Can of worms...

[Anonymous]

I'm opening it...

I have been a resident in the DC area for less than a year. I've traveled to lots of other cities with light rails. I really don't understand why everyone thinks our Metro is so awful. I think it is FANTASTIC! there. I said it.

the map is so simple. My 5 year old likes to figure out our route.

the stations are clean and spacious.

the stops are clearly marked and you can always quickly figure out which stop you are approaching.

The attendants are very helpful and friendly.

Once you get it figured out, it's very easy to reload your card.

Sure, there are always glitches. train break down, people do stupid things. They have lots of trains transporting thousands of people every day. they are bound to have some issues, right?
Those of you who think it's so bad, I'm wondering which cities you have visited that has a better one?

[Anonymous]

I don't think our system is particularly horrible all of the time. I do think it's overpriced and the $1 fee just for a farecard bothers me (and I do have smartcard now). BUT I have had the pleasure of riding the trains during rush hour when fires have broken out on the tracks and have had to fight 10,000 ppl for a bus ride to the next station (once a man pulled me off the steps of a bus b/c he wanted a seat. He threw me to the ground and some other ppl fought him off the bus so I could get on). I remember 5+ hours attempting to get home from my downtown job on several occasions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think our system is particularly horrible all of the time. I do think it's overpriced and the $1 fee just for a farecard bothers me (and I do have smartcard now). BUT I have had the pleasure of riding the trains during rush hour when fires have broken out on the tracks and have had to fight 10,000 ppl for a bus ride to the next station (once a man pulled me off the steps of a bus b/c he wanted a seat. He threw me to the ground and some other ppl fought him off the bus so I could get on). I remember 5+ hours attempting to get home from my downtown job on several occasions.

That made me laugh. Sorry. But anyway, OP where have you been that "the attendants are very helpful and friendly"? Some of them are okay but a lot of them are shits from hell.

[Anonymous]

Getting around Cleveland isn't too bad. The Rapid is pretty easy though I honestly can't remember how clean it was.

It's really easy to get around London and Munich, DH and I have never had any issues there. DH swears it's really easy in Japan and Korea as well. Given the chance DH will top non stop about how superior Seoul's transit system is to ours and how it's just a fraction of the price.

The Metro system (not just the trains) seems to need a complete overhaul. It's too expensive, too unreliable, too slow, and god forbid you are a pedestrian in the cross walk when a metro bus goes by. I wouldn't take one of those buses. I have seen how frequently these buses drive over the center line or directly into oncoming traffic.

The trains aren't that clean. I have chosen a seat at the end of the car only to find out that during the day it had become the designated trash can.

The people who work there aren't all that nice. I guess I wouldn't be either if I was working my ass off for min. wage and I had a shit load of people asking me questions all day and I had to admit that the elevator is broken and handicapped people will have to go three stations over to find an operating one. Then tell the cardiac patient that I was sorry that not only was the elevator out the escalator too and they would have to climb 75-100 steps to get out.

[Anonymous]

Minimum wage? I thought they were unionized and grossly overpaid given their job duties, or lack thereof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Minimum wage? I thought they were unionized and grossly overpaid given their job duties, or lack thereof.

You're like a One-Note Nancy, blaming everything on unions. I was wondering how long before you showed up.

[Anonymous]

Note to the union buster: you're not giving anyone a sudden urge to join the Tea Party.

We're all laughing at you, because you seem like such a caricature with your angry, simplistic (unions!) explanation for everything.

[Anonymous]

I think that some people have not used the metro in other parts of the world. If they did, they will realize how great ours is. Ever been on the subway in New York? You are sharing seats with rats, literally. Good luck with reading the map. It is so confusing. It is also very filthy. The metro system here is a breeze. All of the workers I have encountered were very nice and helpful when I had questions or concerns. My only problem with the metro system here, is the price.

[Anonymous]

DC Metro has many, many problems. The staff are generally awful and nasty. There are ample delays on weekdays during rush hour, including frequent dangerous emergencies. You need to get your head out of the sand. Metro has been repeatedly cited for safety problems that they have not fixed. Also, you wait for so long for a train on the weekends that it rarely makes sense to take metro.

[Anonymous]

OP - safety issues are a major concern (you weren't here when the BIG crash happened). Also, I'm guessing that you never travel at peak times.

But, I agree that many places in the world have far worse metro rail systems. There's a low bar, that's true!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that some people have not used the metro in other parts of the world. If they did, they will realize how great ours is. Ever been on the subway in New York? You are sharing seats with rats, literally. Good luck with reading the map. It is so confusing. It is also very filthy. The metro system here is a breeze. All of the workers I have encountered were very nice and helpful when I had questions or concerns. My only problem with the metro system here, is the price.

I've used metro/subway systems in Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, London, New York, Boston, Chicago, Montreal...I still think DC's metro sucks. It's damned expensive and doesn't even go to one of the major International Airports of the region (IAD--and yes, I know they are working on it--but it shouldn't have taken this long).

[Anonymous]

For comparison--trains in India

[Anonymous]

The Chicago L is much much better. Don't get me started on Metro Bus, it sucks ass.

[Anonymous]

I used to think it was pretty good too...but now that I have kids and need to take elevators out of the station...wow what a huge hassle! Do you have any idea how often these things are broken? Do you know what their solution is? Take the train to a different station and then a "shuttle" (bus) back to your destination. What if you had to get to work on time!? You have to budget in an extra hour in case the stupid things are down, and it isn't always well marked or updated on a smartphone app or something when that happens. Often you get to the elevator entrance and there is a printed sign that the elevator is down. And the elevator entrance isn't where the entrance to the metro or the shuttle is either.

Fortunately with a stroller a person can find a way up or down the damn escalator, but what about people in wheelchairs? It is a daily occurrence that the elevators are down. That's just one example...the escalators are broken all the time too.

But I agree that there are things to like, and the metro map is one of them. But let's face it, the thing is mismanaged.

[Anonymous]

Moscow metro is good. Trains leave every 2-3 mins, the stations are beautiful, and it rarely breaks down. Not the cleanest one though.