WMATA Screws Up Again
I feel the need to remind everyone that the DC bus system is in need of major adjustments. And since a customer only judges a system by the part to which they have access, I am forced to hack at the scheduling behind the G8 bus line between Avondale and Catholic station…and how, once again, it is a filthy lie. 5 Not-In-Service busses today!! Hell, one of them looked brand new. It certainly wasn’t a design I’d seen before. The worst part, you ask? It even looked nice and warm in there. Meanwhile on the sidewalk, people are shivering, sneezing, sniffling, coughing…the wind is blowing harder than some parts of this past weekend. And we finally get picked up…again…to a full bus with almost no seats. Thank you again, WMATA for continuing to justify the corporate need for an obligatory 15 to 20 minute buffer period in arriving on time to work…but I would rather show up on time without having to catch your blasted vehicles at the ass-crack of dawn. I am late again because you do not report accurate schedules.
April 16th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I say fuck WMATA bus yo!
April 16th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
As an employee of a public transit agency (on the left coast), I have to take exception to your assertion that WMATA necessarily “screwed up.”
First of all, I think you’re saying that your bus was late. This could be due to any number of factors out of WMATA’s control, including traffic or issues with other passengers. Some schedules have extra time built in, others don’t. Fortunately, all WMATA buses are GPS-equipped, and you can track them using the NextBus system (including from your mobile WAP browser).
All those Out of Service buses? Those are what’s called deadhead trips, or any trip traveling without passengers between the yard and the terminus of a route, or between terminii. There’s a staggering amount of data that transit agencies compile to optimize operations to be maximally cost-effective, while honoring union contracts. That means each driver of each coach is assigned to specific runs; sometimes a driver will drive multiple routes with one bus in one shift. If a bus is going out of service, it’s for good reason, and WMATA couldn’t magically press an out-of-service bus into service just because your G8 is running late.
WMATA might have issues. All modes of transportation do. So plan ahead, leave early, and write to WMATA with your gripes when they really screw up.
And congrats on getting linked to from Wonkette — that’s how I found this post.
April 17th, 2007 at 8:49 am
The WMATA employee’s “that’s life” explanation rings hollow — I’ve lived/travelled in a few big cities, including a couple of 3rd-world ones, and the “Not In Service” bus is a DC-only experience. Chicago? Nope. NY? Never saw it. Buenos Aires? Nope. San Fran? Nope. Boston? Okay, I took the T mainly in Boston.
Speaking of the T, the dark, empty, ghost-train thing is more common here too. Pour quoi?
I’m on the D1/D2 route and my bus is usually w/in 5 minutes of schedule. But around town the not-in-service thing is so common that I just figure rookies are getting sent on KFC runs by the senior guys in the garage.
Good transit is THE solution to a healthy & green DC, but no love from the public means pro-traffic councilmembers, followed by more roads, gridlock, endless exurbs, and ree-diculous commute times. Here’s hoping WMATA doesn’t get complacent on self-improvement.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Feel free to have the taxes increased (or the price of the bus, which will drive people away from the bus totally and Really fuck you over), just so you can have a few more buses running (even if it’s just on your route alone) and cut the wait down from 15-20 to 5-10 mins late.
Happy now?
No offense, but I took the bus for years and stood in the rain and wind and bullshit and that fucking ssssuuucckkkeedd. But if you’ve seen the DC drivers, you know that it’s a miracle that the bus comes ‘on time’ at all….Ever!
I understand your being pissed off. I truly do and I think it freakin’ sucks that the buses can’t be on-time with any regularity but here’s the thing:
The “out of service” doesn’t mean it can’t run, it just means that it hates you. No seriously, take it personality because that’s what the bus driver who’s been driving for 5 straight hours is thinking. “aw. fuck that guy. I know I have to piss and I get a break from driving so I can actually see straight and not crash into everything, but nayh. I’m really out to fuck This ONE guy over”
Come on. I know you’re mad but like you said, you make a choice not to get up earlier. If you know the bus you want is constantly 15 minutes late, then the one before it is prolly that way too.
Cut the difference and get out 5-10 minutes earlier and catch the earlier one. Crack ass of dawn. lol. You sound like how I used to.
Sorry about your life man. Sounds like it doesn’t begin well for you most days.
But seriously, try the ‘cut the difference’ route, it worked for me.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:46 am
We have a similar problem on the 16th street lines, too. I live in Columbia Heights, and wanted to hop a quick ride down the hill to U street yesterday. But when I walked out to my bus stop, no southbound S2 or S4 ever came. Instead, while hoofing it down the hill, I happened across FOUR, count them, FOUR S4 busses, all lined up in a row, on their way north up 16th street. Thirty seconds later, 2 more S2 busses follow behind the other four.
Does WMATA have no logistically ability to control this at all? If these busses are all equipped with GPS, I would think it a simple matter to do SOMETHING during the course of the day to prevent such a useless distribution of busses.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:59 am
[...] Subway State Makin’ DC’s eyes bleed since 2004. « WMATA Screws Up Again [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
I agree with Lil’ Buddha. Why are they such IDIOTS!!?!???? Every time i’m waiting outside union station those buses always come 2 or 3 right after each other. Sometimes 2 of the same number stopping at the exact same moment.
Do those drivers not look in the mirror???? Notice the number of the bus behind them??? Why can’t they just wait at a stop for a few revolutions of the traffic light right in front of them when this happens? Put on the 4-ways and sit there for a few. Seriously.
WMATA should have GPS on each bus and tell the drivers when this is happening. Dispachers, anyone?!?
April 17th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
I don’t think they are “Not-In-Service” because they are old, they are just in route to the end (or begining) of a shift. I don’t think it is as easy as them just choosing to pick you up cause you’re waiting…
June 20th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Life as a bus operator is not easy! Fighting traffic all day ,having to be extra careful because of other drivers around you think it is a game constantly cutting you off.Pedestrians purposely step off the curb infont the buses.Passengers treat you like trash because your late forgetting that you’re not the only vehicle on the road.acciedents ,detours,police actions and just plain traffic is the main reason buses are late.When wmata resume hiring please apply get a teaste of what an operator goes through.Get a taste of your own see how it feels.