Dinner links: New on the scene

by David Alpert • May 1, 2009 4:48 pm

Photo by afagen.

Riding the Metro for the first time: Two senior citizens from Nevada came to visit our city. For cost reasons, they stayed at a hotel near Pentagon City. They had never seen a subway before but rode one for the first time after paying $30 round-trip for a cab to Union Station on the first day. Other than one little crisis where the Metro doors closed before one of them could exit, they figured out the system thanks to helpful locals and Metro staff and enjoyed their visit. (Cavan)

This video could help: This short video shows newcomers how to ride the Metro. It could come in really handy if you've never seen a subway before. (Tripfilms, Cavan)

Chevy Chase candidates differ on fighting Purple Line: At a recent forum, David Eason, candidate for Town Council in the Town of Chevy Chase, advocated stopping the spending of town money to fight the Purple Line. Among the other candidates, Deborah Vollmer favors continuing the town's fight against the line, Pat Burda is a strong opponent of the Purple Line, and based on the article, Linna Barnes seems to be somewhere in the middle. (Gazette)

Take a left onto Bike Interstate 101: Did you know there are bicycle interstate routes? There are only two, but one runs to DC. Tsar-chitect suggests signing BR-1 on the Metropolitan Branch Trail and creating a BR-101 spur on the Capital Crescent Trail.

Specter used to be a bike messenger: Did you know that Pennsylvania's Republican-turned-Democrat Senator Arlen Specter was once a bicycle messenger? (DC Bicycle Transportation Examiner)

Navarro wins primary: Nancy Navarro has been certified the winner of the Montgomery District 4 election, no thanks to the US Postal Service. She's the strong favorite to win the general election. (Maryland Politics Watch)

Jobs the anti-preservationist: Steve Jobs wants to raze a historic mansion in Woodside, California, and preservationists accuse him of "demolition by neglect." (AppleInsider, Jaime)

Detroit depot as federal offices?: The owner of the old Michigan Central Depot in Detroit (which the city wants to tear down has proposed saving it by getting the GSA take it over, fix it, and use it for offices. (Detroit News, Geoff Hatchard)

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David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington and Greater Greater Education. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.

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Unless I missed it, where does that video mention STAND TO THE RIGHT ?

by Steve on May 1, 2009 5:56 pm • link • report

Everyone should click on and read "riding the metro for the first time". Their story is so fun! It'll remind me how bewildered some people are so that I don't get so upset at the "freakin'tourists".

I helped some from TN today, they were going from Eastern Market to Crystal City. Now I don't know whether I should have just told them to take the blue line, but I dragged them on an orange line with me and showed them how to change to a yellow at L'Enfant. I saw them get off at the right stop. Here's hoping they made it OK.

by Michael Perkins on May 2, 2009 1:32 am • link • report

Just a little perspective on where the folks who were "riding the first time" are coming from I've been to Pahrump and have traveled around southern Nevada.

Once we were stuck in the mud after visiting some springs in Ash Meadows, just across the mountains to the west of Pahrump. Weren't able to push ourselves out, even after putting what brush there was under the wheels. Fortunately another vehicle came along after about two hours and pushed us out. They of course gave us directions on how to get out. The big local landmark was the stop sign six or seven miles away, where you get back on the paved road.

by Ben Ross on May 2, 2009 10:16 am • link • report

I'm am one of the senior citizens Cavan refers to in his "Riding the Metro for the first time."

I was amazed to have found your site and reference to Lillie, my wife, and I. We are both 76 years old, never been on a subway before, and would have been utterly lost but for the help so kindly extended by those of you in live in Washington.

Since Cavan commented on my blog, Nye-Gateway to Nevada's rurals I received additional comments from Anonymous, David C., Mark, Eric, and Matthew as well. All apparently spurred by your own blog site.

I just wanted you and your readers to know how thoughtful we feel you and your readers have been in this unexpected exchange between us all.

Best wishes to you all from Pahrump, NV, a desert town of about 40,000 people about an hour West of Las Vegas.

by Featheriver on May 2, 2009 5:40 pm • link • report

Featheriver - since a lot of discussion around here is spent on improving the function of mass transit in the city - any ideas on how the maps/diagrams might have been more helpful without people pitching in?

by Squalish on May 3, 2009 4:06 pm • link • report