Commutants!

By Karama Neal

November 8, 2005 10:53 AM | Link to this

I use MARTA to commute from South Dekalb every day, and most times it goes off without a hitch. That said, I am glad to have a car for the evenings and weekends. It would be interesting to profile some folks who choose to use MARTA, not because they have to, but because they want to. Perhaps that would encourage more folks to try and stick with MARTA. In turn, the public transit services would improve because of greater revenue, larger ridership, etc.

By Carolyn Wilder

November 8, 2005 11:08 AM | Link to this

I visited NYC for the 1st time Labor Day weekend. I hope it won’t be the last time. I took the buses a lot! Took the subway once, but decided I wanted to where I was going. The buses and subway were clean, didn’t smell rank. The bus drivers were actually friendly and helpful. As a senior citizen I rode for a dollar! The taxes in Atlanta wouldn’t be so hard to take if the citizens got something to show for all that money. If Atlanta can afford to spend millions for the ATL, they can surely afford to send some people from MARTA to NYC to learn the right way to run a transit system.

By Charles

November 8, 2005 11:10 AM | Link to this

As a newcomer to the New York area from Atlanta, I can say that this is very true. I think with Atlanta, there are some significant differences:

I also believe that as the commuters move closer to the city and the population density Atlanta grows, people will eventually realize that there will be no more places to “build better roads” and mass transit options will surface—especially with incentives like the “Transportation Assistance Program”, which (here in New York) provides $40/month towards deferring the cost of a 30-day Card (which knocks my costs down to rough $11/month for transportation.)

With patience, the better options will eventually come to pass. Either that or mass hysteria.

By Becca

November 8, 2005 11:12 AM | Link to this

Finally someone who understands! Yes, this is a car town, yes, you need one and yes, the alternative transportation options are ridiculous. You can bike if you have time, you can wait on the bus if you have time and tolerance for “crude” behaviour, and you can sit in relative comfort if you have a car. It’s not right, but it’s the way it is.

By Debbie Matticola

November 8, 2005 11:12 AM | Link to this

I rode MARTA for 11 years. During those years, I had the great goodfortune one time to be seated next to someone who fondled himself and nobody seemed interested in doing anything about it. Another time, I ran up the stairs at Doraville and when I got to the train door, the driver shut the door in my face and yelled out “Sorry whitey” and took off. I happily drive myself to work now and don’t have to be subjected to perverts and racists. I’ll sit in traffic anyday.

By Ace

November 8, 2005 11:25 AM | Link to this

After growing up in ATL I lived in Boston and developed a fondness for good public transportation (its not great there but it is good. For great go somewhere like London.) The problem with Marta, besides those mentioned above, is that the stations are not located where people actually go - they are located where the politicians thought people ought to go or based on who ought to use it.

By Jerry

November 8, 2005 11:28 AM | Link to this

I use MARTA becasue I want to. I feel more human riding with others, was more isolated when it was just me in the car with Neal Borks. Yeah there are interesting and difficult people but isn’t that what life is about? I wish someone could force trains out beyond 285 and wish that buses were on a tighter schedule. But I wish everything else in my life was just the way I want it too - there seems to be a lesson somewhere in all of this.

By Joe

November 8, 2005 11:29 AM | Link to this

Debbie — 11 years and two bad incidents? I’ll take that any day compared to the countless number of bad incidents I encounter on the roads on a daily basis.

By the way, it sounds like you were among those not interested in doing anything about the pervert.

By Brian

November 8, 2005 11:30 AM | Link to this

Ever since being accosted on a MARTA south rail by a gang of punks on the way to the airport, I have decided to drive myself and Park ‘N Ride. Atlanta’s police are bad enough, but Marta’s police are a joke, especially if you happen to be a white male. No thanks. I’ll stay WAY outside the perimeter with regards to ANY public transportation.

By nicole

November 8, 2005 11:33 AM | Link to this

I would gladly give up my car for public transportation…if it was actually where I needed it. Marta is great for the occasional downtown trip for special events. But I actually work downtown, and I still find it easier to drive. For one, there aren’t enough stations at key spots. Also, my commute is typically around 30 minutes. If I were to take Marta, I’d have to drive to the local train station, park my car, and then sit through all of the stops. It would take over an hour at the minimum. Hate to say it, but Marta is not sMarta.

By Lee

November 8, 2005 11:39 AM | Link to this

Like Atlanta and Hip-Hop, MARTA sucks. Who wants to subject themselves to the jerks that seem to dominate the trains, with no regard or respect for anyone, and that probably includes themselves. By the way, I’m in Atlanta for a few more years, I’m here because I have to work!

By Adrienne

November 8, 2005 11:40 AM | Link to this

The level of service you receive DOES depend on your area. The North Springs trains are ALWAYS air conditioned and, for the most part, always on time. Marta tries to cater to the white people in Alpharetta way more than the black folks in Decatur. I ride Marta because I WANT to and because it is convenient. But if Marta continues to see white people’s money as more valuable than mine, I will start driving to work.

By Marta_can_be_Smart

November 8, 2005 11:43 AM | Link to this

I ride MARTA by choice to work each day. I use my car in the evenings and weekends. I ride Marta for varied reasons…I like that I don’t get stuck in traffic and that I don’t have to pay $100/month to park, but I also like knowing that I’m doing my part to help reduce pollution.

I do sometimes get bothered by the people who don’t know how to act in public, and unfortunately, those people are normally black (I am also black). I think the fact that most of the trouble makers are black, it makes alot of white people uncomfortable. My hope is that these trouble makers can see how other people act and maybe adjust their behavior to be better.

By T. Starling

November 8, 2005 11:43 AM | Link to this

I rode Marta for the better part of 5 years from Clarkston to my previous job in Buckhead & my current position Midtown. I lived in Pittsburgh, PA where the Port Authority Transit System(PAT) was the only way to truly get around. Even in the harshest weather environments & the buses were reliable and on-time. With the train system here I can honestly say its a play-it-by-ear ride. When a train breaks down & you watch 5 trains going the opposite way with a PA speaker blaring, “We’re experiencing technical difficulties the next train is currently leaving H.E. Holmes.” All the while when the train does come its a shuttle to King Mem. Station or Inman Park. The peace of mind of driving and getting where you want to get to when you need to far surpasses any positives to riding Marta in its current state. Want to have real fun goto any station after 9 PM and wait on a train to connect to a bus ride at a specific time. You’ll probably miss that bus.

By jennifer

November 8, 2005 11:51 AM | Link to this

There are just as many jerks in vehicles on the roads. They pull in front of people nearly clipping their cars, they flip people off, yell obscenities, knit, put on makeup, read novels, and don’t seem to know what the color green means at a stoplight.

There are sickos everywhere. Could you not get up and move away from the man fondling himself? If not, did you report him to anyone? You have to tell someone for them to know what’s happening on MARTA. Quite frankly, if it were me I’d have told him to STOP. Then, if that didn’t work, a good swift kick to that groin area he likes so much would have made him think twice about whipping it out in public. Sometimes people like that only do those types of things because they know most people are afraid of saying/doing anything about it. Sometimes it’s more of a thrill for them if they know it makes you uncomfortable.

By Michelle

November 8, 2005 11:56 AM | Link to this

I’ve just moved to Atlanta after living without a car in a large city for five years. I’ve been using MARTA by choice to get from East Atlanta to downtown, but the system doesn’t do much to encourage me to use it. — The token machines are picky about taking bills and you can only buy monthly passes at a couple stations. — If you can find a schedule, it’s difficult to interpret. — The signs say the system that tells you when the next train will be coming isn’t working and will be back soon. (I’ve been riding for 6 weeks and it hasn’t been fixed.) — Trying to get around on a weekend resulted in a 2-hour journey from Atlantic Station to Inman Park, with tracks closed and trains running slowly. I wasn’t in a hurry, but the folks who were trying to get to the hockey game or other events that evening were choosing to walk or search for taxis. It’s no wonder people don’t take MARTA unless they have to.

By FalconDude

November 8, 2005 11:58 AM | Link to this

Lyle, are you trying to say that those that own cars should not use them but ride MARTA so that those that don’t have cars don’t feel so bad? Are you trying to say that because New Yorkers ride the train, that somehow makes them better than us?

Sorry Bubba, but I don’t plan to ride an inconvenient bus or a train that goes nowhere near where I need to go, just so some carpetbagger will say “oh, these nice southerners, they all ride the train so everyone can be equal”. What ACLU kind of crap is that anyway? I could care less about who is riding the bus with me, but I do care about getting where I want to go on time, and with a minimum of fuss and trouble. And until MARTA can provide that, I am going to keep on driving my car.

You have proven what I have thought about many from up north…the cold has frozen your brain and unfortunately it melted when you moved down here and it ran out your ears.

By Bill

November 8, 2005 12:01 PM | Link to this

I’ve ridden MARTA rail Monday - Friday from Northsprings to the Civic Center for 22 months. It saves money and wear on my car, but not time. Advice for the new or occasional MARTA rail riders: Do not depend on the intercom message to tell what station is next. Know the station number you want and keep up with where you are. Move quickly when you want to exit the train, otherwise you may not get off in time. No need to ask what the train schedule is. The train will simply “be there when it gets there”. Always allow extra time for the likely delays. I could go on and on, but enough said for now.

By Marge

November 8, 2005 12:10 PM | Link to this

I think that Marta is not given funding by outer lying counties. Only Dekalb and Fulton pay the 1% tax for it. I think if other counties participated, then we would see if rascism is a factor on Marta riding attendance. Statistically the majority of the black population in Metro Atlanta reside in these two counties, so we cannot answer your question if Marta is a rascist experience or not.

By Keon Johnson

November 8, 2005 12:13 PM | Link to this

It’s racism and politics. MARTA gets little to nothing from the State of Georgia…yet they expect it to make miracles. MARTA transports person from Gwinett, Rockdale, Cobb, and Clayton, yet the people of those counties feel that a 1% tax is too much. When MARTA was first proposed by Sam Marcel, he tried to get all the counties in metro Atlanta to sign on. DeKalb, Fulton, and Atlanta bought into the system. The rest said, “we don’t want to ruin our suburban lifestyle” That’s code for we don’t want poor people or blacks to have easy access to our neighborhood. If you don’t believe see what the percentage of black living in Gwinett, Cobb, Clayton etc…was during that time. Then Cobb knowing they needed transportation…decided they were too good to be associated with MARTA. CCT, is a joke and everyone knows it. The new transportation systems in Gwinett and Clayton are jokes as well. It’s amazing that the Republicans which complain of duplicate services and programs support it. Don’t be decieved race and politics are very much a part of the equation in this problem. Unfortunately, class has also be thrown in the mix. The fore mentioned counties now have large percentages of African-Americans who seem to have forgotten what it’s like to not have. We can’t blame MARTA or it’s workers for the problem. You get what you pay for. You restrict it’s access by ordinances, you restrict the people that ride it by it’s access, you handicap the system by straining it with non-tax paying riders from the area that CLAIM THEY DON’T WANT OR NEED IT. They you give it a slap in the face saying, “We need public transportation and we want your support…but we don’t want to pay you for it! Let’s be honest here!

By Steve

November 8, 2005 12:15 PM | Link to this

Wow, Falcon Dude. It seems like you’ve got some serious issues with Yankees. I think you’re referring to his “point of pride” issue. What I believe that meant was that the community was proud that the system was efficient, clean, and useful. The system was a good ambassador for the city. MARTA is not a good ambassador for the city. It’s inefficient, it doesn’t go anywhere, and it offers little incentive to use it. Lay off the irrational straw man arguments.

By L.

November 8, 2005 12:16 PM | Link to this

I live in Douglas County and commute to Cobb County, and I must say that Atlanta is very fortunate to have a heavy rail system, because given the climate out here in the burbs- local service transit would still be non-existent.

By Rhett

November 8, 2005 12:17 PM | Link to this

As a former state employee working in the twin towers (sloppy floyd building) I chose to take MARTA as it was a straight shot from Buckhead and let me off right inside my office building. I was also afforded discount monthly MARTA cards. Within six months, I was so sick of the delays and on the part of openly rude behavior by ignorant MARTA employees, I gave up. I rented an expensive parking space and began driving. Subsequently, I swore off MARTA and have never so much as boarded a train. The fact that I see they now choose to build their ‘repair station’ on some of the most expensive real estate in Atlanta, as opposed to further out, assures me that I have done well to not contribute my coins into such a poorly run organization.

By Craig

November 8, 2005 12:18 PM | Link to this

I started using public transportation in Washington DC. I have been taking MARTA since 1991 by choice — avoid buying a car and in theory helping the environment. In Washington DC the Metro is truly a blend of people of all classes and color. MARTA appears to have fewer upper class, but there is a mix; I see African-Americans, Hispanics, Africans, Asian-Americans, Asians, Eastern Europeans, and some whites. One lesson I learned is if one is poor and must rely on MARTA, it is difficult and very time consuming. It must be close to impossible for them to vote. In general, I have not experienced incidents with other passengers except once or twice. I have experienced buses refusing to stop at bus stops for no apparent reason, I have experienced buses breaking down in the early morning (a true mystery to me), and buses late regularly (sometimes the combination of breakdowns and tardiness results in a wait of over an hour). MARTA would benefit from bus lanes, especially during the afternoon rush hour, avoiding traffic congestion woulld help them keep to their schedule, more rationale routes (I take 2 buses that, at best, takes 90 minutes combined, at worst 2-3 hours for a 20 minute trip by car) and better maintenance. I have complained to MARTA that they are forcing me to consider getting a car, but so far I have resisted.

By Melvin Raines II

November 8, 2005 12:20 PM | Link to this

I am currently living in Miami, Florida, where the mass transit system is comparable to MARTA’s transportation system, i.e., very unreliable (I am qualified to speak on MARTA as I lived in Atlanta for four years, and visit at least once a month). However, I have attributed the unreliability to the newness of the systems. As the population in the south becomes more dense, I feel the systems will get better. I have visited New York several times and there public transportation is impeccable, but then again, it has been there for over 100 years.

Nonetheless, the real issue is pollution. In order for us to preserve the Earth and some of her natural resources, we are going to have to be more conscious of our wastefulness and individuality. Very few of the comments here have touched on pollution. As Americans, we have been spoiled. There are plenty of solutions to fix MARTA, e.g., petitions by riders to hold those responsible for the untimeliness and lack of security. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. If we don’t reduce our dependency on the automobile, the horrific storms that have plaqued the Gulf Coast and Florida will dramatically increase.

