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Aonswitch t1_ir5ypbd wrote

Reply to comment by AfghanHokie in Train to Ashburn! by albinotuba

I was in Copenhagen last month and the trains came every 90 seconds. Felt weird waiting 12 minutes for the red line on the same day coming back from dulles

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coocookuhchoo t1_ir6786o wrote

Simply unfair to compare ourselves to Denmark. They really have things figured out.

I remember when I was there taking a bunch of pictures of this road that had an elevated and separated bike lane going in both directions, a separated bus lane going in both directions, and then in the center two car lanes (one in each direction). It was….beautiful.

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Aonswitch t1_ir6crxt wrote

Why is it unfair? It’s literally a capital city with a metro transit system. You think it’s that bad to expect to be better?

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coocookuhchoo t1_ir6d80j wrote

No I was sort of just being cheeky saying it's unfair to compare us because they are lightyears ahead. Would love to be more like them.

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sagarnola89 t1_ir6ghrl wrote

Its unfair because we all know the politics when it comes to government funding of public services (unfortunately) is completely different in the U.S. than it is in Western Europe.

And it's cultural. In the U.S. taking public transit is considered something "poor people" do. I don't own a car and only take public transit, and most of my friends and family are absolutely flabbergasted that I don't buy a car and drive. Or when I suggest we take the metro instead of an Uber. In Western Europe, a man in a suit on his way to the opera would take public transit, no problem.

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CaptainObvious110 t1_ir6iaj7 wrote

Yeah you are correct. I don't own a car and I have friends that are really annoying about me driving and I'm just going to have to be firm and tell them to knock it off already.

I'm an adult, and I don't have to justify to you why I do what I do or don't do something. I've been getting around just fine by means of public transportation and am happy with that. Respect that and kindly shut up about it.

For the majority of what I need to do I can use my bicycle. Why is that something laughable? I'm out her getting excercise and taking better care of myself and that's funny? Yeah ok.

It's definitely cultural and it's sad how people have been manipulated into thinking that this is the way it should be when it isn't. People look absolutely miserable being in traffic or dealing with other folks who can't just be civilized and go where they need to go.

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sagarnola89 t1_ir6j1tp wrote

Agree 100%. And the worst are the people I know who claim to be progressive and care about the environment but never use public transit.

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CaptainObvious110 t1_ir7d92d wrote

It's hilarious when people don't even know how to get to and from with public transportation. If they were were new in town sure I get that at least for a period of time but not when you are born and raised here.

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BoozAlien t1_ir6zqtf wrote

>In the U.S. taking public transit is considered something "poor people" do.

And sadly this is increasingly what Metro is becoming, as the agency shows absolutely no signs that it's capable of returning frequency of service to the levels that people with the means to have different options considered normal before the pandemic and the 7K train issues.

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sagarnola89 t1_ir73cih wrote

Honestly,, I lived in London for a year, which obviously has a great transit system. The DC Metro is by and large much cleaner and nicer, and in the summer the lack of AC on the London Tube can be brutal. But, that didn't stop wealthy Londoners from gladly taking the Tube. I still maintain you can't disconnect public transit issues in the US from cultural and racial factors.

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AfghanHokie t1_ir5z9c9 wrote

Seriously. Right now I’m on a platform and it’s every 2 or 3 minutes. Vienna is a 1/3 the size we are.

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SandBoxJohn t1_ir7rs3u wrote

If WMATA had enough rolling stock they could also do that.

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