I mean, before the renovation last spring I could find a spot near the middle doors easily. Now everyone funnels to the new stairs at 82nd Street and the crowding before 8am is nuts, like 3 times what it used to be. Did the MTA really think adding an exit wouldn't push people into a bottleneck on the other side? Has anyone else seen their stop change for the worse after a so-called upgrade?
Took my e-bike out last Tuesday in Minneapolis when it hit 29 degrees and the battery dropped from full to dead in about 15 minutes. The manual said cold affects range but I figured 29 was no big deal, turns out lithium hates anything below freezing. I had to push the thing 2 miles to the Green Line station and showed up to work soaked in sweat. Anyone else run into sudden battery failure in mild cold, or did I just get a dud motor?
Downloaded that app that reads road signs out loud because my buddy swore by it. Thought it was dumb, I mean I can see fine. But last week on I-35, fog was so thick I missed three exits. App called out the next one half a mile ahead and I actually made it. Now I use it every morning even in clear weather. Does anyone else use voice alerts for stuff you can already see?
I saw a handwritten note taped up at the 5th Ave stop saying the 11:40 pm train runs 15 minutes early on weekends, so I checked the schedule app and sure enough, it's been doing that for 6 months now. That tiny piece of paper saved me from waiting in the cold on Friday, and it made me realize the official updates aren't always the whole story. Anyone else got a hidden local tip that beat the posted times?
Last Sunday I hopped on the N Judah at 4pm thinking I'd beat the traffic. Turns out the entire Sunset Boulevard was shut down for the parade route and no one told the Muni drivers. We sat at the same light for 20 minutes, then crawled for another hour past Irving Street. I watched three buses stack up behind each other, all stuck. The driver finally got on the intercom and said, "folks, I'd get off now if you have anywhere to be." I walked the last 8 blocks and still beat the bus to my stop. Do any of you have a transit reroute story that made you ditch the bus for your own two feet?
I always thought I was a music-only commuter, but last week on the 7:15 AM route from Oakland to downtown, I gave a 45 minute episode about local history a shot. The bus got stuck in traffic near the Bay Bridge and I didn't even care, that was the real test. Now I'm hooked on true crime and my 40 minute ride feels like it ends too soon. Has anyone else converted late or am I the only one who fought it for so long?
Last Tuesday I had a job interview in Arlington and my neighbor, who drives a delivery van, told me to skip the highway and take the back roads through the old mill district. He said it would shave off 15 minutes because the ramp always backs up. I followed his advice and ended up sitting at five traffic lights that each took two full cycles to get through, plus a school zone that added another 10 minutes. I got there with only 4 minutes to spare, sweating through my shirt. Meanwhile my wife took the highway, left 5 minutes after me, and beat me by nearly 20 minutes. Has anyone else gotten terrible advice from a local who was so sure of themselves?
I stood at the 5th and Jackson stop in the rain for 38 minutes last Tuesday because the transit app kept saying the 14 was 6 minutes away. The driver finally told me the GPS on that route has been glitchy for weeks, but the city won't fix it until enough people file complaints. So is it on the app company for showing fake numbers, or the transit authority for not updating their hardware? I'm leaning toward the city, but I've had people argue the app should just say 'unknown' instead of guessing. Has anyone else hit this where the live tracking is basically a lie, and what did you do about it?
Last Tuesday I was sitting on the 7:15 express from Oakland to downtown and this older guy next to me asks, 'So why do you ride this one when the 14 goes straight down Grand?' I said what are you talking about, and he points at the little sign above the door. I look up and it clearly says LOCAL, stops at every corner. I had been taking this exact bus for 2 years because I thought the green stripe meant express, but it was just the route color. My commute was 45 minutes each way when the express does it in 25. That is like 173 hours of my life lost to extra stops. I checked the schedule app the next day and sure enough, the express leaves from the same spot but 10 minutes later. Has anyone else been riding the wrong version of their route for way too long?
Looked it up on Wikipedia after noticing the headstones from the window, apparently it's been there since 1849 and I never once thought to check. Anybody else discover something wild about a spot they pass daily?
I sat behind this guy arguing with his bank on speakerphone for 12 blocks, and instead of tuning out I started counting how many times he said 'representative' and honestly the rhythm of it became kind of calming. Has anyone else found that a random annoying sound can turn into a weird focus tool if you lean into it?
Last Tuesday the 5:15 from Ogilvie just stopped cold near the Western Ave junction, no announcement for 10 minutes. I finally walked up two cars and asked the conductor, who said a signal failure ahead, but nobody on the intercom knew either. Has anyone else gotten more info from a random fellow passenger than from the official updates during a delay?
I used to drive from my place in Capitol Hill to my shop near Pike Place, 15 blocks that somehow took 25 minutes with lights and one way streets. In March I got an e-cargo bike for moving small stuff, and now I take the bike lane down 2nd Ave, door to door in 9 minutes flat. The real shock was the weather, rain doesn't bother me as much as I thought, but wind gusts near the waterfront are brutal. I save about $60 a week on gas and parking, which I didn't expect. Anyone else swap wheels for pedals and find their commute time is super inconsistent depending on the day?
So yesterday on my way into downtown I looked down and the odometer flipped to exactly 5,000 on my little 125cc. Ive been doing the scooter thing for about 14 months now through all seasons. That includes 2 winters with ice patches on the bridge near the river and one time a guy in a Ford almost sideswiped me at the light on 3rd. Not trying to jinx it but for a dude who used to take the bus for 6 years this feels kinda huge. Did anyone else ever hit a random milestone like this and realize how many near misses they actually avoided? Or am I just weird for counting? Side note my rear tire is getting bald so maybe I shouldnt celebrate too hard haha.
I've been cycling to work in Denver for about 8 months now, and every morning I flip between the scenic park path and the direct avenue that runs along the bus line. The park adds 15 minutes but has zero cars, while the avenue shaves time but I've had three close calls with right-hooking drivers this month alone. Last Tuesday I timed both on the same day, park took 38 minutes, avenue took 23, but I showed up soaked in sweat from dodging a delivery truck. Are you guys picking safety or speed on your rides, and has anyone actually found a middle ground that works?
Last month I tried one of those parking apps that promised a guaranteed spot near the Metro in Arlington. Paid $60 upfront for a week pass, got to the lot at 7am and the app said it was full, but there were empty spaces everywhere. The customer service line kept me on hold for 40 minutes and they refused to refund me. I ended up parking four blocks away and walked in the rain. Has anyone else had a parking app fail them at a commuter lot, or is it just this one?
Last Tuesday I hit the 405 at 7:45am and saw the express lane sign flashing $18 for the full stretch to downtown. I figured why not, I was already late for a showing in Culver City. Paid with the transponder, got in, and sat in the SAME bumper to bumper traffic for 40 minutes because some semi jackknifed right past the toll point. The regular lanes were moving just as slow, so I basically paid $18 to watch the same brake lights from a different stripe on the road. I get that dynamic pricing is supposed to save time, but does anyone actually factor in accidents before they merge over, or are we all just gambling?
I spent 4 months taking the 42 bus downtown and got stuck in that I-5 backup every single morning. Last week I rented a Brompton from the shop on 3rd and rode the last 2 miles from the transit center. The difference was night and day, I actually arrived at work before my coffee got cold. Has anyone else tried mixing bike and bus for the final stretch instead of fighting the whole route?
My commute is 22 miles one way through Tacoma traffic, so I started tracking my walk from the parking lot to my office building. For months it was always 0.3 miles, but this week with construction detours I hit 4.7 miles total just from lunch walks and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I never thought I'd care about a random number like that, but it made me realize how much extra motion I was ignoring. Has anyone else found a weird stat from their daily grind that surprised them?
Been catching the 6:12 out of Oakland for a month now, the one with the cracked window seat that nobody wants. Today the conductor actually said 'morning regular' to me and my coffee was still hot by the time we hit Fremont. Anyone else got a weird commute routine that makes you feel like you own the place?
After 14 years of driving I always ignored his advice to flip my high beams off way early on two-lane roads, but last month a guy in a Prius flashed me twice and then swerved like I blinded him, now I kill them a full half mile before any oncoming car and my night commute has gotten way less tense, anyone else had advice they fought for years that turned out to be spot on?
When I first started driving to work downtown, my grandpa swore he knew a secret route that beat the freeway. He drew me a map on a napkin, all these little side streets through residential areas. I tried it one rainy Tuesday and got stuck behind a school bus, then a garbage truck, then some guy on a bike going uphill. GPS said the freeway would've been 22 minutes, I showed up at 34. I still take his route sometimes when I miss him, even though I know better. Anyone else got a tip from a relative that just didnt age well with traffic changes?
Last Tuesday I was scrolling through emails during my 45 minute ride from Capitol Hill to downtown when the driver actually paused the bus at a red light and said, "You know that thing you're staring at is why you missed the last two stops." He was right, I had been so buried in work stuff that I forgot to pull the cord and walked an extra six blocks in the rain. It hit different because he wasn't being a jerk about it, just stating the obvious like my dad would. Now I put my phone in my backpack for the first 15 minutes and actually look out the window at the ferry line. Has anyone else had a stranger call out a habit that made you rethink your whole commute routine?
Last Tuesday on the #15 bus, this older woman sits next to me and starts giving a play-by-play of everyone getting on. She said 'oh here comes the guy who always smells like cigarettes and regret' and I nearly choked on my coffee. Then she pointed at a guy with a guitar and goes 'watch him play the same three chords in two minutes, bet you lunch'. By the time we hit the Burnside stop, she had a full crowd laughing and people were missing their stops on purpose. Has anyone else had a random stranger turn their commute into a comedy show?
I ride the 44 every morning and for weeks I kept getting stuck behind people who wait until the bus pulls up to dig for their ORCA card. Then they stand in the doorway fumbling while the driver waits. It's not that hard, have your card out before the bus stops. Last Tuesday I watched a guy hold up like 12 of us because he was still zipping his backpack. I started putting my card in my jacket pocket the night before and now I'm off the bus in like 2 seconds. The driver even gave me a nod one time. Why do people act like the card reader is a surprise every single day? Has anyone else noticed this slowing down their whole route?