This has been, if nothing else, an unusual summer — the rains that seem to come every other day make it feel more like early spring, and it just doesn’t seem like we’re getting the regular “summertime traffic patterns” with reduced congestion because so many are on vacation. Even so, Jim isn’t having a good time. He writes: “I moved to the Washington area in March 2005 and had already obtained a Metro StarTrip card even before I formally took up residence. For my first year, I dutifully left my car at home and rode the No. 8 bus from Alexandria to the Pentagon, and walked to Pentagon City.
“However, after having sat on the I-395 HOV lanes in backups periodically extending to Glebe Road, I have ditched Metro and now add my own personal car to the single-driver lanes of I-395. So why are the HOV lanes jammed?
“Take a look on any given day between about 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., and the I-395 North HOV lanes consist of at least 40 percent single-driver hybrid vehicles. I have sat on the No. 8 Metro bus in the I-395 North HOV lanes while the non-HOV lanes WHIZZED right by us, unimpeded. I have decided to join the unimpeded lanes. I pay (dearly) for the convenience of living just six miles from work. Why on earth would I take mass transit when mass transit takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to move six miles?
“Other reasons for ditching Metro: 1) Sitting on a bus enduring either an overly loud cell phone conversation, or being fumigated by a fellow passenger’s recently (and excessive) application of what can only be described as a cologne one notch above bug spray. There needs to be some kind of cell phone and personal hygiene etiquette for cramped public quarters and 2) Buses in summertime with no functioning air conditioning — REMOVE THEM FROMSERVICE! Or better yet — FIX THEM! And on the flip side, buses in winter with the heating system set on “INCINERATE” — the driver may be comfy, but the passengers are dressed for the cold, and last I checked, Metro buses don’t have a place to hang your coat. So the passenger sits in his/her coat on an overheated bus — NOT a fun ride.”
I guess it’s good to have options, Jim. I just hope that your commute becomes a bit more bearable.
A cool idea for your engine
Speaking of summertime, I never did my usual “get your car ready for the heat” reminder, so I’m going to do it now. The heat is one of the hardest things on your car’s engine. Make sure that you get the oil changed, and don’t forget the transmission and brake fluids, which also tend to break down in the hot weather. If you haven’t checked and/or replaced your belts (most new cars just have one big, long belt that runs everything), do it sooner rather than later. It’s also a good idea to have the service people run a test on your coolant to make sure it can withstand the brutal heat of a Washington summer. There’s still a lot of summer left, and that means a lot of chances for things to go wrong.
Questions, comments, random musings? Write to [email protected].
