Taking the Lite Rail regularly affords one the time to make a few observations. Periodically I will check in with these observations and miscellaneous notes.
Security Alert
The current security patrol at Lite Rail parking lots is apparently just for show - they don't actually prevent crime from happening or perhaps they are in on it on the sly. My catalytic converter was stolen during the middle of the day while parked at one such lot that has a security patrol on regular duty. Walking through the same parking lot, you will typically see broken window glass on the ground where vehicles have been parked.
Hey stupid, this is what you need to do…
...Put the ticket machine on the parking lot side of the tracks if there is only one machine at the station and one on each side if there are two machines. The current placement of the ticket machines is a fundamental design flaw. The typical station with a parking lot will be constructed like this: parking lot, tracks, waiting area with ticket machine. The problem is that there will be, on more than one occasion if you take the train regularly, a situation in which you are walking from your car to the ticket machine and the train will arrive before you cross the tracks. Unless you have a monthly pass and do not need to use the ticket machine, you will have to wait for the train to get out of your way before you can get to the machine. By this time, of course, it will be too late and you have to wait for the next train. If you have a monthly pass you sometimes will be able to make it by running around either the front or back of the train – you just don’t have time to get around the train and get your ticket.
This may seem like a small gripe, but it is a little design flaw that makes a big difference. Some people who are not Lite Rail literate will respond that you should just make sure you get to the station with enough time to be ready to board. And in a normal circumstance that reasoning would hit it right on the donut. The problem, however, is that the Lite Rail schedule is not reliable. The posted schedule seems to be more like a rough guideline for when they think a train ought to be there. Sometimes it will be early, sometimes right on time, and other times it will be late. It may be so late that you actually figure you missed the one you wanted and the next one has come early.
Odors of the Day Winners (think of these as Eau de Toilet fragrances)
Celebrity Sightings
Other Observations
Saw a Smart Car in the parking lot with its lights left on. Didn’t strike me as very smart.
At noon one day, I saw a group of “free stylers” being as loud as possible, banging the walls of the train as they spewed their foul mouthed, n-word laden rap for all to hear. Thing is, if you’re going to do that sort of thing, at least make it clever.
Most Bizarre Experience
At the College Greens stop, as the train was starting to move, I saw a person crouched with her back against the fence. From the quick glance it appeared that her legs were bare and her crouching position seemed odd, as if she were straddling a toilet that wasn’t there. It was not readily apparent that this was a woman, until I saw the pee spraying down – it wasn’t a stream, it was all over the place and had to be splashing onto her feet. This was around 6:30 PM on a Tuesday. There were people nearby, but I did not have the chance to see their reaction.
Odors
Something you quickly realize is that every day brings a new odor that dominates the car. Occasionally one odor will dominate, only to be replaced by another halfway through the ride. The morning ride is odor free far more often than the late afternoon ride.
In the last month or so, the following odors have been noted as being the dominant odor on a particular day. Even if it sounds nice, chances are high that it is not.
Odors of the Day Winners
Other Observations
On one particular day it was noted that 19 out of 25 adult males were wearing a wrist watch.
Observed a Stephen Wright act-alike. He had arms as hairy as Robin Williams, with a dead pan expression much like that of comedian Stephen Wright. In a right on the donut impersonation of Wright, he would slowly run his hand over his cheek with his eyes closed as if he were in a daze and his hand would barely make contact with his face. He looked like Michael Scott from The Office on his way to a fun run – business hair cut with no hair out of place, white t-shirt tucked into jogging shorts, white socks halfway up the shin, digital wrist watch.
Saw a lady who looked like a state worker sneeze inside her shirt instead of using her hand to cover her face. She just pulled up the collar of her shirt over her nose and mouth, sneezed into it, and let the shirt drop back into place. This was during the morning rush hour on a crowded train.