By hmmm

November 8, 2005 12:20 PM | Link to this

The first time I heard of MARTA, some 20 years ago, I was told that it was an acronym for ‘Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta’. Of COURSE there’s an overriding feeling among the white constituency that it’s not very safe, regardless if that’s true or not. In the more than 12 years I’ve lived here, the ‘hate whitey’ culture of Atlanta has been demonstrated almost daily. It’s the biggest reason so many of us suburbanites avoid the city.

By No good Marta

November 8, 2005 12:20 PM | Link to this

Marta is one of the worst public transportation systems among the industrialized nations. There are basically 2 tracks: North-South and East-West. You can’t get any simpler than that. Yet there are delays on daily basis. The management team needs to be replaced by people who know what they are doing. Atlanta will never be a first class city with this kind of junk running around the city.

By Ken

November 8, 2005 12:31 PM | Link to this

I ride Marta because I can. I have a car and chose to ride Marta to my job in Midtown. It’s cheaper than a garage and quite entertaining particularly during a full moon. There are a lot of different people on those trains and I think that makes it interesting. The only issue I see with Marta is ocasionally too many people crowd the doors and create a people jam particularly at 5 points. I think a lot of people who aren’t around ‘city’ people are too ignorant to get over the few bad apples. Go Marta!

By Debbie

November 8, 2005 12:31 PM | Link to this

Yes, I reported the fondler and was told to chill out. I guess I’m just another uptight white lady. Enjoy your rides on MARTA.

By Sha

November 8, 2005 12:34 PM | Link to this

I use to take Marta and some of our own(black males and females) do act like they have no home training. I purchased a $700 Aerostar van to commute. I know there has to be a better way to get more transportation around this city than this. It is surely a race factor. I am from NY and you were glad to take the bus or train with no problem. Alot more people here would like to take the bus or train to get around, but the schedule and system sucks. I would love to spend $13 a week on a Marta card than $40 - $100 a week in gas. I live in Cobb County and I see mad people waiting on buses on Sunday. It is crazy then the buses come every 1 to 2 hours on a regular work day is sick. People have to work everyday therefore it should be transportation to get them around everyday in every city around Atlanta from Riverdale to Kennesaw. I knew the system was messed up when it takes a growing city such as Atlanta to expand and build new roads a year or more to fix. That is crazy. State officals should stop waisting tax money and get to the bottom of these problems. This city is growing to fast for the sorry bus, train, and road systems that they have in effect. But they are quick to build jails and lock ya butt up though!!!! Figure that, where are Atlanta priorities??? You already now not for us(blacks). To many people are down here from other states trying to make it, so make it affordable to get around on a working public transportation system or get your butts out of office. Something needs to be done. To much money is going to bull-ish instead of helping the city. Transportation is a big, big problem that is growing constantly.

By Lyle V. Harris

November 8, 2005 12:43 PM | Link to this

To the poster who’s trying to turn this blog into a red-state/blue-state death match, Sorry Dude. Not going to happen. Uh-uh. If you want to drive, then by all means drive to your wee heart’s delight. My only point here is that there’s no good reason that we ALL have to remain slaves to a single form of transportation. Maybe you’re independently wealthy and can afford gas at more than two bucks a gallon, but I sure can’t. Maybe you don’t care jack about the environment, but I sure do. In fact, the less of us on the road means less congestion for you, right? As some of the more thoughtful posters have correctly noted, this doesn’t have to be an either-or proposition. What’s missing is an acknowledgment by politicians and transportation officials that we must invest in other forms of transporatation (besides roads) for us to remain economically competitive with other cities around the world.
Doing that won’t be cheap, and everybody who lives here and who claims they want a better transportation system will have to pony up to make it happen. Since we’ve gotten a lot of response to this so far, I’m curious what everyone else thinks about creating a regional transportation tax/fee which has already been suggested. Any ideas???

By Michael

November 8, 2005 12:43 PM | Link to this

Only insanity (which includes racism) could make people want to sit in the same traffic on the same highways every day. You would think that sane people would have stormed the Capitol demanding mass transit that would get rid of the daily backups on the major interstates and all the multi-lane highways like 29 here in Gwinnett, 120 and all other east-west roads north of the city. What are you people waiting for? Have you noticed that there isn’t enough room to double the lanes, which is the only thing that would help? For every weirdo you meet on a MARTA train or bus, you’ll meet 5 or 10 bad drivers on the road (at the minimum). Go buy an iPod, download some episodes of Lost and a few music videos, then ride to work without the stress of driving.

By geechee

November 8, 2005 12:48 PM | Link to this

You can’t really compare ATL with NYC. Thats probably the most traveled mass transit system in the world in NYC. There are probably as many people or more using mass transit in NYC as there are living in the metro Atlanta. That’s a lot of cash flow. They are also stronly supported by federal, state, and local government. You are talking about one municipality as opposed to the hundreds or whatever that make up Atlanta. Atlanta is setup more like LA than NYC.

Marta was setup for failure from the get go. There were a lot of selfish interests from local governments to the original Braves ownership who was afraid that if Marta ran to Fulton Co Stadium they would lose parking revenue. How short sighted was that? Out of the original five counties who should have had enough civic pride to support it only the two did and still do. The state legislature does not ride it so they could give a big you know what. You have to have the funds to do all you want. Marta doesn’t and it doesn’t help that it is so mismanaged and wasting a lot of those limited funds.If the Governor of the state doesnot step up and be a leader in this matter, forget about it.

By Michael Halicki

November 8, 2005 12:53 PM | Link to this

A lot of the discussion by the “commutants� centers on what they hate about their new modes of travel. Making a change—any change—is rarely easy. By dwelling too much on the short-term drawbacks your writers miss an important point – there are significant long-term benefits. Consider this: the Clean Air Campaign’s Cash for Commuters program, which provides an incentive of $3 day, up to $180 over a three month period, illustrates how these growing pains frequently subside once commuters get used to the ins and outs of carpooling and taking transit. In fact, 64 percent of Cash for Commuters participants continued to carpool and take transit up to a year AFTER the incentive ended. Why? It isn’t because they are gluttons for punishment. It’s because they liked the cost savings, the stress reduction and the other benefits that made clean commuting more enjoyable than driving alone.

My advice to your commutants is this: Suck it up and stick with it—at least for 90 days. If you do so, be sure to enroll in Cash for Commuters and earn $3 a day for your commute [www.cleanaircampaign.com]. The fact is that 90 days has made a difference for thousands, and it just might make the difference for each of you.

By archie

November 8, 2005 12:58 PM | Link to this

JOE- If my wife were treated like ‘Debbie’ was, I for one would feel uncomfortable w/ her riding public transit. And as for you comment “By the way, it sounds like you were among those not interested in doing anything about the pervert.” What was she supposed to do?? Pull his hand out of his pants for him? What an idiot you are.

By Gman

November 8, 2005 12:58 PM | Link to this

I’m with Sha. I’ve lived in Atlanta for close to 20 years now. The only time I ever took the train was when it was going to 10th street for music midtown. I also took it once to ATL airport. Can’t say much about either experience since both trips were on a weekend, not a weekday.

Driving in rush hour traffic from 6am-9am and then again at 4pm-7pm is ridiculous. But As I pass gwinnett transit buses on my ride to work, I realize the only reason I’m not on one is because I don’t want to deal with a bus schedule, the switch between Gwinnett transit to Marta since I work near perimeter mall, and the walk from the stop of my B location to work. It’s not convenient for my 9 to 5 job.

Make a subway system that interconnects all major counties around Atlanta. give me a train that goes from Lawrenceville to Atlanta and I’ll ride that.

By Qwami

November 8, 2005 01:01 PM | Link to this

More white folks need to use MARTA to make it less racist

By Birdie

November 8, 2005 01:01 PM | Link to this

I was groped on Marta when I was just out of college and too naive to do anything about it except for utter my meanest “Do it again” dare to the pervert. I banned Marta for years and I’m about to give them another chance by starting to commute daily from my new home that I purchased with one of it’s greatest features being that it’s so close to Marta. Atlanta has turned me into somewhat of a bigot over the years but I’m determined to do what’s right and deal with and stand up to the reverse racism that I’ve become use to in this town.

By John

November 8, 2005 01:08 PM | Link to this

Wow Sha. You can’t speak at all and know nothing.

By Bill

November 8, 2005 01:13 PM | Link to this

As another poster said, making things better starts with you. At the Decatur station, we repeatedly had a problem with aggressive groups of young men playing the token scam, where they’d offer a token for a $1 to anyone who appeared to be about to buy one at the machines next to the east fare gates. When the token was accepted, they would push the rider through the luggage gate (the one with the crash bar) without depositing the token. Then they’d use it again on the next patsy, making a handsome profit off their $1.75 investment. If you declined to play, they would get belligerent. I and some of my fellow riders simply used the emergency phone on the platform to call in a report and ask for MARTA police presence. Within a few days, there were officers or employees on site, watching the gate. I’ve only seen one recurrence of the problem since then — it’s been about a year. If, as I assume, MARTA keeps track of incidents by date and location, such reporting becomes even more important and effective. But you have to be willing to pick up the white pone and say something when you see bad things going on.

By Sam Clapp

November 8, 2005 01:18 PM | Link to this

I use MARTA trains every day from East Point to downtown, and then I take a bus from 5 points. I love this arrangement, actually. I have been able to read hundreds of books, and I complete exercises for my German class on transit, as well.

I am a white man, and, if anyone’s behavior is ridiculous on the train, it’s white people’s. White people on the way to the airport are easy to spot, even in a “color-blind society,” because they’re the ones who have barricaded themselves alone into a seat with their luggage rather than using the designated luggage spots. If they don’t have any luggage, then they sit in the outside seat, hoping that no one will attempt to take the seat beside them.

A persistent myth must be addressed here, that of MARTA’s lack of stations in “convenient places.” Careful observers will have already realized that with very few exceptions, MARTA runs only in the right of way of other modes of transportation (Mostly rail, but occasionally, as in the case of the North Line, road). The exception area, interestingly, is one of the newest, from Medical Center station up to North Springs. Perhaps there’s hope that the system can extend to places that will mollify the carpers. Except…wait…. the carpers are the ones who also carp about Marta extending into their neighborhoods, as if roving bands of negro youths would inevitably steal their televisions and deprive women of their honor (one’s vocabulary cannot get 1950’s enough when one mocks this type of person)

However, MARTA is not without blame. Bus and Train operators seem to be unable to follow their most basic policies and procedures (when was the last time you saw a bus stopped beside a fast food restaurant while the operator dashed in for a meal? Last night, you say? When was the last time you heard the pre-recorded station announcements on the train? Months ago? And have you ever been told by a bus operator that the bus would be leaving “not by YOUR watch, by MY watch”? Not so ancient secret: an early bus or train is deadlier than a late bus or train). The system’s management style is a rhetorical nightmare, too. What kind of fool would reduce train frequency and increase fares (out of necessity, it’s true) but then put the announcement under the heading of “Getting as Good as New”? If that’s Good as New, please give me Better as Old! Fare gates (to be replaced, says Dame Rumor) are constantly in disrepair. Train announcements in the stations do not work. The brand new (“Good as New?”) electronic train status signs are now “temporarily” unavailable. The Trip Planner on the MARTA website once went “temporarily” unavailable, but it forever disappeared. The website is based on the “barrier to information” model rather than the “gateway to information” model.

So, despite the ridiculous behavior of occasional patrons and would-be patrons, MARTA could probably make a start at improvement by cleaning its own house (particularly the part about operators following the already-established rules. Easy, right?)

By Julie

November 8, 2005 01:19 PM | Link to this

I used to drive in some nasty 400 traffic between my home and job. Thanks to the encouragement The Perimeter Transportation Coaltion (PTC) and the generousity of my employer, UPS, who provides a shuttle to and from the station and office, I’ve been riding MARTA for two years now. I know MARTA is, by far, not the most efficient or convenient transportation system in the world but it’s all we’ve got right now. I would encourage anyone who is able, to try mass transit for one month and discover if it is right for you. My trip time takes a bit longer now but I read in the morning and sleep in the evenings. I used to drive and cuss both ways. It’s been a most theraputic switch for me…good for one’s mental health, the environment, one’s wallet, and hopefully healing the social/racial wounds of this city.

By Ally

November 8, 2005 01:24 PM | Link to this

My husband and I are among the few who choose to ride MARTA, despite the fact that we both have cars. In fact, when we first moved here, we chose an apartment near a train station, and when it came time to buy a house last spring, we made sure we bought near a station once again.

Yes, it can be horribly inconvenient, and would it KILL them to give a little more detail to passengers who are enduring their third substantial delay in two days, but I’m happy not having to deal with the mess on the highways, happy not paying for gas and parking, and happy to be doing my small part for the environment.

All that aside, I do agree with the poster who noted the difference between conditions on the N-S line vs. the E-W line. We live on the latter now (used to live on the N-S), and we definitely feel like second-class citizens. As much as I support MARTA, I feel for those who have no other option but to take the train…much less the bus.

By geechee

November 8, 2005 01:26 PM | Link to this

“A lot of the discussion by the “commutantsâ€? centers on what they hate about their new modes of travel.”

Ooops maybe I shouldn’t have been here. I don’t even ride it, though I have. I’m about 5000 miles away from ATL. I was just adding some outside observations about why Marta doesn’t seem to be going places where people are trying to go. I’ll leave now.

By SHA

November 8, 2005 01:27 PM | Link to this

As a Black Urban Young Adult (from NY) I avoid MARTA due to the lack of reliabilty and the ghetto-minded communters. I live in Gwinnett and oppose the very thought of metro transit in my county due to the crowd it will attract. Currently thinking about moving to Alantic station, and also will oppose Marta from operating in that community. Living in NYC and using the buses and subways, i never had a problem with the crowd even in Harlem. I think its the Ghetto-Southern mentality that is so accepted here in Atlanta.

By Alexis

November 8, 2005 01:33 PM | Link to this

I ride MARTA from Dunwoody to Peachtree Center every day. While it’s certainly not London or New York’s train system, for about $50 a month I have relatively stress-free transportation to and from work, lower gas bills, and I don’t have to pay for parking. However, I WILL NOT work late for fear of having to wait for a train during the much shadier off-peak hours. Rush hour is fine. The clientele are mostly business professionals with decent manners and hygiene. The MARTA experience is a little more uncertain if you travel in the afternoon or at night. I think that MARTA is missing a perfect opportunity with gas prices and traffic the way they are right now. Why not add more trains and beef up security to show potential clients that there is a safer and more efficient way of communting? While it would require an investment at first, businesses get and keep customers by providing customer service.

By Mark

November 8, 2005 01:37 PM | Link to this

I am a white, suburban male living outside the perimeter, who chooses to take MARTA to a midtown work location many days. I do it because traffic is stressful, wears my car down, saves gas, etc. But make no mistake, MARTA is a terribly-run entity. Its schedules are a joke, its fare ‘system’ is pathetic, and its “quality of service” is non-existent. MARTA is all we have, and our undercapacity in roadways will insist it continue to be minimally used (ensuring that it never breaks even and continues to have to be ‘subsidized’ in the form of taxes), but anyone defending MARTA is someone who doesn’t actually use it; it is a horrible service overall.

By Ron

November 8, 2005 01:44 PM | Link to this

Ask the greatest race baiters in USA-J. Jackson,A.Sharpton, and the other (?)racist who flaps his jaws on the networks!

By Vince

November 8, 2005 01:48 PM | Link to this

I usually ride Marta when I go to a Falcons game or other event in the downtown area. Now, however, I actually drive further to ride Marta for a shorter amount of time. Why? Because about 1/2 the time I ride Marta, I get threatened by some person in one fashion or another. I was once threatened at the 5 Points Station by a gentleman who said he would push me into the tracks because I didn’t want to give him a $$ handout. This was with about 300 people standing around watching, none of which did anything. No police were anywhere around until the next train showed up. I have been verbally threatened, slapped in the chest, and get asked for money almost everytime I get on the train. And for Falcons’ games, it’s extremely inconvenient from the North line, as the total trip time from the North Springs station to the Dome (and vice-versa) is anywhere from 60-90 minutes. I now drive further (to a station on the East-West bound line) and take that 5 minute ride to the game instead of sitting on the train for an hour (or more). I’d rather sit in my car and listen to the post-game. And my total trip time doing that is less than 60 minutes. Everytime.

By Sara

November 8, 2005 01:57 PM | Link to this

For those who are complaining about the lack of funding MARTA receives from the state of Georgia. Think back to a few years ago when this finacially struggling transportation service was operating in the red and and it was discovered while lay-offs were issued to the lower wage earning personnel, it was discovered the upper tier enjoyed free cell phones for the families, compnay cars and personal trainers and lavish parties. If MARTA is not making a profit, fire the and replace the top tier of management, they have proven themselves to be less than worthy of the lofty titles and positions they hold.

By Russ

November 8, 2005 02:04 PM | Link to this

Race? Wow, I’ve heard it all now.

By Darlene Andre

November 8, 2005 02:08 PM | Link to this

Why does everything in this town (and the whole country as a matter of fact) have to be based on “race”. No matter what happens - hurricanes, transportation - you name it and someone has to relate it to race. I do not feel that it is my fault that some of the people of my race and or any other race are poor and cannot afford a car, a house, a whatever! Free public, integrated education has been here for years. Anyone old enough to still be working had the same opportunity as me to get a education. If you chose not to, then that is your fault - not mine or the rest of the world. We do not owe other people a living!

By Leah

November 8, 2005 02:14 PM | Link to this

I am a resident of Washington DC and use our metro train system on a daily basis. I have relatives in Decatur and took Marta from the airport to Decatur. I am a young hispanic woman but might pass for white and I can’t believe the hatred and racist atmosphere on MARTA. I do believe that police officers are needed on more of the trains. I guess I’m just not used to being in the South.

By Truck Man

November 8, 2005 02:14 PM | Link to this

I am not giving up the comfort of my vehicle to ride on a smelly nasty bus or train and sit next to someone who looks like they’d kill me for a quarter. Face it, 90% of the people on the bus ride the bus for one reason, and one reason only, they can’t afford a vehicle. All these excuses of ” why I ride MARTA” all boil down to one thing: NO GOOD LINE OF CREDIT.

By Melvin Raines II

November 8, 2005 02:28 PM | Link to this

Will someone please forward these comments to Nathaniel P. Ford, CEO of Marta? custserv@itsmarta.com. Thank you.

By HubbaBubba

November 8, 2005 02:30 PM | Link to this

I drove from Lawrenceville to Doraville for about three years because I chose to ride Marta downtown instead of driving and paying for parking. When Gwinnett Transit (which is NOT a joke, by the way) started, I began to ride the bus. I had not ridden Marta in a long time until one Saturday when my office was working OT. I got to Doraville at 7:30 and did not get to Five Points until well past 9:30 because of equipment delays. People trying to go to the airport were furious. I wish Gwinnett Transit ran on those Saturdays that I have to work, and you’d better be sure that I’ll drive downtown before trying Marta again. Gwinnett Transit isn’t perfect, but it stays pretty close on schedule, especially now that the Discover Mills route is running every 10 minutes. As for my safety on Marta, I never was confronted with anything other than panhandling, but I have moved from one car to another plenty of times because of the behavior of some of the riders. When I’ve been in DC, I rode the Metro. I rode the train when I was in Chicago. I rode the train in LA, but it’s scarier than Marta, so I only rode it once. Seems to me that Marta would look at what some of the other heavy-rail systems do and try to learn from them!

By B K

November 8, 2005 02:30 PM | Link to this

Working in Buckhead for a Major Corporation that pushes using MARTA, I tried it 1 time. It takes me 45 min - 1 hour to drive in traffic. Marta took 2 1/2 hours each way. Living in Northern Coweta County, I had to drive to Palmetto which is not that big of a deal (10 min). I sat and waited on a bus for 15 minutes(after the time the schedule said it would be there) and then waited for another 15 minutes for what they called a layover to keep the schedule correct. We then drove to the College Park Train Station, stopping every 15 ft to pick someone up. Once I got to the Train I swapped once to the north line to Lenox and then took a shuttle to Lenox Park. I worked through lunch to leave early. Bring this to a grand total of 8 hours of work & 5 hours on MARTA. Black or white makes NO difference. MARTA SUCKS !

By Melvin Raines II

November 8, 2005 02:34 PM | Link to this

Will someone please forward these comments to Nathaniel P. Ford, CEO of Marta? custserv@itsmarta.com. Thank you.

By GirlwithAWorkEthic

November 8, 2005 02:35 PM | Link to this

Lyle,

In this country, you become a second class citizen by choice. In this country you can study and work with no money and no “class” requirement — IF YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE. If you work hard, you can buy yourself a transortation choice. I speak as a second generation American whose parents had no education and certainly no money but a hell of a work ethic. It’s amazing what the latter can buy you in this country.

By Dale

November 8, 2005 02:43 PM | Link to this

Lyle—

You are correct—MARTA is all about race.

White people are terrified of riding Marta. Until Marta resolves that issue—and it is Marta’s problem—white folks are not going to take public transportation.

By Raquel Johnson

November 8, 2005 02:47 PM | Link to this

I like MARTA but feel it is a very limited. If more lines and bus routes were added more people would use MARTA. I am one of the many transplants from NYC. I have lived in Atlanta for 13 years. I find it ridiculous to take a train from Decatur in to the city of Atlanta then transfer to a North bound train just to get to Doraville. When a train line could be added from Indian creek headed north. I respect the phrase if its not broke don’t fix it. However, this is broke. The congestion would decrease significantly if MARTA expanded. Atlanta has truly grown and with growth comes change. MARTA Expansion is the key.

By James McCoy

November 8, 2005 02:49 PM | Link to this

Ihave read all 60 comments on this board and have come away depress as hell. People have more lame excuses then”Carter” has liver pills. I ride the buses and trains and don’t fear a soul,maybe thats because I don’t wear my feeling on my shoulders. If someone is rude or is disruptive to me,I’ll check them right then and now. But if you are a regular viewer of the 6pm news then you might already have a preconcieved notion about certain people.

By hmmmm

November 8, 2005 02:55 PM | Link to this

I don’t think ‘terrified’ is an accurate description. I think that ‘loathe to bear the hate-whitey culture’ is more accurate. It’s not just MARTA, it’s Atlanta in general. Symphony concerts have plenty of empty seats because of it, and Atlanta has one of the finest Symphony Orchestras in the world. Cultural events across the board lose patronage due to it. Safety issues aside, it’s unpleasant to feel hated due to race, and that keeps people away. Ironic, isn’t it? Just the same, I’m ready for my lessons in supposed multiculturalism to end!

By MARTIN

November 8, 2005 03:00 PM | Link to this

Marta is a great concept but because of politics, it doesn’t work. The train stations are not convienetly located. There is definitely not enough parking (instead of parking decks at Piedmont Park, why not at the train stations?) The buses run too infrequently, the time it takes on public transportation is no quicker than driving and sitting in traffic.

Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton need to get over themselves and allow Marta to handle transportation for the Metro area. No we did not ask for or expect this traffic but it is here and it will get worse. Buses do not work because most people do not like riding buses; they are too slow and make too many stops. That is why no one likes to drive behind them either.

The only way a public transportation system will work in Atlanta is if it mirrors the interstate with express and local train service, frequent schedules, lots of advertising and emphasizing that it will be safe. They would have to end at all the suburban malls (Arbor Place, Mall of Georgia, Southlake, Towns Center, etc.) Light rail would not be great either because it would be like riding the bus without the drivers tailgating it.

Tax breaks could be given to businesses who build their offices close enough for workers to walk to the train station to encourage less cars on the roads. One reason why public transportation works so well in the northern cities (Chicago, New York, DC and Boston) is because they are funded by the state. See the northern states realize that the large urban cities brings money into their state and most people rally behind it to support it. Even if they do not like it or want it “in their backyard� they realize it is necessary for quality of life purposes. In Atlanta there is so much segregation and prejudice between the city, metro, suburbs and rural Georgia, it is a wonder that anything works. Race and class definitely are at the base of the problem, injustice and inequities.

And to think, we are seriously considering light rail systems to bring people in from Athens, Tennessee and Macon but I can’t get from Gwinnett to Cobb county in less than an hour and a half.

By GirlwithAWorkEthic

November 8, 2005 03:03 PM | Link to this

I often wonder how long the “revenge stage” of racial relations in Atlanta will last. It would definitely help MARTA.

By Blue Flyer

November 8, 2005 03:03 PM | Link to this

I just recently started riding Marta (Blue Flyer) since I change jobs. I am at GSU now and there is no way that I am paying $55/month parking, $40/wk gas and put up with the aggrivation of driving downtown. I get on the bus and read or sleep. I only use my car on the weekends. So if I have to put up with the occasional idiot ( I am black too), I can handle it. Marta has a long way to go before it is as good as NYC (I am from the Bronx), but it beats driving.

By Dale

November 8, 2005 03:14 PM | Link to this

James and hmmmm—-If you were an attractive, petite blonde haired blue-eyed female, would you go the West End station to take a 9:00 PM train downtown to Five Points to go a club? Get real dudes—it ain’t safe for white folk on Marta. Until Marta admits it and deals with it—Whitey will keep on driving.

By SHA

November 8, 2005 03:20 PM | Link to this

“hmmmmm” i have to agree with you on the Cultural issue we encounter in Atlanta. Many African-Americans and European-American tend to segregate themselves. Being from Long Island, I was expose to different cultures and enjoyed the diversity. Once you reside in a southern state, you begin to notice that the racial barriers are still up and standing in politics and Communities. I still feel uncomfortable riding Marta not due to “other black people”…its due to southern ignorance and lack of training….from ghetto youths and from red-neck thinking people that fear someone thats different than them. Atlanta has a long journey.

By suburbanite101

November 8, 2005 03:24 PM | Link to this

I am a white male who lives in the suburbs. I can attest to the fact that I will never ride MARTA. Why? I have places to go and money to make. Or is that the point of MARTA? If one cannot get where they are trying to go, maybe they want use the system. And if the system is not used, the governing body does not have to do anything. And if they do not have to do anything, then maybe they can use it in their politics. Isn’t ATL just grand. Maybe we can write a song for MARTA also. That should attract more business. Yes, lets spend a couple of millions dollars on a song for MARTA.

By Kenya Berry

November 8, 2005 03:25 PM | Link to this

I tried to choose MARTA a few times. With me working right downtown near the five points station and living only three miles away, it seemed sensible to leave the car at home. But every time I got on MARTA I was met with rudeness and other unpleasantness. The drivers were rude and unhelpful; one suggested I walk when I asked him which bus to take; another rudely told me I was on the bus going the wrong direction but would not give me anything to use to get on the right side without paying again (At five points, the same number bus going different directions stops on two different streets! I found this out after I asked a driver if I was at the right stop and he said yes, only I found out 45 minutes later that I wasn’t). Waiting for the bus one day while 8 months pregnant, I sat on a little wall—there were no benches— only to have a MARTA cop come and tell me “You can’t sit there!” Throw in crude passengers, buses running off schedule, beggars, locked restrooms and inconvenient locations and you have the total package. Now, even though the bus stops in front of my house, you can bet I won’t be on it unless my car is down.

By Cheryl Strayer

November 8, 2005 03:28 PM | Link to this

I ride MARTA every day, not because I have to, but because I choose to. I live in Fayetteville and work in Dunwoody. I have driven on occasion and sometimes it’s faster than MARTA, but most of the time it’s not. I say a thank you to MARTA every time I look out the window and see I-85 or GA 400 at a standstill while I move on past. While I have noticed that the majority of riders are black and are all ages, I think MARTA’s routes may have more to do with who rides than anything. There aren’t many MARTA stations in predominantly white areas.
I have witnessed young black men give up their seats to women (race is not a factor) on a regular basis. Only once was I offended by a rider. He was playing loud, foul-languaged rap music. Although everyone in my MARTA train car gave him ugly looks, none of us said anything (why was that? was he that scary?) but he didn’t turn it down.
I think if more people gave MARTA a chance, they’d be willing to use it more often.

By Phil

November 8, 2005 03:55 PM | Link to this

I think the clearest indication of why Marta has so many problems, in addition to the lavish Christmas parties and other such perks, are set out in the blogs above. Until such time as it makes a serious effort to address all of the problems so identified, it will never acheive what it might. I rode Marta between Arts Center and North Springs for two straight weeks about two months ago. The North Springs teain was delayed up to :42, five (5) times each of those weeks, or a 50% on-time acheivement. Why would I want to ride something so inept? Here’s a clue, if you fix it, they will come.

