffic. i stand, thinking how gigantic freeway "do not enter" and "oneway" signs are from a vantage point other then in a car. the light switches for me, i wait for all the cars to slow, then stop. [ive been hit before, dont want that again] everything seems fine until i make that first step, when a man driving his beater service truck decides he does not have the time to wait for me to make a move, and speeds up to me as i complete my third step. i freak out and walk quickly across.
under the safety of the 101 bridge i begin to realize something. no matter how many lines we build, or how grate our system is. im not doing this again until no longer do i feel fearful as to weather or not someone will notice me. im smart enough to wait for someone to come to a stop, but impatient drivers stop for seconds only to speed off again when they see no traffic oncoming. generally looking to there left, as i cross from the right.
in 2001 [the only document i could find at the moment.] there were an average of 3,000 [at 7-8 am] and 4,700 [at 5-6 pm] pedestrian related accidents in the city of los angeles [proper] for the year. coming out to 21 car-on-person accidents every freaking day.
transit is great, except for those location were you need to walk more then just to another bus stop.
Accidents list: Death on the Crosswalk: A Study of Pedestrian Accidents in Los Angeles (pdf)
