Wishing for California Skies?

THIS MORNING sometime toward the end of the 5 o'clock hour, this writer was waiting for the Red Line at Woodley Park. An announcement came over the public address system. Something about single tracking between Twinbrook and Grosvenor. A man down the platform laughed at the far-off delay. The iPod earbuds went back in and this writer/commuter floated through the Metrorail system to Express' Arlington bureau. Upon arrival, we then remembered that we had left for the office before the dreaded alarm went off — and failed to disarm it. (Sorry, neighbors.)

After finishing some morning work in the 8 o'clock hour, we headed back to Woodley Park to turn the alarm off — a slow, stop-and-go trip on the Orange Line, delayed heading through the Rosslyn tunnel. When transferring at Metro Center to the Red Line, a sea of people on both platforms was waiting. There were reports of smoke at Farragut North. A Shady Grove-bound train that had just pulled in emptied all its passengers, went out of service and headed backwards. Nobody really seemed to complain vocally, but commuters were irked internally, for sure. We've all encountered similar situations with Metrorail.

On our iPod, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci's "Over and Out" started to play and this writer tuned the delay out.

... Now I'm just burning out
And it ... [can't discern Euros Childs' Welsh accent] ... high
Close your eyes for California sky ...

We closed our eyes. At that point, we remembered that John Catoe, formerly the No. 2 official with Los Angeles' transit system, was sworn in as Metro's chief just yesterday.

Welcome to Washington, Mr. Catoe. Sure you aren't going to miss California?

» "Pledging Safety and Service Upgrades, Catoe Is Sworn In at Transit Agency" [WaPo]

Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post

Posted By Michael Grass at 10:29 AM on January 26, 2007 Tagged in Free Ride , Maryland , Metro , The District , Transit , Virginia

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