DC Driving and the DC Metro: Putting Things In Perspective

I am not the first and definitely not the last DC resident to write about the DC Metro. Many of my friends and colleagues periodically complain about delays, track-work and, most of all, tourists. I have been frustrated by all of these things (hello 30 minute delay underground on the Red Line) but on the whole I try not to let it bother me too much. In many ways the very transportation that we rely on for convenience is much like the transportation that we are trying to escape by using it: cars. I find driving in DC a whole lot worse, especially my favorite (a very lose form of the term) stretch of road New York Avenue. The traffic is horrendous, pedestrians and Capitol Bike Share riders seem to have a death wish and there are So. Many. Lights. But there are lessons that I apply from these frustrations to my Metro riding, namely that road rage, or in this case riding rage, never gets you anywhere and if anything only earns you bemused looks from your fellow commuters. Sure people might not understand that the left side (left lane if you will) is for passing not idling and people may not put on their “turn signals” when they “merge” into your personal space in the car or on the escalator. Perhaps you are stuck waiting for a good 20 minutes (sometimes without AC) before you can make it to happy hour. But like driving getting upset does not resolve the problems. In fact, I don’t mind delays on the Metro as much since they are completely out of my control. I cannot drive the car into another lane in vain hope that it will move quicker, so might as well get comfortable and enjoy the spectacle that is humanity in my spare time. So rest easy fellow DC commuters, everything will work out in the end and always be grateful that you don’t have to do all of this yourself in a car.