All Aboard COTA Crimes!

A veteran commuter, including almost two decades riding the coaches and rails of New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority, I have been amazed at the lack of accountability on the part of the Central Ohio Transit Authority, particularly when it comes to the ineptitude and inconvenience of the system, and treatment of its customers. Unlike most metropolitan newspapers, The Columbus Dispatch barely covers this beat--I guess it's readers all are safely ensconced in their earth-killing machines and don't ever have to bother with riding the bus. Even now, most people look at me strange when I explain that I'm a bus rider and don't have a car. But even more astounding to me is the riding public's apparent willingness to endure rude drivers, bad service, nonexistent transfer procedures, and fare increases, just to name a few injustices. This blog will serve to document the abuses, highlight service lapses and shortcomings, and put the word out about discourteous drivers. Kudos will be provided when earned, and readers are encouraged to contribute accounts of their own experiences. It is hoped that the effort will result in the establishment of a commuter-advocacy organization like New York's Straphanger Campaign, to put the system's wheels to the fire. WE DESERVE BETTER!!!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

New Bike Racks Are, well... RACKED!!!

I had the unpleasant experience the other day of using one of the new bike racks on the downtown-bound #16 Long Street local, which I boarded somewhere in the wilds between Gateway East and Easton. They're black and yellow (damn, yellow again!--see previous post), and made of heavy plastic. They're a real pain in the ass--bulkier, heavier than the previous aluminum models. The yellow handles that hold the bike in place are difficult to dislodge from their magnetized mounts. When I used them the first time, the handlebars of my bike became entangled with the bus windshield wiper during my effort to wrest the holder from its mount. It takes longer to fuck with, and it's sure to increase the ire of passengers already pissed off because the biker takes too long to get the bike on the rack and get on the bus. I estimate it took me an extra 30 to 40 seconds to secure my bike on the rack. Thirty seconds on a behind-schedule COTA bus can make the difference between missing a connection and getting to work on time--not to mention saving oneself from the icy glare of passengers (many of whom I am convinced secretly hate bikers!)--and being late for the umpteenth time. Some things in life just should not be messed with--including the light-weight, easy-to-handle aluminum bike racks that are one of the brainier ideas COTA ever devised. Are you listening, COTA?
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