All aboard for munchkins on the Gold Line

Regular Gold Line rider Mark Harvis of Monrovia sent me this dispatch about the new rail cars being used on the Gold Line. The AnsaldoBreda cars, shown above, are more stylish than the current cars but apparently not as roomy. Hit it, Mark:

Hello Steve

I've written to you before about the awful silver/gray trains the MTA is using on the Gold Line. Blessedly, those trains do not appear too often. My day starts off badly when one of them rolls up and I have to ride one of them. Today, I think I finally figured out the problem -- whoever designed these small cars forgot that human beings have arms. Yep, arms. If we just had torsos the seats might be passable. Tight, for sure, but passable. But because most of us have arms -- two of them in fact -- there just isn't enough room. I was squished against a seat end this morning while the poor lady sitting in the middle seat had to lean forward because there was no room for her and her arms. Or mine.

Perhaps the MTA Board should be sentenced to the purgatory of riding these Munchkinland trains to and from the MTA palace for 5 days running! Every time I talk to a train driver about these cars, they roll their eyes. They know. The riders know. The MTA Board -- they should know and should fire the persons who are responsible for this unfortunate purchase.

Anyway, thanks for listening,

Mark

As usual, I'm all ears.

-- Steve Hymon

Photo credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority