The Bus Bench

Nothing to see here: MetroLAalerts

2010-02-09T08:30:00-08:00

So Metro you expect us all to actually believe that your trains and busses have been running perfectly for over seven days straight? If your service is so great why do less than 2% of your employees use your service? So how did this miracle happen?

I think I know how the miracle occurred, because your twitter alert is a lie.

The definition of lie:

1.	a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.

2.	something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture: His flashy car was a lie that deceived no one.

3.	an inaccurate or false statement.

I know you guys think it's pr or spin, but in real life it's just called lies.

Now owing to the fact that it's out there that you guys lie, how about we do a start over, do over or restart with this alerts thing. Let's go over the definition of alert:

1.	an attitude of vigilance, readiness, or caution, as before an expected attack.

2.	a warning or alarm of an impending military attack, a storm, etc.: We'd just boarded the bus when the alert sounded.

3.	the period during which such a warning or alarm is in effect.

That's a pretty strong definition, but I'm not expecting even that. Right now your alerts are actually the antonym of the meaning of alert. The antonym of alert is unaware and that's what your twitter alert account is. It's an alert to how unaware and out of touch the people at One Gateway are.

Now in order to continue to lie on the big stuff, you're going to have to at least make your lies on the little stuff convincing. Hey make up a bus being late. Your busses are always late, post at least three times a day that things are "normal" or do something mind blowing and ride one of your rails in the morning and if something happens (which it will) slap that up on twitter.

Eight days with nothing happening?!! Metro Los Angeles running perfectly, really? Come now you know that can't be true. If your system is that awesome, why don't you take it?

-Browne Molyneux

Déjà vu power outage on the Red Line

2010-02-09T05:00:00-08:00

Red Line Breakdown 08 Feb 2010
Uploaded by shametrainla.

The Red Line goes down again. This time on a north bound Hollywood train right after the Westlake/MacArthur Park Station during morning rush hour just before 9am. A five minute delay, which I'm sure become a ten minute delay down the line. Was it reported by Metro? No, but at least we let you know. I need to know what is an alert in Metro's mind?

-Browne Molyneux

The Cure-The Subway Song

2010-02-08T13:14:16-08:00

Midnight in the subway
She's on her way home
She tries hard not to run
But she feels she's not alone
Echoes of footsteps
Follow close behind
But she dare not turn around
Turn around. . .Turn around. . .turn around. . .

High Speed Rail

2010-02-08T10:00:00-08:00

"A California multicity project, including a 220-mph Los Angeles-San Francisco electrified train service, was awarded $2.25 billion." Obama’s Money Trains by John D. Boyd | Feb 8, 2010-The Journal of Commerce Magazine

Year to Date in Public Transit

2010-02-08T06:25:33-08:00

Let's take a look at our YTD totals of public transit trips compiled by APTA , ending in the third quarter of 2009.

Los Angeles Access Services (Disabled Passenger Service) TOTAL Trips were up 4.20%
Los Angeles City of Los Angeles, LADOT (Dash Commuter Expresses) TOTAL Trips were up 1.76%

Los Angeles County MTA HR (Red Line) Trips were up 5.99%
Los Angeles County MTA LR (Gold Line, Blue Line, Green Line) Trips were down -0.25%
Los Angeles County MTA MB (Busses) Trips were down -6.46%
Los Angeles Los Angeles County MTA TOTAL (All Modes) Trips were down -4.72%

Los Angeles Southern California RRA CR TOTAL (Metrolink) Trips were down -9.17% (I guess killing and maiming hundreds of people from the suburbs will impact your ridership.) Are you going to put in positive train controls, oh of course not in LA better to just blame the guy texting and install some cameras.

Other agencies YTD totals:

Santa Monica Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus TOTAL Trips were up 0.66%
CA Long Beach Long Beach Transit TOTAL Trips were up 1.21%
CA Orange Orange County Transp Auth TOTAL Trips were down -14.93% (Isn't this were Art Leahy came from, what the heck is going on in Orange County, maybe this is why Spokker is so angry?)
Riverside Riverside Transit Agency TOTAL Trips were up 2.64%

-Browne Molyneux