By pat

November 8, 2005 04:08 PM | Link to this

I commute daily on MARTA. Overall, I am satisfied, but I get grumpy by Wednesday. I accept the unconscious employees who don’t give you the time of day, the smelly and dirty trains, the occasional delays, false starts and bad communication systems. Right now, I am totally disgusted with the filth in the stations and parking lots. Cigarette butts and spit leading up to the turnstiles at the Doraville Station make me sick. Five Points and surrounding area make me feel like bathing after walking through. I wish the city (ATL) would clean itself up once in a while and MARTA would do some industrial vacuming and pressure washing in parking lots and station entrances. I am also very aware of being hated on MARTA and Atlanta in general. I’ve even had the distinction of being called the blue eyed devil at 5 points. I am truly looking forward to the day I do not have to return to this city for anything. I used to like cities, but have been here too long, i guess.

By Lyle V. Harris

November 8, 2005 04:09 PM | Link to this

After all the comments we’ve been getting, I hope MARTA is listening to what everyone’s saying. I called MARTA General Manager Nat Ford’s office office and suggested that they tune in. But it shouldn’t stop there. The Governor’s office, which has been tone deaf on this issue, needs to plug into this conversation too. Ditto for the state Department of Transportation which still thinks it’s sole job is to just keep building more roads. I’ve got numbers and e-mails for all these folks if you need ‘em…

By Dale

November 8, 2005 04:09 PM | Link to this

Liz at Perimeter Transportation Coalition—Please make an appointment to visit with the general manager of Marta to discuss each and everyone of the posts in this blog and ways to resolve the real life experiences described about riding Marta. For every one compliment, there must be at least 10 complaints. Please help Marta management wakeup and fix their problems—then you will not have to bribe people with gift cards to ride it. Sorry to be so blunt, but somebody needs to get real about Marta’s problems.

By Rthom

November 8, 2005 04:09 PM | Link to this

Just this weekend I made my last trip on MARTA. What A joke. Took the train from College Park to North Ave for the Tech Game.Waited nearly 1 hour for the train to arrive, then had to put up with what I guess were homeless people sprawled out on seats.When they were asked to move we had to put up with foul language and threats.Thank goodness no kids were close by.Trip back was even worse.Another 45 min wait,a jammed train and more foul language than from a boat load of sailors. Last year I had pretty much the same experience on a trip to Music Midtown. Last year I figured it was just a bad night,but 2 for 2. I’m through.I used Washington’s train several months ago and had the best experience ever. The employee’s were helpful and friendly,trains were clean, and no harassments.The only oroblem was finding the stations.

By Sympathetic

November 8, 2005 04:12 PM | Link to this

After reading all of the comments today I am appalled. First, I think the comment section needs a Spelling and Grammar check. Second, as far as Marta being racist, possibly true but I’d take Marta being racist against me any day rather than Corporate America. Get a life and stay in your cars!

By D.A.D.

November 8, 2005 04:16 PM | Link to this

I have ridden MARTA to the City for sporting events. Last time I rode, there was no air in the car. I dealt with it. Other folks on the train believed that the lack of air was “racist.” I just don’t get that. My last ride was convenient even if it was not totally pleasant. I would like someone at MARTA to explain why I can take the train straight from the ‘burbs to a hockey game but I can’t do the same for baseball. Stupid.

By Natasha

November 8, 2005 04:17 PM | Link to this

It appears that my last post has been removed as well.

For the record, the post about “solutions to MARTA problems” was not authored by me.

I am, however, the author of the one immediately preceding it referencing various cultural activities in Atlanta (and also stating that I am neither homeless or part of a hip hop gang).

By Rich

November 8, 2005 04:17 PM | Link to this

Kindof funny to read much of this. I’m White, live on the east side of Atlanta and have never had any real problems with the rail service, except for sometimes long transfer times at Five Points and the unpredictable waits at the Airport. When I need a train, it’s usually on schedule. The real problem is the lack of frequent bus service and the lack of easy transfer mechanisms for infrequent riders. I’m usually a minority at the station and on the train (or bus) and frankly that’s not the end of the world, although it seems to be for a lot of peopl here. It probably helps that I’ve lived in other cities and overseas. I used to take the “L” to the near South Side of Chicago everyday. I remember the NYC subways from the bad old days of the 70s. Chicago is an object lesson of how a useful system can get used when neighborhoods gentrify. The NYC system is much better than 20 years ago—partly because crime declined in New York, but also because the transit system got competent management.

Yes, you have panhandlers in Decatur (and outside Five Points) and you won’t meet the social register on rail or the bus, but I can’t say much about the behavior of Atlanta drivers (only in Texas have I experienced worse). Sure, people who work for Marta often aren’t service oriented, but that’s par for Atlanta. I’ve lived all over the Eastern half of the US and traveled to every state except Alaska, and this is a place where service generally sucks.

Both Marta and the businesses around its stations of have done a terrible job of promoting the use of Marta. For example, with better planning, Marta would be an asset to people staying at Perimeter Mall area hotels. I’m sure many people who’ve lived here for decades don’t realize they can go to Lenox on Marta. Marta is able to deliver a minimal level of service and the rail isn’t bad—-they probably need to take the board members’ parking passes away from them and give them a transit pass instead.

Regionalizing would help, but it won’t happen. For all the supposed dynamism of the economy here, the various jurisdictions here are run in very parochial ways by long entrenched interests which are more ready to support highways and sprawl rather than transit. Development interests have bought off most of these people ages ago.

Transit will make the beltline really transform Atlanta into something other than the second class city it is otherwise (at best) destined to be. You need an alternative to cars and the density needed to provide a real urban environment rather than a pseudo-one like Atlantic Station or Brewer’s little subdivision. Density is the only way that transit can come close to paying for itself. We will have more oil shocks in the future and driving an SUV from Suwanee to Sandy Springs everyday will no longer make sense, not that it does now, anyway.

By Natasha

November 8, 2005 04:19 PM | Link to this

<<>>

Sorry to disappoint, but I am neither part of a hip hop gang nor am I homeless.

I am, however, a reader. And, I discovered a long time ago that if you ignore the TV and read papers besides the AJC, you’ll discover a lot going on in Atlanta that is well hidden.

For example, the Israel Chamber Orchestra gave a one night performance at the Rialto Theatre 2 weeks ago. It was a stunning performance, and as a former viola player (high school and college) I was amazed at the ability of the solo cellist to really bring the passion and feeling of his piece to life.

My husband and I have found wine tasting events in Creative Loafing, tried out new restaurants we found in Access Atlanta and are regulars at the High.

For Thanksgiving we are planning on spending part of the day at Amicola Falls learning more about Native American culture. And with Christmas coming it is sure to be another year chock full of music and fun.

The point being, perhaps if you laid down your stereotypes and looked around you might be able to find something cultural that interests you.

By fatdog

November 8, 2005 04:20 PM | Link to this

One of my earlies memories of MARTA came after a New Kids on the Block concert at the OMNI (you do the math). I was about 10 and my sister and mother were with me. On the train back, an white man who was sitting down exchanged some words with a young black male who had alot of friends with him. I don’t know what was said but all I remember was the young man shouting at the older man “You play by our rules. You in my hood now” I think my mom was about to freak out. So, why do I as a single woman not ride MARTA downtown? Are you crazy? There’s loonies everywhere.

By Danielle

November 8, 2005 04:23 PM | Link to this

What’s with the censorship?! Why are postings being deleted?!?!?!?!

By jennifer

November 8, 2005 04:23 PM | Link to this

Someone asked if I would feel better if a group of white people were coming towards me versus a group of black people. Answer: Nope. I’ve seen plenty of redneck white folks just as I’ve seen plenty of redneck black folks, hispanics, Asians, etc. It all boils down to no class.

For those of you concerned about your wives riding MARTA - teach her to defend herself. Take a class. MARTA isn’t the only place she can be accosted. Hell, Wal-Mart’s parking lot would worry me, too. Have you seen the people who shop there? Most of them look like the people from The Hills Have Eyes.

I know how to defend myself and I carry myself with confidence. I’m 5’1” 106 pounds but very capable of taking care of myself. Perhaps a lesson in self defense would prove helpful to your women.

By SHA

November 8, 2005 04:24 PM | Link to this

Censorship=Atlanta=Republicans

By Danielle

November 8, 2005 04:26 PM | Link to this

This is a lefty newspaper so that doesn’t make sense.

By roxie

November 8, 2005 04:26 PM | Link to this

dale, heck no. I would still be scared. roving men scare me.

You all have some wild imaginations, that’s for sure.

I have been riding MARTA nearly every work day for 4 years. As GSU student, my main stop is Five Points.

Sure there are rude people, homeless people, loud people. But that’s just life. Slap on a pair of headphones instead of whining omg, humanity upsets my perfect inner peace

So when you ride MARTA to 5 Points you see the problems in our city? GOOD you should! Now do something to change them instead of clogging up the roads and destroying the air beacuse you’re inconvienced by ther people.

I also walk through and ride MARTA (getting on at 5 points) after 8pm at night. Besides the occasional annoyance of a guy trying to hit on me, I have never had a real problem with anyone.

I had a friend who had the unpleasent experience of a man pleasureing him self near her, but she stood up, screamed at him, told everyone on the train and reported it to the police.

She still rides MARTA and has no problems with it.

It’s a horrid thing to happen, but it didn’t stop her. If MARTA goes every where you need, what’s the point of having a car?

By natasha

November 8, 2005 04:27 PM | Link to this

Just like Bush, they censored some of the posts today. What happened to freedom of speech? Not in America.

By jennifer

November 8, 2005 04:29 PM | Link to this

fatdog - Yes, there are loonies everywhere. Lots of loonies in the burbs. I prefer to see the looniness of people rather than having them pretend they’re normal like they do in the burbs.

Most of those loonies wouldn’t be there if there were adequate facilities for them to be in. But, that’s an entirely different subject.

By Joshua

November 8, 2005 04:32 PM | Link to this

Stop posting everyone. They are removing the most accurate posts. Like the Bush administration, the AJC people have lost all sense of reality. Well. what do you know, our governor closed schools for 2 days in October to bring down gas prices. That’s the idiotic state we all live in. I have warned so many of my friends from moving to this city, many have thanked me. For me, Virginia rules!

By Mellonie

November 8, 2005 04:33 PM | Link to this

I moved to Atlanta from Boston a little over five years ago. Up until August of this year, I was using Marta to commute from Buckhead to Downtown. Yes, I own a car but I like the idea of doing what I can for the environment,conserving energy and saving money. The lack of security on the MARTA trains and platforms is precisely why I now drive to work everyday. After the terror attacks in London, you would think MARTA would hieghten security on the trains and platforms - what a disappointment. I was groped several times one morning on my way to work. That was the last straw. MARTA is probably the worst public transportation system in the country. MARTA security and operations should study places like Boston, NYC and Chicago to find out how public transportation should be run. Until they make significant improvements, I will not return to public transportation in Atlanta.

By pat

November 8, 2005 04:35 PM | Link to this

Yes, Jennifer, it is. Matter of fact, mentally ill people that could be treated with medication were kicked out of state hospitals during the J. Carter administration because hospitalizing mentally ill people violated their civil rights.

By Danielle

November 8, 2005 04:35 PM | Link to this

It’s amazing — Lyle, why bother compiling your well crafted “blog” if it’s not a tue representation of THE PEOPLE. Is this just another example of the AJC scewing the truth to support your left-wing biased?

By Danielle

November 8, 2005 04:38 PM | Link to this

Well like everything else in Atlanta, it only matters if it’s a black point of view. This was such a waste of time.

By jennifer

November 8, 2005 04:39 PM | Link to this

Sorry, SHA, but the Republicans live where you do: In Gwinnett and other suburbs.

By SHA

November 8, 2005 04:40 PM | Link to this

Iam black, and he also deleted my comments..perhaps Iam alitte too diverse for Southern Blacks

By Gwinnittian

November 8, 2005 04:40 PM | Link to this

These comments are very insightful minus those that are just attacking someone’s thoughts/ideas!

Speaking from someone who sits in traffic for 3 hours a day, I would like to say I wish I had a transit alternative that works for me. The Gwinnett buses are pretty good and are generally on time with friendly drivers, but they do not get me to where I want to go. Expanding MARTA’s service area seems like a good idea.

I also have to be on the last bus by 7pm. So if I want to stay in town to enjoy the city I have to drive in anyway. If you are in the city, MARTA stops service or reduces service late at night which means you are better off taking a taxing. Seems that we need a service that is focused on getting us where we need to go, when we want to go.

Of course this costs money and for some reason the bonehead politicians I have elected are not stepping up to the plate and looking after my needs. Well if you are watching Gwinnett politician and Mr. Governor please beware next election…I am coming after you! (In my best Rambo impression).

Take heart transit riders…MARTA is getting better! Probably not as fast as we would like it, but it is getting better. The new faregate system coming on line next year as well as new technology they are implementing to track movement of vehicles (much like UPS does) will be great improvements and will hopefully lead to more accountability with their workforce.

They have so much more to do…and we need to hold them accountable for improving. But we also need to give them funding to do it! Improvement takes money! As for me I believe we need to take action! I am going to call my state representatives and let them know how I feel. And the next time the Governor comes out of his crystal palace and sees how the “little people” are living, I will give him a piece of my mind as well! Or better yet, how about a rally of suburbanites (yes us republicans) on the steps of the capital!

Kindest regards!

By nywilliams

November 8, 2005 04:41 PM | Link to this

I suspect that posts are being deleted because they are just a bit beyond the pale of appropriate.

Also, I know that I take personal umbrage to having someone post racist, divisive mess using MY name and I am glad that someone is keeping a close eye on things.

We can disagree and we do have a constitutional right to our opinions. However, one of the fundamental principles in journalism is that you DO NOT have the right to express yourself in a way that incites civil unrest (i.e., you cannot shout fire in a crowded theater). And those posts, at least IMO, are not contributing anything productive to the discourse currently underway.

By SHA

November 8, 2005 04:42 PM | Link to this

Yes republicans live right next door…and we get along…no matter how different our views are….we come to the same conclusion…we do not want uneducated individuals to live near us…no matter of race.

By roxie

November 8, 2005 04:43 PM | Link to this

Mellonie How did you miss the bomb sniffing dogs and army men carrying semi-automatics

They were at five points a GSU stations for at least a month.

