Comments on: How to ride a crowded RT light rail car.

By: wingnutamy

wingnutamy — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:42:24 +0000

Wow! This is such a great post. I loved the comments as well. So cool to read about subways and commutes in other countries. I promise to try the Seoul subway soon.

I loved riding light rail in theory. But I wish it was like a glass elevator and could go anywhere because I hate waiting for transit buses to complete my route.

I hated riding light rail when people would change their leaky baby diapers on the seats.

I hated riding when people blocked the entrance and egress and look at you funny when you say “scuse me”.

I hated that there is very little in the way of security in the lots.

I rode from Florin and then from Sunrise into K Street and have parked at both.

I’m going to try it as an option for my new office. It may only be feasible for spring/summer due to my walk to the new digs. But it’s definitely food for thought.

By: jason

jason — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 23:53:15 +0000

Thanks, Ursula for reminding me of what I loved most about my time in St. Petersburg (I was there in the summer, as well), the people. You are correct, the Russian populace, in general, were wonderfully polite and conscientious…something that I don’t see as evident in much of our society, public transport included. Your observation reminds me that its the human connection that makes or breaks almost any experience, not tobacco smoke or body odor. I loved riding the rails and buses there because I loved the people.

By: Ursula

Ursula — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 23:27:35 +0000

Yes, I must chime in…especially about St. Petersburg, where I lived for several years. WHen I was pregnant, no matter how full the bus or metro train was, I was offered a seat.

A couple of years ago I was pregnant, with a 5 year old in tow, and got on a RT bus. Not one person offered me a seat on the full bus.

The Russian metro was particularly stinky in the summertime…but at least they were polite–and I never felt crowded even in a standing room only crowd. People were extra careful about personal space.

By: Uneasy Rhetoric

Uneasy Rhetoric — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 04:14:03 +0000

Sacramento has had light rail since 1986 or 87. It’s always has its crowded moments. Growing pains are no excuse.

By: Levi

Levi — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 02:52:32 +0000

Sacramento is growing up and these are the growing pains. We will learn soon enough how to ride. And when we do… Oh what a city it will be!

By: jason

jason — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 06:41:47 +0000

Remembering rails in Tokyo and St. Petersburg. Very different experiences both. Neither were anywhere near as pleasant as what we’ve got here in Sac. Nor were they sound places for the claustrophic. One station in Tokyo had a million passengers a day…i remember falling down once and almost passing out for lack of oxygen.

Other noteworthies…
Tokyo: all the guys are reading hardcore porn comic books.
St. Petersburg: I can still smell the acrid smoke of those stale Russian cigarettes which had about as much tobacco in them as nutrition in a Big Mac.

And yet, nonetheless, in both places, I was oh-so-grateful for the rail system.

Any other transit stories from abroad out there?

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 23:42:05 +0000

Couldn’t agree with you more on this. One thing to add:

All you sissy lala females that don’t want anyone to share your seat – suck it up and move your tails over so TWO people can sit on the seat.

If you don’t want to deal with your fellow human, perhaps light rail is not for you.

By: John (Uneasy Rhetoric)

John (Uneasy Rhetoric) — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 23:03:51 +0000

I find I’ve become a connoisseur of transit rap. Some of it is quite good in much the same way that some of the impromptu jazz bands on the Paris Metro are good. On the other hand, most of it is crap. But I only ever run into it on weekends. No one ever seems to rap during my occassional rush-hour transit runs.

By: pam

pam — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:16:07 +0000

A couple more requests to add to yours, if you don’t mind:

* If the cars are indeed so packed, you have to ride in the stairwell, when the doors open, step out and let the other passengers walk down the steps unimpeded. You’re quick enough to jump back in before the doors close. Yes, you are. Use the Force.

* Or at least pick up your backpack off the steps.

* Do not use the walls of the pivot point to drum while you sing your own rap music. I don’t care how acoustically perfect you think they are. The commuters are a captive audience. They silently hate you. And that makes you a sociopath, ‘k?

By: lisa

lisa — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 16:40:57 +0000

Thank you.

So, seriously. I ride the lightrail out to Sac City every morning, and people always grumble and bitch. Especially before the return of the four-car train, when they were still working on connecting the new tracks.

People didn’t seem to understand that the fourth car would open it’s doors to a hole when people had to get off at 7th & K and 8th & K. It was like, really, who cares about people in the fourth car?

I too make sure to wear my iPod. Because I can’t stand conversation with people about how crowded the train is and how they have to do something about it. It takes a lot of willpower to not say “If you lost weight, two people could sit on that bench.”

Sigh. How’d it get so crowded, anyway? All people (who don’t ride lightrail) tell me how the train is full of creepy people, and they’d never ride it.

I guess I just didn’t realize I was creepy.