I rode the godsdamn subway. In Los Angeles. The subway we have here. I rode it.
I must say it took a truly dire situation to force me to do this. Here’s that situation:
As I was exiting the plane I took from Salt Lake City, UT back home to Los Angeles, I called my darling boyfriend. (I do mean “as” : I was getting up from my seat and doing that awkward plane aisle dance of trying to get out of the seat, get your overhead bag, and be polite, all at once, which rarely works for me. Pretty sure I’ve stepped on a small child trying to get off the plane. Does saying “sorry” over my shoulder count?) I called him in the midst of this dreaded waltz because I realized something. I only then realized he hadn’t given me my car keys. Josh was still in Park City, my car was in Lot C at LAX, and I was heading there, without keys.
It was too dumb of a situation to be angry. Ever have those? You want to be mad, but what will it fix? Sometimes being mad helps, think about it. But not when you’re stranded somewhere. All you can do is start solving things.
My thoughts: 1. Dara! Dara is in town! She might be able to pick me up! (She did.) 2. Haley! Haley has my spare car key and apartment key! But she’s at work… maybe she has them with her… (She didn’t.) 3. Ok, I can leave my car here and come get it when I have the key. How?? 4. How am I going to even get in my apartment?? All my friends with copies of the key are at work. 5. Damn it!!!
Dara picked me up, we got much-needed lunch at The Mustard Seed Cafe, my building manager Rouget gave me the key to get in to my apartment, and Haley gave me my spare keys after work.
So I still needed to get my car. Haley was going to her boyfriend’s place, Lucas and Sarah had just taken care of my cats all week, and another good friend in the neighborhood (who shall remain nameless) was on a DATE which NEVER EVER HAPPENS EVER. I had no other choice.
I got up the next morning and made up my mind. I would not use my dear friends as crutches! I would brave it on my own. I found this amazing website and plotted my journey.
To prepare, I packed my book and the latest issue of Wired, filled up my water bottle, and put some emergency food in my bag. I even took some cash out of my wallet in case I got robbed, even though I carry my ipod and digital camera and blackberry and checkbook everywhere I go. (Now you know, great.) As though I had never got on a subway in my life, in other countries with different languages, I set out down the street.
I could have taken the Dash bus at the end of my street, but I decided to save myself a quarter in these trying times and walk down to the Vermont/Sunset Metro station. I bought a ticket for $1.25, one-way to Union Station. Everyone who takes the subway, meaning 3 people I know of, says you don’t have to pay, you can just get on the train. I remembered this when I arrived at Union Station and no one had ever taken my ticket. I’m glad I played it safe, but it’s true, you could just walk on. I saw about 40 different people the entire time I was underground. If I were in Boston or San Francisco, I would have been in a constant sea of people. It was depressing in that way.
In every other way it was the best subway ride ever. It was 10am, no one was around, and the whole place was clean. I mean, shiny clean. There were monitors telling you what time the next train would come, like other cities! The train was clean and not creepy! And no one on the train seemed like they had an interest in robbing me! In fact, my fellow riders looked nice, and polished. Why did I think the LA subway would be filled with homeless people and riff-raff and robbers? What was I expecting?
I got off at Union Station, last stop on the red line. Upstairs, there were news stands and coffee carts. Again, so clean. I even used the restroom. I used the restroom in a public transportation building. Bold? Nope, it was nicer then the bathrooms at LAX! I walked outside to get on the Flyaway bus ($7! Easy, fast, clean, nice! What??) to the airport, and I admired the architecture surrounding the station. I felt like I was in a different city.
The thing is, many people in LA don’t even know we have a subway, let alone where it goes!! They don’t even know it exists. Did you? If you live here, did you ever think about using it instead of your car?
I took the bus to LAX and got my car. I obviously wish I could have remembered to get my keys from Josh, but at least it forced me to get on the beautiful Los Angeles Metro. I tell you all this so that you, too, can overcome your fears and disbelief about our subway, and not wait until you absolutely have to use it.
