First-time Metrolink commuter, longtime sleepyhead

My friends on The Times' copy desk apparently have all sorts of transit issues to work out (they probably also wouldn't end a sentence with a preposition). A couple of weeks ago it was Viv with her subway-busway troubles; today it's Rubaina Azhar trying to sort out whether the money savings offered by Metrolink are worth the extra time commitment.

Talk to us, Rubaina. The bottleneckers are here to help!

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Biologically, I'm a night person. I've worked nights, except for a stint as a reporter at the Hartford Courant in the mid-1990s, since I graduated from college 15 years ago. For the last six months or so, though, I've been working on The Times' a.m. copy desk. In December, when I found out what my start time was going to be -- 7 a.m. (big ouch!) -- I immediately looked on the Metrolink website to see if I could take a train in to downtown L.A. from Fullerton that early. Yup, there were trains leaving before 7.

I bought a prepaid $157 commuter card through an employer-promoted website called WageWorks.com. (Apparently, I had a much easier time than Steve Hymon in accomplishing this.) At the time, $157 was the cost of a monthly Metrolink pass from Fullerton to Union Station. I was so motivated! I wouldn't have to sit in snail's pace traffic first thing in the morning! I would be helping the environment by not driving! I could read The Times on the train! Or a novel!

But did I use my commuter card in January? No. Nor did I use it in February, March, April, May or June. What happened to my great motivation? I lost it fast when I realized I'd have to wake up a full 45 minutes to an hour earlier to allow enough time to drive to the Fullerton station from my home and find a parking spot, and then make my way from Union Station to The Times building at First and Spring streets.

Well, Metrolink rates went up today. That $157 pass I bought? It would now cost me $168. I figured I'd better use the card before it expires. I mean, $157 is the equivalent of about 2.5 tanks of gas for my Honda Accord. So I went to bed earlyish last night (10 p.m.) and set the alarm for 4 a.m. It went off on time, but I didn't actually get out of bed for another 30 minutes. Sleep is precious.

I did manage to get ready, drive to the station, find a pretty good parking spot, use my prepaid card to buy a ticket and get on the 5:59 a.m. train to downtown.

The train was pretty crowded, but I managed to find a window seat on the upper deck. I had brought along Jane Smiley's "A Thousand Acres" to read, but I was too excited about not sitting in traffic to read more than five pages of it.

My son, Zayd, is 4 and a huge fan of "Thomas the Tank Engine." You wouldn't believe how many times I sang the theme song in my head during the 40-minute ride.

With stops in just Buena Park and Norwalk, it was 6:33 a.m. when we arrived at Union Station. It was a few minutes more before the train was given the green light to pull in, but I had minutes to spare. When I drive, I usually don't get into downtown until right before 7 a.m.

After disembarking, I easily found the Metro Red Line subway connection and took it (for free! as Metrolink riders are allowed to do) one stop over to the Civic Center. Emerging from underground, I saw The Times building just a block away.

How easy was that? And why hadn't I started doing this six months ago?

So will I take Metrolink again? Definitely (especially since I have no other way of getting home this afternoon.) But will I take it tomorrow? Well, let me sleep on it....

-- Rubaina Azhar

Comments

[Al Simon]

Thank you Rubaina for your positive comments about Metrolink. I also catch the 601 into L.A. each day and I truly enjoy the experience. Fellow passengers become your second family and share their experiences. I have been aboard the 601 for 7+ years,leaving Oceanside at the ungodly hour of 4:43 AM. My only complaint is waiting for a southbound train (or northbound) because of single track areas. Now all we need to do is get our governments to fund rail transit in a big way. In this day and age there should be no delay of rail traffic. Believe it or not rail is the wave of the future!

[minerva]

please let's keep up the discussion on mass transit in L.A. I also ride the metrolink and metro rail; and I love it!!

[Kymberleigh Richards]

On behalf of the public transportation advocacy community, thank you, Rubaina, for sharing such a positive experience.

And thank you, Steve, for encouraging her to share it.

[Francisco Oaxaca]

Rubaina:

It was nice to read that your first Metrolink experience went well. Another benefit of riding Metrolink with a monthly pass is that you can also take advantage of the Metrolink-Amtrak Rail2Rail Program. Metrolink monthly pass holders can ride any Amtrak train at no extra cost between the origin and destination stations they bought their pass for. It adds that many more trains you can choose from. It comes in especially handy when you have to come home early or just miss your regular train. I hope you continue riding.