Monthly Archives: September 2006

More transportation in the news

• I-917 has officially failed to qualify for the November ballot. This is Tim Eyman’s second failed initiative of 2006. (The first was referendum 65, an attempt to repeal the gay rights bill.) Now, with the threat of severe funding cuts removed, Sound Transit can move ahead with planned projects–projects like a new Sounder station in Mr. Eyman’s hometown of Mukilteo. Perhaps he’ll decide to embrace the new station and take a traffic-free ride or two into the city. After all, the northbound Sounder provides a fabulous view of a gay nude beach on its way through Woodway.

• Speaking of Sound Transit (and good news): The organization recently received a $2 million federal grant to install accessible “signs” at its stops and stations.

Talking Signs® technology is an infrared wireless communications system that provides remote directional human voice messages…for people with vision, cognitive or reading disabilities…

The system consists of short audio signals sent by invisible infrared light beams from permanently installed transmitters to a hand-held receiver that decodes the signal and delivers the voice message through its speaker or headset.

In case making travel easier for people with visual impairments wasn’t enough, these infrared identifiers apparently provide several other benefits.

Transportation in the news

• Today is the first day of school! It’s also the first day of the Metro transportation pilot for Franklin and Ballard students. Wonder how it’s faring…
• Speaking of schools: There’s a new elementary in Redmond Ridge that’s named after my all-time favorite bus chick, Rosa Parks. Ironically, Rosa Parks Elementary doesn’t currently offer bus transportation. (This is not necessarily a bad thing, since all students live within a mile of the school, and there are organized groups of walkers. But still.)
• A couple of the major travel websites have recently launched programs to help guilt-ridden travelers offset the ecological damage their of their vacations (air travel, car rentals, etc.). Customers who participate pay an additional fee at the time of booking. That fee is then donated (as far as I know, in its entirety) to an organization that works to preserve the environment.
• PCC and Metro are teaming up to reducing driving in the region:

The “Metro Challenge” program at PCC is designed to let residents throughout King County add down-to-earth meaning to the broader policies King County is putting into place to reduce the harmful greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

The goal is to show PCC members that they actually can make a difference and improve the quality of life in their neighborhood by taking the bus, walking, bicycling, or even sharing a ride. And, if they try these alternatives just twice a week over a ten-week period instead of driving, Metro and PCC are betting they just may discover there’s a lot more to green than meets the eye.

Amen.

That “other” award

Some of you will recall that, about a month ago, I witnessed a bus driver behaving so rudely toward one of my fellow 48 passengers that I felt compelled to create a new award. Unlike the esteemed Golden Transfer, this is an award of shame, its purpose to expose particularly egregious bus behavior.

I don’t have a name for this award yet. (I like BUSter, BUSted, or Expired Transfer. Busnerd insists on Out of Service. A few readers have also sent some good suggestions.) I do, however, have another winner.

This morning, again on the 48, a woman with a reduced fare card got on the bus without paying. The driver gently reminded her that the ride cost 25 cents. The woman showed the card again and (rather rudely) insisted that she didn’t have to pay. The driver explained that the reduced fare permit entitled her to a reduced-cost trip, not a free one. “You don’t have to pay this time,” she said, “but you should know for the future.”

“I already paid for this card. Why would I pay again? You’re giving me false information.”

The driver, still calm and polite, directed the woman’s attention to the fare sign by the door, which clearly stated that those with reduced fare permits are required to pay 25 cents per ride.

“I’m going to have to talk to your supervisor about this. I’m going to say you’re giving false information.”

The driver attempted to explain the system again, then gave up and continued driving her route. The woman, on the other hand, was not ready to let the subject go.

“You’re giving false information. I’m going to talk to your supervisor. Stop giving me false information.”

And so on, ad nauseam, until it was time for her to get off, at which point she leaned into the driver’s face, screamed (one more time for good measure), “Stop giving false information!” and stormed down the steps.

Perhaps today’s incident was the universe’s attempt to right itself, a reversal of roles intended to rebalance the 48 driver/rider Karma. Now that things are even, let’s have a moratorium on yelling and public humiliation–at least before 9 AM.

And speaking of car culture…

My new second-favorite cartoonist (Aaron McGruder remains unchallenged at number one) is Andy Singer, author of the syndicated comic No Exit and of the (cleverly named) book, CARtoons. CARtoons addresses the negative impact of cars on American society (a subject that, despite its importance, has not heretofore resulted in many page-turners) in a humorous and easily digestible way. Interspersed with the (short) essays and facts and figures are anecdotes, interesting quotes, and lots and lots of Andy’s car-culture-critiquing cartoons. I posted one of them several weeks ago. Here’s another I really like:

I'll take door number two.

Speaking of vintage vehicles…

Detroit recently hosted its 12th annual Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise, “the world’s largest one-day celebration of car culture.”

Yikes.

I have to admit, the cars are fun to watch (yes, this bus chick has been known to admire shiny, pimped-out rides), and–judging by the million plus people who turned out to salivate over them–I’m not the only one who thinks so.

The good news is, despite all that car love, at least a handful of folks felt the need to take the bus. (I couldn’t publish the picture here because of copyright laws, so you have to click to see it.)