The Bus Bench

Inside Soto Station

2009-11-04T06:18:11-08:00

Like the wait for the mayor on that press junket day on the MGLEE, The Bus Bench has arrived at the terminal slowly.

Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension SOTO STATION Nest

Tony, after smiling broadly and widely for all the cameras, from the hand-held to the broadcast quality ones, stood for a few seconds before the big map of old East L.A. (which has Brooklyn Avenue instead of Ceasar Chavez named) and then made his way to the exit. Yes, after making sure that he dropped sound bites about how Boyle Heights was not so far away from downtown—"just down the street!" (from Tunnel video 01)—he was heading upstairs to Soto and First to return to downtown via private city vehicle and not one of his eight free vehicles provided unwittingly by taxpayers. So much for the great Gold Line Eastside Extension, eh?

Tony takes off.

L.A. Councilmember Molina
poses before the map of East Los Angeles.

-BusTard

More Scenes from Inside the Gold Line

2009-11-02T22:22:45-08:00

Here are two more clips from last Friday's MGLEE press junket. The train enters and travels the tunnel after departing Aliso Pico station, then we glide past Mariachi Plaza station and eventually stop at Soto station.

Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension Tunnel 2

Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension Tunnel 3

The final video and photos (from inside Soto station) will be posted on Wednesday, as well as a wrap-up about Mayor Tony.

-BusTard

What Would Jesus Drive?

2009-11-02T06:00:00-08:00

One of my colleagues thinks I’m insane because I don’t drive. He has offered me rides on various occasions. He often tells me the benefits of cars. I find this all very amusing since we do the same thing. That thing involves us going to various locations throughout the city. I have a reputation of being on time and he has a reputation of being very late.

His passion is Jesus. One day when we were speaking the question, “What would Jesus drive?” popped into my head and came out of my mouth. He said Jesus wants him to have nice things. I said Jesus wants you to use your nice things to help others. And then I asked, "How many poor people are you driving around in your car?"

I wasn’t trying to be a jerk to this guy. I hope I didn’t offend him with this question. It was sincere a question.

What would Jesus drive? I don’t think Jesus would drive.

I don’t think Jesus would drive a car even it were a biodiesel or an electric car. I don’t think Jesus would drive a car period. From my time in Catholic school and reading the Bible I am pretty sure if Jesus were in Los Angeles he would be taking the bus and occasionally riding his bike.

Now I’m not even trying to imply I’m doing God’s work by taking the bus, but if I were to view my method of transportation as a religious experience, the clean family version of a religious experience and I asked the questions:

What would Jesus drive?
What would Buddha Drive?
What would Muhammad drive?

What could I answer? What path would be closest to their paths?

Now from what I have read about all of those religious figures if they were in Los Angeles they would have to be on the bus. The only way you can see everyone is to take the bus. The only way to understand LA on a true level in regards to the difference between the rich and the poor is by taking the bus.

What if the Buddha just talked to his disciples? What if the Jesus only talked to his disciples?

What if Buddha and Jesus never talked to anyone except for the people who could pay them or went to college with them or hung out in the same social circles as them?

The sustainable movement needs to diversify itself. The people on the bus are waiting for us (in Los Angeles) and it’s more diverse than a car, even an electric car.

In your car you are by yourself. You then park as close as you can to a place to spend money on organic crap, where you get on your cell phone and motion towards the person behind the counter to put the stuff in your eco bag. You have to make plans to have a community interaction.

The movement towards sustainability can’t just be about the destination. It also has to be about the journey and of course the idea of how you transport yourself is a very literal interpretation of the journey. The big key in sustainability that is missing is the reach out to the community component. When you take public transit you have a potential for an even larger sustainable community, at least in Los Angeles. It is a very organic way to access people.

The community on the bus isn’t bounded by gender, national origin, age, physical ability, family status or educational level.

And maybe I shouldn’t bring up religion for the purpose of spreading the message of the being carFREE, but I think these are questions that if we do have faith we should ask ourselves.

What would Jesus drive? What would Buddha drive? What would Muhammad drive? What would Abraham drive? What would Bahá'u'lláh drive?

What kind mode of transport would they use to get around Los Angeles?

-Browne Molyneux

New Scenes Along The Gold Line: Footage from the motorman's cab

2009-11-01T08:34:52-08:00

In their desire to be as close as possible to Mayor Tony, the accredited press people crammed into the tight space of the unspectacular AnsaldoBreda car. However, the real fun was in the front of the car. Here are two more video clips from the morning press junket along the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension.

Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension LITTLE TOKYO

Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension Tunnel 1

(The Bus Bench will post two more clips on Monday.)

Instead of making the Gold Line Eastside Extension safe, they made this creepy video and started a blog.

2009-11-01T01:00:17-08:00

This video dissolves Metro (and former CEO Roger "half-ass" Snoble) of any responsibility. Why install barriers or arms when you can make a you tube video. Put the onus on the community not on Metro. I guess Metro thought this would be more eco. Why waste money on the Eastside when the Westside is much more west.

Browne

Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension Takes Press for a Ride

2009-10-31T09:27:30-07:00

OK, OK, no more bad puns—for now.

Seriously, Metro and Mayor Tony hopped aboard the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension (MGLEE) on Friday morning. The trains, which have been running on the anticipated regular schedule since 04 October, no longer terminate at Union Station when heading east-bound.

A few trains arrived, discharged passengers and continued on to the Atlantic station terminus while we waited on Mayor Tony. When he arrived, a press conference was held at the top of the stairs while—you guessed it—another Gold Line train arrived and the straphangers were forced to slowly move round the mayor and press circus (of which I were a member, admittedly, as well as the only one who appeared to perceive the mess) to descend the stairs in single file on their way to other transit connections and work.

Mayor Tony's Gold Line Press Con

Eventually the crowd thinned and Tony led us to the nose of the train. A few expected comments later and we were on our way.

The mayor was not unconcerned for the welfare of those round him, though. In this clip we hear our dear Mayor Tony express his concern that the camera guys covering his MGLEE tour watch out for obstacles.

Mayor Concerned With Camera Guys

Over the next few days, The Bus bench will present video footage of the MGLEE heading east from Union Station, shot from the motorman's cabin. No more animated train porn; this is the real thing! (OK, OK, so what's one more bad pun?)

And speaking of bad puns—three is the magic number, after all—I guess the time has run out that the video clip might have been relevant while we awaited the delayed opening of the MGLEE:

-BusTard

Last Chance to Comment on Crenshaw Line TODAY

2009-10-26T13:18:10-07:00

The residents and business owners of Crenshaw want an underground train. Give the Crenshaw community the same consideration that has already been granted the mid-Wilshire and West Side communities. The Crenshaw community is a destination, not a place to plow through.

Please, spend just 3 minutes to send an email to diazroderick@metro.net
and/or crenshaw@fixexpo.org.

Cameron Cuthbertson was severed in two because the Blue Line is not as important.

2009-10-23T19:29:46-07:00

Here is a video of the death of Cameron Cuthbertson, the visually impaired man who got killed by the Blue Line train. When The Bus Bench wrote about the incident earlier this year, ABC reached out to inquire of the "exclusive" eyewitness source mentioned in their piece. You're welcome ABC.

-Browne Molyneux

Bike Routes in Santa Monica on Google

2009-10-17T07:41:47-07:00

While Google maps has google walking and google public transit, it does not have a google bike, but they do have an option where you can add your own map. Apparently Gary Rides Bikes has taken it upon himself to help cyclists in Santa Monica get around:

View Santa Monica Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

Thanks Gary!!

Browne Molyneux

Civic Center Snapshot

2009-10-12T13:23:27-07:00

The Civic Center bus stop should be one of the cleanest bus stops in downtown. It is where approximately twenty locals stop, ten expresses, seven rapids and lots of muni lines stop. It’s right by Disney Hall, MOCA, City Hall and some other big buildings of note.

It sort of looks clean, from faraway, but it has rats. The rats are a minor problem in light of all of the other interesting things going on there. This bus stop tends to be a regular victim of detours. It is also by a big parking lot. This parking lot has a little gutter alley where people urinate in, so the whole bus stop smells like pee. At night once the people with more expensive suits go home this guy with a leaf blower likes blowing dirt and trash towards the bus stop. It’s like he doesn’t get that the people at the bus stop are people. If you explain to trash blower guy that you are a person with eyes and that it usually bothers humans to have dirt and trash blown into their eyes, he just points at the sign that has the phone number of the owner. He then turns the blower directly towards you, unless you take out a camera.

When he sees a camera he stops, but snarls at you.