By Joseph

November 8, 2005 05:59 PM | Link to this

I gave up my car for a year and rode to work from the Decatur to the North Ave. station everyday. It was inconvenient, but it seemed like the socially responsible thing to do. But now I feel like I’ve paid my dues and did my part by putting up with such a lousy excuse for mass transit. I’ve had a couple unpleasant racial incidents (I’m white) but I’ve also had some very positive experiences as well. It’s really the poor service culture that afflicts Atlanta generally and is evident at MARTA that keeps me away. I now only use the train to get to the airport and even then, only if I know I can afford to sit at 5Pts. for 30 minutes waiting for the south-bound train. It’s such a shame—I’m prime MARTA material: willing to inconvenience myself, not freaked out by the occasional thug, and not expecting Atlanta to be anything like NYC, Chicago, DC or anywhere else with extensive mass transit. If they can get me so fed up that that I only ride it when 8absolutely necessary*, what chance do they have attracting other people who have choices?

By Adia Harris

November 8, 2005 06:26 PM | Link to this

Ooooh daddy, sounds like someone felt the heat of mass transit ATL style, otherwise known as MARTA. Personally I love MARTA, as a 16-year old with no other means of transportation beside waiting for my parents heck yea! I can leave from where I am to where I’m going without you, without a license, and with less than two bucks in my pocket- (that deserves another heck yea!) Although MARTA will always have me as a customer, do you think I would dare live in the ATL without getting a car?!(Hint… Hint) Heck NO! In Atlanta cars are probably always gonna be king, do you see how much we complain about gas, yet how much we’re still willing to pay? The city of Atlanta is more car friendly than people friendly and thats a problem. I may find the “weirdos” on the trains and buses mildly entertaining, and the unpredictable arrival times,an addition to my “adventures”,but then again I don’t really have a job and a family to support, so who’s askin me?

To be frank MARTA could shape up,and needs to,because to any first time user it can be hell.

P.S. FalconDude,ya think the ACLU involved? (Hee Hee Hee!)

Love Ya Papa Bear!

By In Awe

November 8, 2005 06:28 PM | Link to this

I’ve been reading this MARTA blog since about 5pm!! And all of ya’ll are funny!!! I’ve been riding MARTA for about 6 weeks, and the train has never been on time either coming or going. Unfortunately I do not get off of work until 7pm. Now try as a young woman, walking (at night now) to the MARTA station( I have been accosted by young and old men.). The schedule-what schedule! When you check out the schedule on the internet it’s off by 4mins and then don’t try to call “Customer Service”! Good luck!!! Just the other day I saw a FLIER stating that MARTA was going to cut some routes and have the trains run 30 mins on the hour after 7p.m. WOW!! Good move! WRONG!! It’s so sad that the Great State of Georgia and that city of Atlanta can afford a new “slogan” but can’t afford to tidy up OUR transit system! What a shame! Oh and trust me as soon as I can drive again, I will be out there cussing with the best of them!!

By Peter Schwartz

November 8, 2005 06:46 PM | Link to this

When I lived in Raleigh in the early 1980s, the bus service was designed (perhaps intentionally, perhaps not) to bring domestics (largely black) from their neighborhoods in mid-city in the morning to houses on the fringe of the city, and take them back in the evening.

It cuts both ways. It gives the poorer Americans the opportunity to be able to find/accept work while at the same time is, essentially, discriminatory. I wish to say this—yes, I’m an “R”—that I admire the people who were willing to work—this was before Mexicans took their jobs.

By grandhusul

November 8, 2005 06:48 PM | Link to this

I just hate how everywhere in the transit system is a big circle. When i had to commute from sugarloaf pkwy to clairmont rd and 85 access rd it would take me 2 1/2 hrs compared to the 25 minutes it took me when i drove home from work. and why arent the bus stops all covered so that when it rains you dont get rained on! it doesnt make any sense. the transfer tickets they give out dont even make sense. and i am wondering why the public doesnt have access to the same queries on the website the MARTA csr’s do so that i can map my own dam trip. everytime i call up there i get an attitude and i just wish sometimes i could just do it myself. oh and somebody PLEASE explain to me why none of the drivers know their route or seem to act like they dont know where they’re going if youre lost. i have been here a good 4 years now but when i first moved here it was hell.

By Dr. Key M.D.

November 8, 2005 06:51 PM | Link to this

It’s a sad thing that I take great comfort in know that I’m not the only one who has had the pleasure of riding with “Mr. Hands in the Pants”! Just 2 weeks ago for the very first time I had the pleasure of meeting the fella, all of a sudden he just whet for broke! All the other gentlemen (I will call them although I have other names for them) either turned beet RED or turned away. So left to my own devices I politely asked him if he needed some help with that since I’m a doctor maybe I can help get him some cream, the poor soul just looked at me and called me a FREAK-uh go figure!

By Swangirl

November 8, 2005 07:27 PM | Link to this

I would like to respond to Sha’s comment:

“Once you reside in a southern state, you begin to notice that the racial barriers are still up and standing in politics and Communities.”

You’re right that the South still has a long way to go in terms of racial barriers. I’d be the first to agree on that.

However, I’d like to point out that Long Island is not exactly free of its own racial issues. I watched a documentary last year involving the intense protests one Long Island community made due to the growing numbers of Hispanic/Latino day laborers moving in to work construction.

The residents didn’t want undocumented or illegal workers living in their neighborhoods and some were quite racist in their remarks. From what I can tell, it got quite ugly.

I say this only to point out that racism can occur anywhere. Not just in the South.

By Thomas

November 8, 2005 07:30 PM | Link to this

You know, I as a white middle aged male, am in the minority, both on the train and in my neighborhood. You see, I just purchased my first home in South Fulton county off Camp Creek and Butner Rd. I moved here for several reasons: less traffic and affordability and the ever transforming Camp Creek Marketplace. I am the only white person in my brand new subdivision. All of my neighbors have either been very nice and polite or just indifferent. In fact, I had more problems with me being white than my neighbor have. I was expecting “whitey go home” signs in my front yard soon after my moving in. Nothign could be further from the truth.

My office was in midtown and my car commute took me only 25-30 minutes during peak rush hour. Then, my company moved to Dunwoody, and my commute with my car is now 45-65 mins. So, I decided to try and catch the train at College Park, which is a 15 min drive, and then take a 40 min train ride to Perimeter Mall and then catch a 5 min shuttle ride. Its usually about 1 hr and 15 mins total.

I usually catch the train 2-3 times a week, normally for my early days. So far, I have no real problems on train schedules or rude people. In fact I have had a couple of pleasant conversations with both white and black passengers. I have had standing room only days and a seat to myself days. It has at times saved me afortune on gas and aggravation on congested highways. It seems the worst times to catch the trains are on weekends and a nights after 7 pm, of which times I do not use MARTA.

Overall, MARTA has been fine with me and me with it. Yes, it’s dirty. Yes, they need more trains moving at peak hours and events, yes they need more rail in different parts of the metro area, and yes, I mostly do enjoy my ride to and from work when I do use it. And from that stand poit, I am also in the minority.

By Bob

November 8, 2005 07:34 PM | Link to this

Really don’t care what color or race you are. If you don’t like Atlanta … Delta is ready when you are! Our growth in this city has been too large, too fast - all with people coming from other parts of the country just like you … Don’t like the system? Go home. Want a car? Get a job. Can’t buy a car? Get an education. Life is rough all over, Jack.

By Mad As Zell

November 8, 2005 07:45 PM | Link to this

Improvements to MARTA? It ain’t gonna happen until gas is $5.00 a gallon or more or until the air is so dirty that it suffocates us all. I’m originally from Indianapolis where the bus service has problems just as bad as MARTA, but probably a little worse. Indygo (is that a misnomer or what? more like Indywait or you can get there faster walking), as the bus service is called in Indy, has nearly ceased operations almost half-a-dozen times in the past ten years because of labor troubles, management scandals (so-called management was using company credit cards for vacations, lavish parties, $10,000-plus shopping trips and strip club outings) and just general apathy from the public. Meanwhile buses frequently broke down (on hot days especially) and buses ran infrequently (sometimes four hour-waits between buses that were scheduled for every hour) or sometimes buses just wouldn’t run for the rest of the day. In some instances it was quicker to go ahead and walk to where you were going instead of waiting for a bus that might never show. On some routes in Indy it might take two hours to ride the same place that it takes you 15 minutes to get to in a car. The last I heard, Indygo had just cut about 1/3 of its already limited bus routes and was being kept a float on a two-year loan from the city (I have no idea how the bus service is supposed to pay the loan back and neither does the city with virtually no ridership). Being from a city like Indianapolis where public transportation is ignored, hearing about the current status of MARTA in such a car-dominated city doesn’t surprise me one bit, I rode MARTA when I moved to Atlanta 10 years ago but soon got a car and have only used it sparingly since I live by the airport but work about 45 miles away in Covington, so I must drive. If you’re making plans to move to Atlanta or have just moved to Atlanta my advice to you is to not make MARTA the central part of your plans to get around, unless you can tolerate the very questionable service. Atlanta is first and foremost an automobile town and if you attempt to use the roads for anything else besides driving (in some places in Atlanta, the surface streets are so wide that there will be times that you’ll have to use a car just to drive distances of 100 yards or even less) you risk getting hit by an errant motorist who has been interrupted and distracted by that worrisome driving thing while on a cell phone, eating, reading a book or newspaper, or applying makeup or my personal favorite a “motorist” who is doing all five at the same time at 60-mph through a school zone while watching the TV that has been installed in place the horn in their steering wheel (sounds perfectly safe right? everybody knows those darn horns get in the way of TV watching anyway!). Happy motoring Atlanta!

By Mad As Zell

November 8, 2005 08:30 PM | Link to this

Get it? GENIUS and Georgia Department of Transportation (GADOT), I think that’s an oxymoron isn’t it, sort of like HONEST and POLITICIAN, or better yet COMPETENT and MARTA, LOL ha ha ha! Alright, that’s enough comedy hour, we already that GADOT and MARTA along with Georgia State Government (if you can call it that?) are all a bunch of laughingstocks.

By Krobar

November 8, 2005 08:35 PM | Link to this

The real kick in the teeth is that for every $1.75 fare Marta collects from its riders, the taxpayers kick in another $7.44—just so Marta can breakeven.(from the latest annual financial statement posted on Marta’s website). So the true cost is $9.19 per person to ride on a dirty, rarely on schedule, doesn’t go where you want to go, unsafe transit system. I feel the love!!!

Oh yea, go to their website and checkout the job opportunities—there are some phat jobs overthere.

By Bryan

November 8, 2005 08:36 PM | Link to this

Why do you care if I ride MARTA? I pay for it, unlike those who do use it. Hey, someone has to fund all of the money they lose, and it is the affluent white suburban Atlantans. I am everything MARTA and the Atlanta and Fulton county government wants - an affluent white suburanite who funds all of their poor black programs. I pay all of the bills and receive none of the benefits. Thanks, MARTA!

By Dale

November 8, 2005 09:07 PM | Link to this

Lyle—the answer to your original question “Is race a factor in public transportation?” is yes—-everything in the ATL is about race. If it ain’t, just wait and it will be. Peace Out.

By Loni

November 8, 2005 09:16 PM | Link to this

Bryan, Believe it or not there are many affluent black suburbanites living in and around Atlanta. Ignorant people see black and immediately associate them with poverty…crime…etc. Get your head out of you a**. There are plenty of white people who need handouts as well. Poor blacks are just more noticeable in urban areas, whereas most poor whites live in rural areas.
And as for Marta…the entire system needs to be revamped.

By Thomas A

November 8, 2005 09:22 PM | Link to this

Like other cities Atlanta once had a great public rail transportation system that could have expanded as the city grew. Unfortunately it was discarded as the automobile became king and replaced with a ineffective bus system. Until Atlanta designs an efficent, fast and comprehensive transportation system such as a comprehensive area wide monorail system the car will remain king. The reason public transportation works in New York City is because you can actually go somewhere from anywhere in a reasonable amount of time. You certainly cannot say that about Atlanta. Hhhhmmmmm….Let me think should I take the old smelly bus and packed train or drive my nice car with leather seats, climate control, and XM satellite radio…difficult choice!

By Stephen

November 8, 2005 09:26 PM | Link to this

New York. Paris. London. What do they have in common? They grew up WITH rail systems… they didn’t try to splice them onto thriving communities that evolved WITHOUT them.

It is IMPOSSIBLE for rail systems to offload more than a tiny fraction of Atlanta’s commuters, since our communities didn’t grow up centered around train stations. House here, school there, office in a third place, and none of them walking distance from trains.

It’s time to throw in the towel, quit hoping that running MARTA up 400 will make a dime’s bit of difference, and start concentrating on things that can make a car-based commute work better and cleaner.

Flex-time. Schedule-based pricing of toll roads. Hybrid vehicles. Exit ramp pollution sniffers. Realtime traffic information on your GPS display. Those things don’t cost much money, and they’d improve Atlanta commutes far more than another rail line.

By Yvette

November 8, 2005 09:29 PM | Link to this

I have been living in Atlanta for almost 11 years. I don’t have a car, but if I did I would definitely drive everywhere I have to go. The Marta bus drivers are so rude and they don’t follow the bus schedule, they leave when they want to. I can’t even begin to count the times I have been out at the bus stop and the bus never show up. Marta has alot of work to do on their system. They really need to SHAPE UP.

By ALR

November 8, 2005 09:29 PM | Link to this

I think it was wrong of you to censor this blog. It should have been printed to show, the mind set of some in the south. Not much has change in all these years. That’s why Marta has not gone outside of the perimeter! Marta could make the metro area really great if it was allowed to go into the metro counties roads are allowed. Just think how great Metro Atlanta would be to have trains and buses everywhere in the metro area.

The mentality of the ones that you censors, are the same as the in the coridors of power. What Fulton and Dekalb should do it throw their hand up and just give Marta to the state and see what they will do with it. Then the power broker would have to deal with mass transit metro wide, that would force the state to fund it, because the can’t just mothball it; too many people depend on it. It is a shame that only two counites in the metro area fund a system that is used by all.

I know that some will say that they fund it each time they ride or spend a dime in the two counties. You and I know that the little they spend is not enough to fund their ride. Marta would be great it got all the funding that GA400 receives.

Just think if if Marta had tracks and stations that ran around the perimeter that feed out in the subrubs to all the major shopping nodes. They could have local and express trains like New York, London, and Paris.

The old southern mind set will not allow that the happen. They think the people that live inside the fence of the perimeter will come out ruin their suburan bliss. But I have news for them, in this day age these same people have cars also. Out all of my years of riding Marta; I never seen anyone waiting for a bus or a train with a TV or other items, they (the Suburanites) think that intercity population might steal.

They can move further and further out, but they are only hurting themselves. Both in wasted time cummunting and financially on gas and wear and tear on their vechile. Becasue the roads are only going to get more packed, because more people will be moving to the metro area, and I don’t see anyone move out!

