Back on the bus after a few weeks of riding to work with a friend. A few changes immediately noted. In addition to the efficiency-improving TV screen, there's a new digital ticker in the top-middle of the front (facing inside, of course). This time scrolls (vertically) information about the day and time (so you can now know (a) that MARTA time is different from every other time you're used to [TV time, NTP time, the works] (b) exactly how late you're going to be). Another cute addition is a female voice that goes "stop requested" (replacing the more identifiable but perhaps less ear-friendly beep) every time someone pulls the stop-request cord. The other things remain the same: jammed windows; a refusal to turn on the air-conditioning inside so you can sweat, burn and die like a pig. And of course a refusal to improve "service" (unless these nuggets represent an improvement!). The newest thing about the train station comprised the ads for the new Atlanta wing of Ikea (I only heard about them thanks to Fight Club) opening near 17th Street.
I don't mean to give MARTA a hard time (if anything, it's the other way around): I'm sure legislation, a global lack of appreciation for the social benefits (which imply capitalistic losses) of public transit that pervades the state and national administration, and upper management (don't we always like to blame them?) are responsible in no small measure.
As smart thinkers would say: If I don't like it and can't deal with it, I should find myself a remedy (aka buy a car, kiss a chunk of my savings goodbye, die young of blood pressure) and shut TF up.
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