The people at Civic Center bus stop aren’t going to get a relief from the smell or the dirt and trash blowing in their face, but they will get a relief from the rats

I wonder will PETA have a problem?

Browne Molyneux

Chimamanda Adichie: The Danger of the Single Story

2009-10-11T14:28:55-07:00

A great clip by author Chimamanda Adichie. Words are powerful.

Playing at the LA Streetsblog Sandbox

2009-10-10T13:51:13-07:00

The Damien Newton at LA Streetsblog is on paternity leave, so BusTard and I helped him out with some alternative transit stories.

Freedom to Be Inclusive

At the October 2nd ALOUD event with David Byrne I couldn't help but notice the lack of racial diversity in the crowd. It did not match the demographics of Los Angeles and certainly did not match the demographic that rides bicycles in Los Angeles.

Where was the working class?

Where were the Latinos?

Where were the Asian-Americans?

Where were the black people?----story continued on LA Streetsblog, click the headline.

Testing Ongoing for Gold Line Eastside Extension. Opening Set for November?

Pre-revenue testing has commenced in earnest on the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension (MGLEE). The testing started last Sunday, October 4th. By Monday the trains were running frequently and appeared to be running without any problems. Unlike the stress and other tests, the pre-revenue tests are meant to introduce all involved parties-drivers, motorists, residents and store owners-with the trains' routes and running times. It was not difficult to spot a number of the trains passing by on Alameda, E. First, Indiana and E. 3rd Streets throughout the day.----story continued on LA Streetsblog, click the headline

Metro Gold Line Set To Open November 14th

2009-10-09T17:26:01-07:00

A number of credible sources—one of which is an internal Metro memo—states the opening date as 14 November 2009.

The opening date
I might state
has been known
since October
this ain't meant to rhyme,
and it is certainly no limerick, either.

The Sheriffs are on the Metro locals at NIGHT. It's a Halloween Miracle!!

2009-10-09T02:30:25-07:00

Taking a local bus home I saw a sight I have never seen on the bus; I saw a Sheriff.

I asked Los Angeles Sheriff dude what he was doing on the bus. I wanted to make sure he wasn’t just going home. He answered, “Being a presence.” And then I responded, “So you’re giving tickets?” He laughed and said, “No, I’m being a presence for the safety of the passengers.”

I then asked him was this going to be a regular thing, because it needed to be a regular thing. He explained to me that the Sheriffs would now be riding the busses (locals included) owing to a new directive by Art Leahy. He said they are mainly going to be on the Westside, because that is where people complain the most.

I told him I wanted to file a complaint right now. He said, “You have to file it with Metro.”

(People on the Eastside and in South LA, please complain. I can only write so many emails and letters on your behalf.)

I told him that he really needed to check out the local 51 and 53, because those busses were exciting, in the bad way. I then told him about the local 60 and how when I rode it that people’s crack pipes were rolling around on the floor. He told me he would take note and try to ride the 53 and 51. He said he was fully aware of the insanity of the 60 and then told me a little anecdote about his ride on the infamous line.

“Usually we like to ride the busses early, but I ride the bus late because I want to see what’s going on outside of traditional work hours. I got on the 60 once and two guns hit the floor and slid to the center of the bus.”

Yeah Sheriff dude, the 60 is CRAZY. It’s blog entry crazy. If you are a blogger or a reporter and want to have something interesting to write simply get on the 60 after dark and ride it from beginning to end.

This is just a woman taking the bus perspective. I’ve got no press release or notice from anyone that this is happening. All I can say is trust me this happened. A Sheriff was on a local bus at night in a scary neighborhood to protect the passengers.

And then a pig flew by my front window when I arrived home.

Miracles are happening and it’s not even Halloween yet.

by Browne Molyneux

Not Unlike Zits, TAP Gates Popping Up Overnight at Red Line Stations

2009-10-07T06:14:02-07:00

Last week, no sign of TAP fare gates could be found at the Red Line Beverly station. Tuesday morning, they were all but operational.

Roaring Aughts. Fifth Shift. This Saturday 7pm. Back to work.

2009-10-02T16:39:35-07:00

The Fifth Shift of the Roaring Aughts is October 3, Sat at The Public
Library in The Brewery.

Location: The Public Library at The Brewery Art Colony
2100 N Main, A-15. Lincoln Heights, Ca. 90031

Time: 7pm

What: Talking about the exploitation of the professional worker,
focusing in on the tech world, education world, and I paid 80k for my
degree and I still have to go to the free clinic world.

