The Joys of Transportation

Please excuse this brief departure from our usual blog format to relay a personal story.

The 14thandyous are truly blessed to be able to live within such close proximity to our places of employment that transportation and its associated headaches rarely register as a concern with us. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case...as Friday night showed.

I headed out of my office in Penn Quarter around 6 PM on Friday evening to head over to meet Mrs. 14thandyou at Firefly in Dupont for a date night. My plan was simple enough: catch the Red Line at Chinatown/PQ over to Dupont, and walk over from there.

My first sign that something was amiss was when I encountered cryptic yellow signs haphazardly taped to the Metro turnstiles that stated: "MAJOR DELAYS. Save yourself money and do not enter the station." I had never encountered these before--their bluntness certainly got my attention. However, the signs didn't indicate what line(s) were affected, and since three lines pass through the Chinatown station, I decided to chance it.

The "which line is it" question was soon answered as I descended the escalator into what I could only describe as sheer pandemonium. I had never seen the Metro platform so jammed with people--you couldn't even get remotely close to the platform entrance. I hastily made a decision that the Metro was not going to be an option this evening (I later heard about the massive derailment at Friendship Heights) and decided to cab it over to Dupont.

Heading across town in rush hour is never fun, but at least I wouldn't be the one driving. I hailed a cab on 6th street, and the driver proceeded to loop around over to K in order to make a right onto Mass to get around Mt. Vernon Square. Only, traffic in the two left turn lanes onto was backed up--but my driver, ever resourceful, decided to turn into the lanes anyway. Because he was unable to complete the turn, he ended up being stuck sideways across multiple lanes of traffic, and because he was stopped so close to the car in front of him, once cars started to move he was forced to back up and then move forward.

Unfortunately, my driver did not think to look behind him before he backed up--if he had, he no doubt would have seen the other cab that had stopped behind him. Since he did not, he ended up smacking into the other cab. My driver got out and proceeded to the open window of the cab he hit. Words were exchanged. I couldn't tell if damage had been done to the other cab, but I was certain that I had heard the sound of a car door getting bent by a fender.

This lasted for about a couple of minutes, at which point I had decided to bail out of the cab. Only the cab driver returned at just that moment, got in, spat out "everything fine" and then sped off around the Square, leaving the other cab behind. I had my doubts that everything truly *was* fine, but I was too busy staring wide-eyed at my driver--unfazed by the earlier incident--zipping in and out of traffic and pedestrians along Mass Ave. to ponder the thought too deeply.

Finally, I arrived at Firefly, nearly an hour after I started out. I paid the fare, but didn't tip, and caught the driver mumbling something as I stepped out of the cab. Should have caught his license number, but at that point I was simply happy to be out of the cab. Not so bad, all things considered, and it did make the Hefeweizen I ordered taste all the better.

After a couple more drinks and some snacks, we headed out to walk home--by which time it had started raining.

But of course.

Taxi Meter Rates: Last Chance to Protest

The comment period on the proposed taxi meter rates will end on Monday, January 7th. If you are concerned by the potential time and distance meter rates, please take a moment to contact the DC City Council over the weekend. You can do so easily by signing a petition here.

If you're interested, I wrote more extensively on the topic in a November post. The long and short of my concerns is that those of us who take taxi rides for trips of one to three miles will end up paying more under the rates planned for the new time and distance meters. I already find the rates to be pretty high, particularly as compared to other cities, so I would prefer not to see them rise further. To find out more follow the link above to the petition and then check out the links list at the bottom right side of the page.

Encourage Small Business

We're back from a weekend in Virgina wine country and felling very relaxed. (No, Virginia wine country is not an oxymoron. And, yes, it is far far better than other eastern U.S. wine regions like Long Island.) Now back to life in DC . . .

I received a blast email from Jim Graham's office this morning regarding a town hall meeting tonight to address city-wide tax relief for small businesses. As his office puts it:

Small businesses are facing incredible market barriers and bureaucratic
impediments to staying in their longtime locations, expanding into new
sites, or just trying to open a business for the first time.

This meeting will be held at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U) from 6:30 to 9 this evening. Think about what a huge issue this is for our neighborhood and come out to listen or to testify. Even if you don't want to speak, critical mass at these meetings is important to show city leaders what issues matter to their constituencies. Tax relief will ensure the long-term viability of neighborhood favorites like Pulp, Go Mama Go, Home Rule, and Redeem. It will also level the competition for storefront space, perhaps limiting the rapid proliferation of bank branches and blah national chains.

This could be one of the few times that I agree with Graham. It's just a shame that the email notice didn't go out until today.

Meters!

Rates and effective dates have yet to be declared, but I am so excited for the impending installation of meters in DC taxis. Though I have myself not been gouged by a DC cabbie nor am I particularly confused by the zone system, Fenty's decision appeals to my basic sense of fairness.

Most importantly, I'm hoping for less expensive fares. Mr. 14th & You and I might be able to travel the 0.9 miles from our home to the Dupont Metro for less than the $9 plus tip that we now pay during rush hour. That same trip in NYC would only cost $4.30 ($2.50 initial fare + $0.40 per each 0.2 miles + $0 for additional passengers). I'll also be pleased when the 5.7 mile trip to National Airport does not cost me $6.10 more than the 4.7 mile trip to my parents' home on Capitol Hill.

Drivers might even make out ok in this transition. As demand is a function of price, I think that many folks traveling within one or two zones will take cabs more often if the fare is lower. Now if only we could get taxis with working seat belts and credit card readers . . .