By SC

November 8, 2005 09:34 PM | Link to this

It’s pretty obvious that PERCEPTIONS about race have a lot to do with why MARTA has such limited reach and why a lot of people who can ride MARTA don’t. Unfortunately, the perceptions don’t match reality — the very suburbs that voted MARTA out 30 years ago have very different demographics now, so anyone maintaning those old concerns about keeping “undesirables” out these days is stuck in a time warp, and anyone who says MARTA is unsafe is blowing smoke. That said, MARTA does have serious problems that are NOT related to race, such as ridiculously poor bus service, surly employees (but that’s really an Atlanta thing), and funding issues (the total lack of state funding, the capital spending requirement that while well-intentioned causes operations to suffer, etc.)

I’m white AND gay and live in Sandy Springs (and bought my home where I did because of MARTA being nearby!) and ride MARTA from North Springs to my job in downtown on off hours every weekday (I drive in on weekends since weekend rail service is so unreliable, especially right now with all the track work going on) and have never had any problems aside from the usual issues with trains breaking down or being off schedule, which are NOT “race” issues in the least.

Expecting transit to get you from point A to point B in the same time it takes to drive from A to B is unreasonble; that line of thinking doesn’t work even in NYC, so what makes people think it would possibly work here? I’m more than glad to trade a bit of time for less stress and more money in my pocket…

By Allen

November 8, 2005 09:44 PM | Link to this

I rode MARTA from 2001 thru this past Halloween (I got a car now)….I refuse to ever ride MARTA again. From the delays to the breakdowns to the singletracking it is not worth it. The trains stink!! Who thought of putting carpet on a train??? People are loud and rude. Young men don’t let women sit down (that’s not why I don’t ride tho) And why the hell are the trains so short??? If the station is about 400 feet why are the trains only 100 feet? Shouldn’t they be congruent?? ANYWAY…thank GOD for personal vehicles..I WON’T take MARTA ever again!!!

By Tater

November 8, 2005 09:44 PM | Link to this

Perceptions are the reality—-Marta has a problem and won’t admit it.

SC— ride the train from West End to Five Points after dark—-then we will see who is blowing smoke.

ALR—why did you beat around the bush—just say what you meant—that you think the government is run by a bunch racist redneck hillbillies that just want to keep the black man down—just be honest you—and we—will all feel better.

Dale—you are right, everything in this town is tainted by race. Always will be—deal with it.

By Yvette

November 8, 2005 09:46 PM | Link to this

I have another bone to pick. I understand the women who have small children and babies want to get their children from point A to point B as smoothly as possible. But they get on these busses and trains with these big cadillac strollers and the bus drivers don’t make them fold them up. They take up some much room. They have this HUGE stroller for one tiny baby. Don’t get me wrong I love children. I just wish they would get smaller strollers.

By Mad Dog

November 8, 2005 09:53 PM | Link to this

Blame can be given to both sides. MARTA may be the most inept agency of the many to choose from in Atlanta. I have ridden public transportation all over this country and in some foreign countries, and MARTA is the worst. I mean, just the little stuff…can’t they take just five minutes and spray down the elevators at Five Points so that they don’t smell like p**, dookie, and body funk all mixed together? I saw a train the other day that said, “Hightower.” Isn’t this the old name for the H.E. Holmes station? What if a visitor to Atlanta were to see a train labeled “Hightower,” look down at his system map, and not find the station “Hightower” on it? Wouldn’t he be just a bit confused? And when he finds out that they changed the station name years ago but the train still says “Hightower,” what does that say to him about our city? All because MARTA can’t even put the right name on a train. Some of the trains on the N/S line say “Dunwoody,” but the Sandy Springs and North Springs stations were built five (5)!! years ago!!! There is absolutely no logical explanation for this other than ineptness and incompetence.

We could on for days about how bad MARTA is, but the outlying counties are now reaping what they have sown. Cobb and Gwinnett deserve their long commutes since they rejected MARTA. Could you imagine what would have happened if these counties had decided to work with MARTA years ago? I can…trains stations in Kennewaw and Duluth…and a much easier ride into downtown. And now, after trying to keep out the scum, Cobb and Gwinnett are not even suburban anymore, but urban. I mean, I lived in Norcross (no MARTA) and then moved to unincorporated Fulton (close to N. Springs MARTA), and I feel much safer living in Fulton. Cobb and Gwinnett have all the problems of Fulton without even having MARTA, and they still consider themselves the suburbs??? How funny…

By Jon

November 8, 2005 09:55 PM | Link to this

Hey folks,

The key to successful transit systems is population density. Because Atlanta developed in the post-war period (when many people were able to buy cars), it has a much lower density than the cities cited above as models of transit.

For example, this page shows that Atlanta’s density of 688.5 people per square mile (116th densest) pales against New York 2049 per square mile (4th densest). The population density is even lower in counties like Gwinnett and Cobb. Cities like Washington, DC (32nd densest) and even Wichita, Kansas (77th desnest) have higher densities than we do.

Without sufficient population density, it’s difficult for transit planners to come up with routes that will transport people to the places they want to go without the cost to government (and the citizens) that gets out of hand.

With respect to funding of transportation in general (let alone mass transit), Georgia doesn’t have enough money to fund currently proposed projects, due to the limits imposed by the gas tax. Mike Kenn of Georgians for Better Transportation presented this presentation.ppt) at the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce this afternoon. Their research shows that Georgia as a whole spends less on transportation than the average state, and this downward trend is expected to continue.

Because of a combination of low population density, and the apparent unwillingness of Georgia citizens to pay more in taxes to fund transportion growth, we are not likely to see improved transit alternatives.

So, I leave with this question. Are you, as a Georgia resident, willing to pay more in tax dollars to improve both automobile and mass transit?

By Jon

November 8, 2005 10:02 PM | Link to this

The formatting conventions for this blog mangled the link above for the Georgians for Better Transportation PowerPoint. Try this URL to view it.

http://www.ciprg.com/ul/gbt/GwinnettChamberForum(11-8-05).ppt

By Mad As Zell

November 8, 2005 10:03 PM | Link to this

For everyone that has complaints about MARTA- that’s why its called PUBLIC transportation as in sharing with many, many others, as in possibly crazy stuff, sharing with others who may not have the same values and mind-set as you (low funded and neglected, but still public). Same thing with the roads, PUBLIC as in sharing with four-million other drivers, some of whom may not have the same values and concerns as you, like driving safely, avoiding accidents and staying away from both PUBLIC and PRIVATE hospitals (PRIVATE, as in all to yourself, no one else but you). If you use things that belong to the public, expect to have to deal with things that occasionally come with the public (insanity and unpredictability).

By KJ

November 8, 2005 10:12 PM | Link to this

I would welcome the opportunity to commute to work in Alpharetta from the intown train stations I have lived next to for the past 4 years. My commute driving up GA 400 is becoming longer and more dangerous each year, it is frustrating not to have a reliable mass transit option. With Atlanta taking such a stance of being an international city, the basis for the racism in where we can have mass transit routes is hypocritical. We are a southern city with northern attitudes; of you can be free to be you, but be you in your place with your kind. The times I have rode Marta during rush hour times, I see lots of people trying to get to work. MEANING they are tax paying citizens and contributors to Atlanta just like me. OF course, in any situation that attracts lots of people, there will be bad apples doing ignorant things. I have seen the same type of bad apples on the bus/train in the Bay Area, New York, Chicago and DC. Unfortunately, “keeping undesirables out� will likely continue to be the focus of why MARTA service should not be expanded instead of addressing the real problems with the service and customer service attitudes.
And how are all of you people making judgement calls about individuals you don’t even know finances? Not everyone makes enough money to purchase a car, insurance, this ridiculous registration, and maintenance. In most major cities, percentages of people ABLE and NOT ABLE to afford cars depend on mass transit. MARTA’s service are limited, just like a majority of the opinions posted. “Hate Whiteyâ€? attitude? As I a black women I have lived in GA since my teens… in East Cobb, Vinings, Midtown, and Buckhead and work off Windward parkway. I experience racism EVERYday. So the claims about “reverseâ€? prejudice just sound like more excuses.

By Mad As Zell

November 8, 2005 10:16 PM | Link to this

Hey Jon, you’re beyond right on the population density stat. Atlanta currently has a population of five million in the metro, but has the lowest population density of any major urban area in the world, meaning Atlanta is the most spread out city in the world which makes everything (services, amenities, errands, etc) so far away that it is prohibitely expensive to run buses everywhere that people do live and that you absolutely, positively must take a car to get darn near everywhere in Atlanta, except, of course for those places served by MARTA (LOL okay, that served by MARTA part wasn’t exactly said with a straight face) .

By Rustoleum

November 8, 2005 10:17 PM | Link to this

Race is always fun to talk about, but the bottom line is that Marta goes nowhere useful and gets there late.

Take Marta to a Falcons game. I guarantee you your train will be delayed on at least one end of the trip. This is for an event where as many as 50,000 people who don’t usually ride Marta will do so - in other businesses, this is called an “opportunity”. For Marta, it is a chance to showcase how utterly unreliable the system is.

Make the trains run on time for major downtown events. That’ll get Marta’s foot in the door with the white suburban folks, so that they consider Marta for other uses, like commuting, getting to the airport, partying in midtown or buckhead, etc. Baby steps.

By Debra

November 8, 2005 10:29 PM | Link to this

I used to ride MARTA too, and I never had much trouble - I just sat down and read my book, ignoring whatever happened. If I ever felt uncomfortable about a person in my train car, I’d get off at the next stop, walk up or back a couple of cars, and re-board the same train.

I can tell you that MARTA management is just plain not interested in hearing your complaints. I have written numerous e-mails to them about the condition of the Civic Center station, pointing out that this is the station closest to the new aquarium. That station is also heavily used to reach the aquarium, Civic Center, and Crawford Long Hospital. The station is dirty, there is construction debris piled in the corners, the escalator stays disassembled in pieces, and just yesterday I saw a man urinating right on the kiosk where the MARTA map is. You can e-mail MARTA management, and maybe the floor will be swept, but that’s about it. The entire place needs to be steam-cleaned from floor to ceiling. The elevator is a porta-john for the homeless. The white phone stayed broken for almost 6 months, hanging by a wire. That station is an embarrassment to the entire city.

By Grammaw

November 8, 2005 10:30 PM | Link to this

I am a 56 y.o. white female who uses MARTA fairly often, and I have NEVER had a problem with it…other than kids parading up and down the aisles selling candy, etc. “for their school” and/or the few homeless I have seen that ride back and forth and sleep on the train in inclement weather. I don’t even mind that, except during rush hour when seats are at a premium. When it comes to going downtown, I’d much rather park my car at Chamblee or Doraville and ride the train. Not only is it quicker, but I don’t have to worry about finding a parking spot downtown (which is next to impossible unless you want to pay $10 a day) or the stress of rush-hour traffic. I’d rather stand on a train for 20 minutes than worry about all of that. The only thing I would change about it is to add more stations on the north end and more frequent connecting buses at the main stations, especially during the busiest 3x of the day (morning, lunch and evening) and make soliciting illegal on the trains. As for the “thugs” some have had the misfortune of running into…I’ve never (knock wood) had that problem. Most of the young (black and white) men that I have encountered have been polite and even offered me their seats.

By Mad As Zell

November 8, 2005 11:00 PM | Link to this

Hey Debra, MARTA isn’t just not interested in hearing public complaints, the people at MARTA just simply don’t care, their indifferent and apathetic to public opinion, as long as they continue to get their paychecks with little expectation of adequate job performance and no strings attached. From top to bottom within the organization, from managers to supervisors to mechanics to drivers, there seems to be little, if any accountability within the bus service. This worries me, because if they don’t care about big stuff like when buses and trains come on time, or easy stuff like changing signs that haven’t been changed for the better part of a decade that could easily be changed, what is to guarantee that they are worrying important stuff like safety (are there any nuts and bolts loose on these buses and trains? how about engines and gas lines?) and personal safety and crime sure don’t seem to be a priority (wild behavior, public indecency). Because their is no accountability whatsoever from the city or state, no one MARTA seems to even care about customers, because the government (courtesy of the taxpayers) is going to give them their paychecks regardless. No matter how bad they screw up, they get paid, its that simple.

By Regular Marta rider

November 8, 2005 11:15 PM | Link to this

I commute using Marta rail about 3 times a week for the last 4 years. My experience has been the trains are usually on time. The trains are more predictable than the roads.

By Bill

November 8, 2005 11:15 PM | Link to this

I’m an ex-native Atlantan who rode MARTA buses through high school and college (1973-81), and then MARTA trains to work regularly from when the trains started in 1979 until I bought a car 8 years later, and even with the car I still rode on a sporadic basis until I left Atlanta 5 years ago. I agree with others—I’m a Black male from SW ATL, and I still didn’t like the way fellow Blacks acted, towards me or disrespectful to others. MARTA was inconvenient and never on time, drivers were rude, and even MARTA administrators were indifferent. I rode the system everywhere, so I can’t say the trains were better on the Northside than on the Southside. I’ve ridden trains in NY, Philly, DC, the Bay area, LA (yes, LA has a subway that no one uses), and Montreal. Atlanta’s system is not the worst, but it could be much better. It’s up to the state to fund it , and make it far more encompassing of new development (Atlantic Station, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton). I hope the Belt Line goes through!

By Steve

November 8, 2005 11:32 PM | Link to this

Honestly people. I only read about half the posts in this thread before I got sick of all the whining.

You cannot compare Atlanta to NYC. Different cities entirely, where the time periods and functionality of the major growth spurts determined how the two cities grew.

Atlanta is a suburban town, whose major growth periods took place in the lat 20th century. This was a time when cars WERE already the common thing for most people coming to Atlanta in the technology boom that caused the huge population growth. From the moment people arrived in Atlanta from whatever Northern city most of them came from, they had ample housing choices that allowed them to live far from their place of work. The traffic wasn’t as bad then, so driving wasn’t nearly the problem.

NYC on the other hand, hit it’s first few population spurts before the car was even a twinkle in the eye of it’s creators. For that matter, it was before it’s creators were even born. The city was built around rails. It grew into a centralized metropolitan city, with tightly knit suburbs (often divided into racial or religious groups). There was little need of a car, and this is still evidenced today.

To compare these two cities, or for that matter, any Northeastern city or Iron Belt city, to Atlanta, is really not a fair comparison.