Eating vegan pizza from Purgatory in Boyle Heights.
Drinking plum wine from Marukai in Little Tokyo.
Screen printing, sewing and decorating dolls from the community's
donations of cloth.

When: Saturday, October 3.

Cost: Free

The Roaring Aughts is an art installation/project named by nostalgia
and the now: the Great Depression (1929-1930s) and the present decade
(2000-2009). The project examines the contrasts of these two
significant periods in American history; making dolls is just as
important as making conversation. The goal is two-fold: to make
898,863 dolls (each of which represents a person in L.A. living below
the poverty line) and to prompt people to explore how the economy
impacts people.

There will be six Saturday-night shifts in total. Opening/Party/Discussion
November 7

A video from one of our training sessions with:

With overtime being offered during The Brewery Art Walk Oct 24 and 25.

The Public Library @ The Brewery
www.thepubliclibrary.org
2100 N Main A 15
Los Angeles, CA
323-342-1977
Browne@ShameTrainLA.com

Gold Line to Start Testing This Sunday, October 4

2009-10-02T13:18:19-07:00

The Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, overdue for a number of reasons, may finally be getting on track. Testing is to begin this Sunday, according to Metro. Throughout the day on Thursday, Oct 1st, Metro was announcing via the Red Line and Gold Line station P.A. systems that straphangers "should exit Gold Line Trains at Union Station as quickly as possible, as the Gold Line trains will be continuing south along the Eastside Extension for testing."

Looking for That Needle in The "Hay"stack Metro Made

2009-09-19T19:23:00-07:00

Oy gevault! Like Larry David with a hooker in a car full of marijuana on the way to a Lakers game when all he wanted was to make Dad happy, Metro's guilt appears to be gushing overtime for all the wrong reasons. (That scene was shot within sight of One Gateway to boot.)

Although no one asked, Metro answered by claiming to have interviewed nearly 16,000 passengers to find that the "Overwelming Majority of Riders Are Satisfied With Metro Bus and Rail Service ." (Apparently Metro was in such a rush to announce these fantastic findings that the whind was knocked out of "Overwelming.") Were you one of the many thousands of strap-hangers or bus-riders interviewed? Are you not a Metro employee or an employee of a company or nabe council? On the other hand, are you a Metro employee or contractor and answered Metro's survey? (We maintain strict confidence, as may be seen with too damn many previous posts.) If yes to any of these questions, or if you simply wish to vent (and you know that The Bus Bench is the place to kvetch), The Bus Bench wants to hear from you.

-BusTard

Roaring Aughts Presents The Second and Final Off-site Enrichment Program

2009-09-19T09:00:41-07:00

Roaring Aughts presents the second and final off-site enrichment program at Instituto E’s Action Packed Mixing Bowl Spot for
Interpersonal Studies on Saturday, September 19 starting at 7:30 pm.

Photographer Slobodan Dimitrov will present and his discuss his work.
Pinata training session to follow.

Slobodan Dimitrov is a photographer based in the Long Beach/Los Angeles Harbors. He has been a contributing photographer for The Dispatcher, LA Weekly, The Building Trades News, Random Lengths, etc. His work has appeared in The Nation, The Carpenter, Solidarity, SEIU, UNITE, Machinists Int., America at Work, The Progressive, Los Angeles Magazine and The Economist as well as many other labor publications and magazines.

After the presentation trainees will be provided with free instruction
and materials to complete a City Hall pinata to be included in the
culmination of the Roaring Aughts project on November 7.

Candy and cokes will be served. RSVP and receive a complimentary toothbrush upon completion of the program.

Location: 401 S. Mesa, San Pedro, CA 90731
(enter on 4th street at loading dock)
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2009
Time: 7:30 p.m.

Human error. The problem with platform barriers.

2009-09-14T16:06:16-07:00

Exiting the Green Line this afternoon I was greeted with human error. This is the problem with barriers that are on the platforms instead of between the cars. Yeah it's cheaper, but you also have this.

Today no "what ifs" happened, but what if this was a day a visually impaired person was a bit tired and forgot to do a double check walking into the car.

Is this the person who operates the trains fault, maybe a little, but I think it's more Metro's fault. One person never making a mistake shouldn't be the difference between a safe journey home and death. I'm sure the technology is available to make life and death not dependent on one human being.

-Browne Molyneux