Two Days on MARC and Metro

The last two days on MARC and Metro have been a true challenge even for the most seasoned of commuters. First the good news: For Candice it's going to be a girl. Well I guess it is already a girl, but the arrival is only imminent at that point in time.

Princess Carly gave her notice. She is heading to South Carolina to continue her education. Two weeks is all that remain for commuting for her. She claimed that she would not miss the MARC and Metro with all its delays and uncertainty. I told her, "you will miss it; every chance you get." It is so much like having ones own child head off to college. Her sunny disposition and honest naiveté all the while being a wild girl and The Princess will remain legendary in the chronicles of the Car 5 Gang. Although she will not be an intrepid commuter any longer, she will always be the Princess.

Mikey, suggested that Shelly might fill that position. Carly snapped back, "Oh, no no. There is only one Princess." I am afraid she is right. A farewell happy hour at the Center Café is scheduled for Friday the 13th (for everyone who remembers to not drive that day.)

The week was a nuisance every day but the snafus reached a climax by Thursday. Garage 1 at BWI reopened, the northbound platform work has not been completed, the northbound track replacement seems like it should have been done by now but hasn't and the second set of elevators to the pedestrian bridge are underway giving us all yet another bottleneck until the track work is done.

Thursday, an Acela train broke down at BWI and we got snagged behind three other MARC trains. How fortunate that Amtrak trains break down IN the stations while MARC trains breakdown between stations. Okay, that is an unfounded supposition, but that is the way is seems to us. 40 minutes late, we get out to face the bed bridge and the stairs.

Friday, the afternoon fubars began at Metro Center with the backlog of Red Line trains at 4:30. One needs to get going earlier and earlier as the quality of WMATA service suffers. After waiting 11 minutes for a crowd to amass on the platform, the train finally arrived well loaded with people who were not getting off at Metro Center. After a few did exit, we began the daily ritual of packing ourselves in as best as PM attitudes would permit.

We were treated to a particularly jerky ride and stops at Gallery Place and Judiciary Square. On our way to Union Station from Judiciary Square the operator made a particularly hard stop. Everyone was propelled forward as the train decelerated. With a collective reflexive step to keep from toppling the odor of cluster-fart wafted through the car. The vapors of a dozen lunch time selections filled the air. Nobody looked at anyone else hoping to avoid the uncomfortable position making eye contact after such an event.

We had a few regulars on the way home. The train crawled along behind several leading trains. There were no reports of breakdown but we still arrived 20 minutes late.

I was treated one again to the "rain on the train that falls mainly on the brain…" On the brain, that is, it I am leaning forward. Otherwise the ceiling mounted HVAC Condenser dribbles into my lap and hands when I try to catch it before I get soaked. Nobody knows exactly how rank and foul that water is after it has been backed up in the unit long enough for it to spill over and drench a passenger below. Sandy provided hand sanitizer to mitigate whatever might be lurking in that brew.

Ah, another week, come and gone.