Another Los Angeles Public Transportation Challenge
A guy was poking me in the back, a baby stroller was punching me in the crotch, there was a smell of urine and I was reaching up at the full extended length of my arms to hold onto a railing while my body was being squeezed in every direction.
Welcome to the newly extended LA Metro Expo line!
Good grief, if the trains are this crowded, what took so long to get them built and why in the world do they not have more trains? I was on the Expo line headed to downtown L.A.; a friend and I had gotten on – albeit barely – in Culver City at Washington Blvd.
When the train finally arrived – we had been waiting on the platform at least 15 minutes and why in the world does LA Metro not put up a “next train arrives in so-and-so minutes” update on the sign!? – the doors opened and all we saw was a sea of humanity.
We were at the back of the train and started to check out another door but it too, was impossibly crowded and others from the platform were headed to it. So we went to the back door and I stood with my foot between the door and the platform until enough room was squeezed out so we could squeeze into the train.
That’s when I encountered all the discomforts mentioned above while my friend was having a similar experience.
This was only a few days after LA Metro made its highly trumpeted extension to Santa Monica (it must be noted the train does not go to the Santa Monica Pier; the station is at 4th and Colorado, some six blocks from the pier).
Since we did not enter at Santa Monica, I can’t say the train was that crowded from the start but it was ridiculously packed by the time it got to Culver City. And it continued to be this way until about three stops from USC, where it became bearable and my friend and I even managed to get seats.
Once seated and we were not being jabbed by various people and objects, the ride wasn’t too bad. There was a strong smell of marijuana coming from somewhere, which I actually began to enjoy; the small contact high it provided calmed me down considerably and helped me to relax.
My friend reported it was from a lady sitting next to her and frankly, if I had to ride that train and it’s that packed every single day, I would smoke a lot of pot, too.
Hopefully things will improve or this will prove to be another botched LA Metro public transportation situation.
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