NYC can afford to throw much more money into it’s transportation because it also generates a ton of money from the sheer number of passengers per mile of track. The City of Atlanta does not have that luxury. Wake up and smell the differences, rather than constantly gripe about a problem that is not so easily solved as just abotu everyone here thinks.

As for the original post, people moving into Atlanta should realize the transportation issues. They have a choice of cities to move to in many cases, but they come to Atlanta because of the ample opportunities in the city as compared to the shrinking opportunities in the northern states. In other words, they want to have their cake and eat it to. Problem is, everyone here wants that, which is what has led to the population boom and stagnated traffic problems. If the traffic issues make living here so intolerable as compared to other cities, then people can move. Yes, finding jobs may be tough, but that’s part of the equation.

Then again, if the people in downtown Atlanta hadn’t fought so much against the Northern Arc, maybe the traffic problems on the inner connectors and the perimeter wouldn’t be so bad. The people in Atlanta can whine all they want, if nothing ever improves for them, I won’t mind, since they have elected corrupt officials for going on three decades now, I see it as they are getting what they asked for at the polls.

By Joe

November 9, 2005 12:04 AM | Link to this

Lyle — Thanks for your comment about bringing up a possible regional tax. As of now, I have a great deal of trouble trusting our regional leaders to implement a workable solution. I’d be willing to pay a regional tax as long as it helps us free ourselves from the whims of GDOT.

There are two bills in the legislature you may want to consider: SB 150 would allow for the creation of public-private entities to build and operate streetcars. Such a solution for Peachtree St, Buford Hwy, and other similar corridors would make for great progress. HR 1 would propose a constitutional amendment to allow gas taxes to help pay for the costs of all modes of transportation, not just roads. The legislature’s goal this year is for a short session in this election year. Their goal is to get as little work done so that they won’t be held accountable for what they wind up doing. It’s a deliberate attempt to manipulate the news media. Please urge the legislature to adopot SB 150, HR 1, SB 114, and SB 115 for more and better options.

Archie — Thanks for the name-calling. I appreciate your attitude. More teenagers get killed on the roads every day than die in Iraq. Does that make you feel any more comfortable about letting your son or daughter drive?

I’m sure your wife is a strong woman who would know how to handle herself in a sort of situation like seeing a pervert on a train. Or, perhaps you’d rather she get tossed around in a car wreck.

Or, maybe, as you said, I’m just an idiot. Clearly, the chance that you or anyone in your family will be harmed in a car wreck is very remote because you are all great drivers, I’m sure.

By bravesdude

November 9, 2005 12:28 AM | Link to this

The problem with Marta as well as the city of Atlanta rests entirely on the leadership of these two cesspools. I have grown up and lived here almost my entire life and love this state….that said lets look at reality. When you say its racist youre correct….but….its reverse racism not what most think. This city and Marta are run by African Americans who love blaming “whitey”. Lets not stop with MARTA….take a look at city hall…try going to the license bureau…try getting a permit for anything…..if your not African American (whats up with that anyway) you can forget it. I loathe going into the city and will only do it armed with 2 pistols not 1! All the “African Americans” really need to step back and look what theyve created. Dont continue blamin “whitey” ….clean up your act and at least try to be civalized human beings. White Folks dont hate black folks….pleassssse!! Im 40yrs old and i nor my parents nor my granparents nor my great grandparents ever owned a black…excuse me “African American” Stop blaming whitey for all your problems…take a point from Bill Cosby and get off your butts and do something to change the perception people have of you! Playin loud music….acting like idiots…pants hanging down to your knees…idle threats to every “honky” you see. Try using some of the money you waste on gold chains and gold toofs in your mouth and buy cars! Marta is for people who have not done what they need to in life to get ahead….why am i paying for it…why should i ride on a system with this type of person…screw um!! I luv my Hummer and its 10mpg….but thankfully i work out of my home and dont have to deal with the crud!!!!

By Georgia

November 9, 2005 12:51 AM | Link to this

I rode MARTA for about three years, and it sucked. It was unreliable every time it rained or was cold outside. And to the commenter “bravesdude”, this is not a black vs. white city. Relax, and stop being so paranoid. Occasionally, life blows. You can sit down and whine about it or get up and move on.

By Robert

November 9, 2005 01:21 AM | Link to this

The comparison to New York is the wrong comparison. We in Atlanta are more like L.A., too spread out for effective mass transit. One other problem is that the Marta system is not in the region, it is just in 2 counties. That won’t work if you want to go from say Canton in Cherokee with no system to Smyrna in Cobb that has its own system. The main problem is that someone promoted the Atlanta area too much to all the other people that aren’t from around here and they all moved here during which time no one here had a plan for how to get them from here to there except by car.

By craig simmons

November 9, 2005 01:22 AM | Link to this

I no longer live in Atlanta, however, like many resdients who occupy metro atlanta now are products of the population boom of the early 90’s. Being a native New Yorker, I was already exposed to a world class transportation system before i relocated to atlanta. Marta was great for a transportation system in a southern city. However like many respodents have stated, race does play a factor. Lets not forget, Atlanta is still the south, where just 50 short years ago, black people were denied rights that others had the privlege of having. Have you ever heard of the term ” white flight”. This is not a racist term in any means but instead was a phenomenom that started in the 60’s, when african americans, fresh off of the civil rights movement,started to migrated to the suburbs to purchased homes where at one time, the only reason they would be there was to work, mainly in domestic jobs. marta to this day does not travel to many of the suburbian areas as frequently as lets say ” west end ” if not at all, simply because of these actions. now in the era of gentirfication i.e. whites returning to the city to live, marta may have improved to a cetain extent. i could go on and on about the transportation system in general, but in short, in order for atlanta to be a major player from a transportation standpoint, it should take a page from the New York City system ( 24 hour service, more stops, greater coverage areas, etc. ) until this is accomplished, Atlanta, as ” world class ” as it is and claims to be, will be just any other southern city who put the ” cart before the horse” when it comes to planning an effective public transportation system for the city and it’s residents.

By tavi28

November 9, 2005 02:20 AM | Link to this

I believe out of all the comments I have read on this blog “bravesdude” has to be the worst. He nor his parents are “racist” yet he says “Playin loud music….acting like idiots…pants hanging down to your knees” or “Try using some of the money you waste on gold chains and gold toofs in your mouth and buy cars! “. If those statements aren’t the most “racist” of them all, I don’t know what is. You have just put a whole race into your category of what “black…oops african-americans” are. I am a registered nurse who gets on marta, pays taxes just like you do and still get looks as if I should be something to be afraid of. I do not have my pants hanging down. I do not have gold chains hanging down. I do not have gold hoofs in my mouth. You “bravesdude” are the epitomy of “crud”. Ride your hummer…good! Be careful that one of those same pants hanging, large jewelry wearing, gold hoofs carrying people be the one who has to save you one day. The bible says “he will make your enemy your footstool”. Pick the bible up sometime, you supposed probably christian.

By Will

November 9, 2005 06:00 AM | Link to this

Marta for one need a true police department so that all riders can feel safe. You ride the subway in NYC you see cops all over, you ride marta you see some lady get robbed and no marta is to be found and you find yourself chasing some kid through the college park station. Atlanta will never be a world class city like people like to state untill we get a transit system that can take you more places and give an alternative to traffic. I have taken marta and seen some disturbing things two young black men dealing drugs on the train. I white male yelling at his girlfriend and the getting into a physical fight with her and no cops to be found. I once sat next to a young man that was smoking marijuana at 8 in the morning next to me and when I asked him to put it out he told me I was racist that smoking weed is part of his culture. My african american friends from new york and other places were race is not such a cop out would disagree. So basically Marta is only able to get you a few places with no time table which makes it useless for anyone having to ride the system for whatevr reason. Marta is so limited right now in so many areas and with the lack over politicians that are not corrupt in this city it is going to take many years before we see anything done.

By MIchael

November 9, 2005 06:11 AM | Link to this

MARTA is second-rate, at best; trains are often not ontime, and it seems the system is least reliable during a time such as a week-end during which several events are happening (like the weekend of the Inman Park festival, or weekends with several sporting events). Buses seem to me to be a bit more reliable time-wise, as long as you live near a major route. If you don’t live along a major thoroughfare, you don’t get very good bus service (e.g., East Atlanta, which has terrible bus service).

I think MARTA’s failures reflect, more than anything else, the balkanization of political power that defines the Atlanta region. There are too many different governmental authorities claiming dominion over the Atlanta area—too many counties and municipalities that do nothing except create power fiefdoms, and these fiefdoms serve no purpose but to allow people to say, essentially, “We don’t have anything to do with ___,” where you can usually fill in the blank with the name “Atlanta.”

The fact that so many people who live and work in this region work so hard at not identifying with Atlanta is, in my view, the real problem behind MARTA’s admitted failure to provide decent service.

We need a consolidated regional government that pulls together resources and responsibilities so that people don’t end up paying twice for services they don’t end up getting (as those of us in City of Atlanta AND Fulton County find), and so that people are obliged to face political and social needs in a meaningful way, without having the luxury to square off in their own little corner and say, “This is mine, don’t touch it!”

With all our competing governments, all these different sets of elected demagogues pandering to different sets of people, we get duplicate bus systems, varying road conditions and varying emergency services, among other things. MARTA shows its weakness in such a system, because MARTA is one of the few services that, with wretched management, poor oversight and relatively little money, is expected to overcome the huge influence of our region’s political idiocy. Look at MARTA and you see much about the real condition of the Atlanta region. MARTA’s state of health should tell us much about how well the region, and not just the city, is serving its citizens.

By J.D.

November 9, 2005 06:26 AM | Link to this

Living in Griffin, 35 miles south of Atlanta, there are not alot of commute options to get to work. Thank goodness with todays gas prices 11 of us Deltoids found an option. Thank you GRTA / HATMA for providing us a way to get to/ from work a little cheaper. Vanpooling is a great option and it is mass transit. We now have 4 vans out of Griffin going to the airport every morning.

By Marc M

November 9, 2005 07:13 AM | Link to this

I grew up in South DeKalb, which in the 1960s and 70s was a suburban utopia. The population there was (in a vast majority) white, 2 parent families with large homes, big yards for the children and neighborhood camaraderie. The fathers commuted into downtown to work and the mothers stayed home and raised their families. Yes it was an “auto-cracy”. This is how it was designed.

Everything has changed. The social upheaval has now caused both parents to have to work, and very likely single parent households. Women were not meant to have to commute into a man’s world! This has added twice as many cars onto the streets and freeways as was intended. (Not to mention the social ramifications…”no training” indeed!)

Yes, I am a hopeless traditionalist. We are reaping what we have sown.

Good luck catching that bus!

By Sonja Davis

November 9, 2005 08:36 AM | Link to this

I have lived in Atlanta for the past 8 years and have taken Marta to Grady Hospital every one of those years. I am from Philadelphia where the transit is more convenient and reliable but all in all, I have enjoyed my train rides. I get to read my bible and even get in a quick nap at times. Philly just ended a transit strike which they do at least every two years and since I have been here, I have never had to endure that inconvenience from Marta. Every ride is different and yes there are some really ignorant, unruly people on the train at times. But come spend a day in the Grady emergency room, you might opt for the train ride instead!

By LK

November 9, 2005 08:40 AM | Link to this

I’d love to take Marta to work - enjoy reading a book or getting some work done. However, I (in my type A behavior) cannot justify the extra time it would take me and the inconvenience of MARTA. I drive about 25 minutes to get from my NE Atlanta home to my downtown office. I’m between the Brookhaven and Decatur stations - either would be at least 25 minutes, then the train commute. If MARTA was more convenient - I’d use it in a heartbeat. Atlanta’s traffic hasn’t gotten bad enough to compell me to give up time and convenience for the greater good of mass transit.

By Laura

November 9, 2005 08:59 AM | Link to this

Has anyone else noticed the absence of MARTA buses or stops in the new Atlantic Station area?

This is no accident. This is fresh city planning for the benefit of a specific race and socio-economic group: the whites. It took everybody’s tax dollars to install the 17th Street bridge, but whom does it truly benefit?

By viktor

November 9, 2005 09:06 AM | Link to this

MARTA? Hmmmm. It has brought an increase in violent crime and burglaries to the Lenox area. One of my close friends was a big fan of MARTA until he was murdered outside a MARTA station on his way home from the airport.

MARTA? It stops in front of the jail but if you want to take your family to Turner Field you need a bus transfer and a hike through panhandlers and the “bridge people.”

MARTA? You get to enjoy the ambience of hip-hoppers: MF this, MF that, F you, etc.

MARTA? I’ll pass.

By FM

November 9, 2005 09:17 AM | Link to this

I’ve been a Marta rider for over 10 years. It’s has good days and bad. I’m from Cleveland where buses come on scheduled and the train doesn’t break down “due to mechanical difficulties” three times a week (like this morning). They need to get it together, however, as far as “crude behavior dominating” that is simply not true. I’ve seen it all on Marta, had my wallet stolen, etc. and there are some people I want to slap, but it’s not just black people who can be offensive. Try being on the train when a bunch of white kids are on some field trip and they are just as loud, silly, and rude as the rest. You think it’s only black people because that’s the majority of the inner city riders, but for every young black kid who acts ignorant (or perhaps HIS AGE) there are forty black people sitting quietly awaiting their stop. How could you possibly miss those well-behaved tax payers such as yourself?

By Mary

November 9, 2005 09:27 AM | Link to this

Love MARTA, except the horrendous scheduling means I have to catch at 5:55 a.m. bus to get to work by 8:00 a.m.; but if I drive, I can leave at 7:10 a.m. to get to work by 8:00 a.m.

Sorry MARTA, 1 hr 15 min added to my commute (each way!) doesn’t cut it. If only you ran on time…

…and I do miss the entertainment of the myriad characters on MARTA.

By Todd

November 9, 2005 09:31 AM | Link to this

I find it absolutely absurd to have to drive to a bus station. MARTA could be great, if it actually included most of the Metropolitan area. Out of the five counties who have mass transit, there are four different agencies - there should be a regional mass transit authority instead of MARTA, CCT, GCT, and Clayton County’s Authority. Also, suburb-to-suburb travel is impossible. THere is no way for me to go from Marietta to Norcross on a bus without having to take CCT downtown, catching MARTA to Doraville, and then taking a GCT bus to Norcross. ABSOLUTELY LUDACRIS.

By Nancy

November 9, 2005 09:45 AM | Link to this

I keep thinking MARTA managers will read comments and do something about all the problems. But, that has not happened during the 14 years I have been riding MARTA.

