I hope that last weekend’s problem at the Wilson Bridge construction is not something that gets repeated. As you know, the contractor kept the lanes blocked for an extra hour and a half than was scheduled on Monday morning and really ruined the morning rush hour there. The advance notice of the work and of its potential impact put everyone on alert to stay away all weekend and it seemed to be a warning heeded by most of us locals. For the most part, that meant that it was mostly out-of-towners who got caught up in the backups there and that was the way it was expected. When the lanes stay blocked into the morning commuter’s day, then there’s a problem because it wasn’t expected and it wasn’t something that people could plan for. Yes, the contractor had to pay a fine (built into the contract) but I really wonder how big a disincentive a $4,500 penalty is on a company making hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit and that likely has incentives built in for completing the total job on time. Let’s just hope this isn’t repeated during any of the next three weekends that work of this scope will take place.
Metro’s voice gets an earful from riders
It appears that the new voice on Metro is really getting to people. Dennis writes to say: “Your column in The Examiner is both interesting and informative to read on my daily bus and Metro commute. Since I am annoyed by it on abi-daily basis, the topic of the new voice on the Metro trains is of interest to me. I have been riding Metro for approximately six years and always tried to be one of the courteous riders. However, listening to the annoyingly bossy lady’s voice for the past several weeks has turned that attitude on its head. It is obvious that Metro is completely out of touch with its riders since very few of the board members and administrators likely ride it on a regular basis. So how can riders show their displeasure with the beastly woman ordering us around? Well, until her voice is removed from the trains, this rider will make every effort to stand in every doorway and do the exact opposite of what she orders. Perhaps, if enough others join in this protest, Metro will get the point. Listening to that voice is akin to nails on a chalkboard and shame on Metro’s executives for subjecting us to it … in every station every day.”
While I appreciate and understand the thought behind the proposed action Dennis, I’m not sure that civil disobedience is the way to go here. After all, the only people who will be directly affected by such actions are your fellow passengers, and they deserve more. I know that the interim general manager is a regular rider and that many of his demands of his staff are based on his own experiences. Maybe he’ll get tired of the repetition of the announcements like many of those who’ve written in here.
