Town Talk
I took the Baltimore Light Rail for the first time last week. It was strange, because I’d been meaning to take it for some time, but the longer I waited, the bigger deal it became. So I kept putting it off and I kept putting it off, until finally one day I said, “I’m going to drive myself nuts if I don’t do this,” so I drove on down and hopped on the darn thing.
But not without the trepidation that comes from imagined, built up fear. First I had to park. Then I had to walk to the automatic ticket dispenser and try to read the screen with the sun blasting in at an angle to cause glare on the monitor and *sear out my retinas. And then I had to take the bull by the horns and ask someone nice to help me.
And this is what I found out. People in Baltimore are really nice! At least the riders of the Light Rail are really nice—which has lead me to believe that the drivers I’ve been cursing at under my breath all these months on I-83—the ones who refuse to inch over and let me in a lane, or who would never think to leave me space to pull out of a Royal Farms parking lot while they sit at a red light—those people have to be Philadelphians, because the folks who take the Light Rail are nice.
So there I was, trying to see past the glare to get my ticket and I finally asked these three men next to me to help. Two had taken the Light Rail already, but one was a Light Rail virgin, too. Just like me.
It was a good move talking to them and getting their take on this fabulous form of transportation, as well as the ins and outs. I wish I could have remembered their names. They had given me their cards (guys, if you’re reading this, please post a comment!). What one of them said as I disembarked made a true impression on me. “Remember, this was a great adventure for you.” And he was right. And I’ve been having that same great adventure almost every day since.
Basically, here are the top ten things you need to know about Maryland’s Mass Transit Baltimore Light Rail:
1.) A round trip ticket / Day Pass costs $3.50 and a Month Pass to commute on the Light Rail will cost $64.00 (for those who don’t qualify for special fares).
2.) There are all kinds of discount passes for people who fit the specific pass category, and I seem to be in the minority of those who don’t merit a pass. Visit the MTA Maryland website for Light Rail Special Fares.
3.) So far, nobody has ever checked my ticket; you’re on an honors system. But I hear that if you’re found without a ticket, horrible things happen to you, e.g., your hair begins to fall out, your teeth turn green, you turn into a Philadelphia driver and, well, I think you get a $30 fine or something.
4.) There are schedules online and plastered up all over the Light Rail stops, but I haven’t graduated to that level yet.
5.) It’s better to catch the morning train at the Timonium stop if you’re heading downtown, than the Lutherville stop, because you tend to get good dibs on a rush hour seat.
6.) If you have my Light Rail karma, no matter which train you catch, in which direction, you’ll always end up sitting backwards.
7.) From Timonium Lutherville to downtown, the ride is approximately 20 minutes long and the scenery—chugging through Jones Falls and past Lake Roland, especially in the Autumn and the Spring—is as gorgeous as anything you’ll see in New England.
8.) A Light Rail pass is also used for the local bus, the express bus, and the Baltimore Metro Subway (MTA Core Service).
9.) Any Light Rail information, including the Light Rail schedule, can also be found here: Baltimore Light Rail Information.
10.) Baltimore Light Rail riders are really, really nice!
As a p.s. This morning the Light Rail was a little more crowded than usual. Halfway through the ride, I stood up and requested that the lady standing beside me take my seat. It only seemed fair. I was really chuffed with myself for having come up with such a nice thing to do. And during these hard economic times, perhaps we should all think a little bit more about doing these same random acts of kindness. We all want to be kind, but sometimes we just forget to go that extra step. So here’s a little reminder. The next time you have a seat on the Light Rail, how about sharing it halfway through. This is how the world gets better and better.
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p.s. Yes, I know, I know, there have been unusual problems, but the Baltimore Light Rail is on the mend!
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*Thanks to our reader, Richard Carson, for a correction. Bravo, Mr. Carson!
Photo curtesy of The Bergennet Network.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 11/10/08 at 10:26 PM