For no reason, you can sit between stations for 15 to 20 minutes and hear no explanation from the conductor. On some days, the train comes to a complete stop while the conductor does from car to car looking for the door that won’t close properly. On every occasion, when the train must change tracks, the train comes to a complete stop.

MARTA police are never around. People constantly eat and drink on the trains. I have sent numerous e-mails asking how many tickets MARTA has issued for eating and drinking. Of course I have never received a response. Instead of constantly not making a profit, MARTA could be imposing fines for eating and drinking. But, even the MARTA employees in uniform, to include MARTA police, eat and drink in the stations and on the train.

On many occasions, you don’t even know what train you are on. The announcements available at some stations are either behind or incorrect. And, many trains don’t eve show their destination.

And, what about the language used on MARTA.

I have often wondered if MARTA has a quality control team. Maybe they don’t even know what that is. But, if a contractor was running MARTA, it would be different.

By nywilliams

November 9, 2005 10:10 AM | Link to this

Yvette,

As one of those parents with a cadillac stroller, allow me to ASSURE you that it is just as frustrating for us as it is for you to try and manage our gear on MARTA. I agree FULLY that MARTA cannot accomodate us and would go so far as to say that most of society in general is not st up to be baby friendly.

As for the suggestion that we get smaller strollers, well, you try to handle transporting a baby (or toddler) around. Those small strollers (and yes, I do have one) are great for quick trips to the mall or the park or to an event where you aren’t going to need to carry a bunch of stuff beyond the basics and have a child old enough to eat regular solid food and drink regular milk & juice.

However, until you personally try to manage an outing that is going to take some time with a baby, you won’t understand why a cadillac stroller is a necessity.

I know that I didn’t until I actually had a child of my own and was stuck in the mall trying to figure out how to manage a baby bag packed with all the essentials to feed (every 2 hours), change (every 2 hours) & entertain (between naps) a baby, a purse which suddenly grew larger because of all the extra stuff I now had to carry and that no longer fit into my nice cute little Coach wristlet, and several shopping bags stuffed down into the little basket underneath along with the lunch I didn’t get to finish because the baby woke up and was wet and hungry.

The good news here, though, is that things get better as the children age and move off formula and baby food and on to solids and us parents switch to the smaller stollers.

But, in the meantime, please pardon me for rolling over your foot with my Graco 3-in-1 travel system. I truly didn’t mean to.

By John Doe

November 9, 2005 10:13 AM | Link to this

Wow - my first time to ajc.com, I happen to click on this blog, and see that it’s been “edited” (read: censored). This is exactly why I don’t even subscribe to the AJC - it’s not worth the cost of the paper it’s printed on.

By viktor

November 9, 2005 10:13 AM | Link to this

Tread, you’re right. I would be VERY surprised if ANY of those loitering in the parking lot were legals.

By steve

November 9, 2005 10:13 AM | Link to this

What makes anyone think race is an issue in commuting? Jeez, please quit playing that card. Commuting issues have to do with an inferior mass transit system, e.g., MARTA, Buses, etc. Throw in the lack of civility and politeness in a few commuters and the lack of authority to control that behavior and you have a formula for disaster. When I was growing up, my older sister and I, we were 12 and nine respectively, would ride the bus from our neighborhood to downtown to a movie about twice a month. My parents had no qualms about allowing us to do make the trip. Times have changed. I wouldn’t take a bus or MARTA anywhere, even when armed (I have a permit to carry), much less allow my wife or kids to travel by public transportation for just the reasons I’ve cited. So take the race thing out of this discussion and face reality.

By Rebecca

November 9, 2005 10:15 AM | Link to this

I believe it’s about apathy on the job. I can only speak for Atlanta but 90% of my interactions with gov’t employees is just so dissappointing and infuriating. Nobody seems to care about their job or the customers that they serve, the prevailing attitude with gov’t workers seems to be to just do the bare minimum required to get a paycheck. There is no accountability. If I carried around that work ethic at my job, I’d be fired. But I don’t work for the government. So I don’t see how Marta can clean up it’s act if the individuals that make up the work force don’t need to care about their job performance. There is an invinceability that goes along with working with the gov’t that doesn’t exist in the private sector. So as long as Marta employees and the cops that police it aren’t held accountable for their job performance I don’t see how anything can ever change with the system no matter how much tax money gets pumped into the system.

By Beegday Owt

November 9, 2005 10:25 AM | Link to this

MARTA and mass transit commuters here take this text will be italic= such great pride in their community; these reverent, hard-working and respectful citizens of the world.

Take a look at any number of bus stops in and around our fair city, and you’ll see their daily contributions in tangible form: soda, beer and liquor bottles strewn about; endless lines of trash and debris running parallel along roadway shoulders to and from bus stops; abandoned shopping buggies; open-face dirty diapers glistening in the midday sun, peeled fresh from the fannies of a future generation of mass transit users.

By Josh

November 9, 2005 10:28 AM | Link to this

Since Atlanta is 68% black and most all of its leaders are black….who is it biased against?..white ppl?…or are you accusing other blacks of being racist as well?…I guess eventually I knew you would make it around to everybody.

By Mark

November 9, 2005 10:30 AM | Link to this

What a wonderfully tactful, yet insightful comment you have posted, FM. I agree wholeheartedly. I have been a MARTA rider for a little over four years (I even sold my car in November 2002), and I too have born witness to the broad swath of its commuters. I have never been murdered or otherwise accosted, and I have rarely been approached at all. If I am waylaid by some stranger, nine-times-out-of-ten it is merely to confirm that they are riding the correct train (or bus as the case may be). I would say that all of the different types of people who ride MARTA (just like all of the different types of people who go to the movies or to the mall) act in many different types of ways, and that ninety-five percent of us just want to sit quietly and get the Hell to where we are trying to go.

If anything, it is the occasional and special-event suburban commuters who offend me. They tend to ride MARTA as if they are sitting on a toilet in a public bathroom – or, in the alternative, as if someone had jammed a two-by-four up their rectum. They need to understand that MARTA is mass transportation and they cannot expect the same prim and carefully controlled environment to which they might have become accustomed. There are no hygienic, moral or other behavior thresholds to gain admittance to MARTA. All one needs to ride MARTA is one dollar and seventy-five cents.

To help those who may be considering their first MARTA excursion, here as some tips as well as list of what you can expect when riding MARTA:

By Beegday Owt

November 9, 2005 10:33 AM | Link to this

MARTA and mass transit commuters here take such great pride in their community; these reverent, hard-working and respectful citizens of the world.

Take a look at any number of bus stops in and around our fair city, and you’ll see their daily contributions in tangible form: soda, beer and liquor bottles strewn about; endless lines of trash and debris running parallel along roadway shoulders to and from bus stops; abandoned shopping buggies; open-face dirty diapers glistening in the midday sun, peeled fresh from the fannies of a future generation of mass transit users.

By Heywood

November 9, 2005 10:37 AM | Link to this

I’m so sick of EVERYTIME that some one finds something to complain about the first and only explanation they can come up with is racism. By making such ridiculous and baseless claims you make us all look stupid!

By Mr. Truck Man

November 9, 2005 10:40 AM | Link to this

After reading Marks comment, i’m sure to stay off MARTA now. Why all the animosity towards white people who don’t want to take the bus or train? So, we can afford a car, okay? What’s the problem? It’s called good credit people get some and buy your own car. Also, most studies show an increase in crime in areas where MARTA trains are, it’s a fact.

By Josh

November 9, 2005 10:54 AM | Link to this

MY REPLY TO Laura who said:

Has anyone else noticed the absence of MARTA buses or stops in the new Atlantic Station area?

This is no accident. This is fresh city planning for the benefit of a specific race and socio-economic group: the whites. It took everybody’s tax dollars to install the 17th Street bridge, but whom does it truly benefit?

Laura- Have you ever thought that maybe they did a study at how many avg ppl had cars in that area and decided a MARTA stop was not needed? Don’t let your first response always be fear and insecurity. You will have a much better quality of life.

By Mark

November 9, 2005 10:57 AM | Link to this

Okay, Mr. Truck Man, put your money where you mouth is, please direct me to those studies so I can read them for myself. If you have personally read them, I’m sure you know exactly who the authors were and where I can find them.

Secondly, just in case you were implying, I do not have any animosity to anyone who chooses not to ride MARTA. I could care less how anyone chooses to get around. If someone does not ride MARTA, for whatever reason, that is fine. MARTA commuters are no more morally righteous than someone who drives. But to criticize MARTA and question its existence because its not like flying in first class (or probably even coach), is unreasonable. I was merely attempting to point out the realities of riding MARTA. I think some people have unrealistic expectations of what a public transportation system should be. You will find the same experiences (or problems depending on your perspective) on the mass transportation systems in any other major city. Sometimes MARTA smells, as does the subway in DC and NYC.

Lastly, I’m white, I earn over $100K per year and my credit score is 802. How ‘bout you, Mr. Truck Man?

By Mark

November 9, 2005 11:02 AM | Link to this

Both Josh and Laura are wrong. MARTA has proposed to build an Atlantic Station station. A formal proposal was made to the MARTA board of directors a few months ago, and like any government bureaucracy, it will take several more months of review before the proposal is approved or denied.

By Michelle

November 9, 2005 11:04 AM | Link to this

Atlantic Station can be reached via MARTA (to Arts Center) and then a free shuttle or a short walk.

By J.T.

November 9, 2005 11:08 AM | Link to this

The following is my experience:

Today: MARTA buses run on schedule, largely, and since 400’s emergency lanes are now bus lanes it’s become far more reliable than the trains. It may be true that some bus drivers have a chip on their shoulders against whites, but not all of them. (And for the record, why aren’t there any white bus drivers or train drivers? – Doesn’t equal opportunity employment work both ways?)

The trains…MARTA has one of the nicest looking train systems - but it ends there. There hasn’t been one week when I haven’t either been on or been waiting for a train that was broken down! What is the point of the brand new maintenance yards, if the trains aren’t going to be maintained? During the off peak hours trains should be getting serviced and in tip top shape so that when they are put in service during the peak hours there are no problems. During peak hours, trains being used during off peak hours should be getting serviced.

Personal interaction: One black rider told me, “Get the F off our train whitey! MARTA ain’t for white people!” I’m sure that’s not typical, but I’d sure doubt that a white person could have said the reverse without being taken to task for it. Most every day I experience young black men using four letter words very loudly in normal “loudâ€? conversation to friends, while decent white, black, and hispanic folks are subjected to this foul language, many cringing with each four letter word. If that sounds racist, then I’m sorry – I’ve just not had the same experience with any other race. I’ve got to say, I find it horribly offensive not to me, but to the elderly passengers who are subjected to this kind of language.

By Sara

November 9, 2005 11:10 AM | Link to this

We have two bus stops in the neighborhood I live in and if weren’t for the people of the neighborhood, people like myself who do not ride the bus, the bus stops would be a dumping ground for litter. It’s the residents who pick up the boxes of trash and filth the bus riders leave. Try actually putting your KFC boxes of 3 wings and some hot sauce in the garbage bins people, it’s what they are designed for. We have complained to MARTA to no avail, it was like talking to a brick wall. My male neighbor was brave (albeit stupid in my opinion) enough to confront someone once who tossed some trash on the ground and he almost had a fight. Most of the people I see at the bus stop, and you can throw out the race card now, are people I want to avoid. As a young female I am more concerned over my personal safety than what your opinion is of my racial views. Don’t sit there and act like there is no crime in this city, good lord, just watch the news, crime is out of control. The next time I move it will to be a MARTA free area and I really don’t care what you think of that, it’s my business, my life. And for those of you who say go ahead and live with the blinders on, I will. I mind my own business, you mind yours. It’s so easy to toss out the race card when it benefits you. It’s gotten to where now when someone calls the race card , most of the people I know just roll our eyes and go ” Well, well…looks like they have no better excuse.” How lame, how tired…how so last century.

By Mr. Black

November 9, 2005 11:11 AM | Link to this

First let me say that good credit has nothing to do with race; In fact I know many whites/blacks that are swimming in sea of debt(living above their means), with less than perfect or even good credit. Does that still make race a factor in your credit standing? But you may be to much of a snob (definition: one who blatantly imitates, fawningly admires, or vulgarly seeks association with those regarded as social SUPERIORS), to know the answer so will answer that for you…NO. For those whites that don’t feel comfortable or safe while ON MARTA… Welcome to our everyday life brother/sister……..You will never fully understand a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes….

By nywilliams

November 9, 2005 11:20 AM | Link to this

Oh for the love of all that is holy!!!

Credit ratings are tied to how good a job you do of paying your bills on time, not to race or income.

If you pay your bills late, your credit score drops. If you pay your bills on time, your credit score rises.

If you take on too much debt, your credit score drops. If you eliminate debt, your credit score rises.

By Mark

November 9, 2005 11:21 AM | Link to this

JT, thank you for your thoughtful and sincere post. I would only add that regardless of whom you observe using profanity, that you should find some way to avoid hearing it if it offends you so much. I’m not sure what the alternative would be. Do we need language police? If we do, then MARTA would be low on my list of enforcement targets. I am personally offended for the children who are subjected to grown adults spewing torrential streams of profanity during college football games. But I take it with a grain of salt because it is a public place and I cannot control how other human beings behave.

By cleareyes

November 9, 2005 11:30 AM | Link to this

The only useful place MARTA goes is to the airport, the rest is mostly slum to slum. The vast majority of MARTA stations have no parking so dropping off your car and riding is not possible. The token dispensers and turnstiles are mostly broken and the stations are smelly and filled with questionable people just wandering around looking for trouble. The employees are largely uncaring and incompentent which seems to be a theme among city workers in ATL. The buses are stuck in traffic just like all other vehicles. Yes the car is king in Atlanta so buy yourself a nice one or better yet feel free to move back to NYC I won’t miss you a bit.

By bmm

November 9, 2005 11:31 AM | Link to this

Mark, firstly, I agree that the physical facilities of MARTA are not all that bad.

It is the overall system’s inadequacy to transport people where they want to go that is utterly lacking in MARTA. To say that NYC and DC subway/metro have the same problems as MARTA, well I simply disagree. I’ve lived in DC the last three years, and the metro generally runs on time (though late night rides may entail 20 minute waits, at least this is to be expected and cosistent, and during business hours trains run every 2-5 minutes). The cars are rarely smelly, and most stations are kept reasonably clean. Furthermore, for the most part the people that ride on DC Metro are respectful of each other…much more so than my experiences on MARTA.

Of course I don’t think anyone can argue that MARTA’s overall coverage is inadequate. (One may argue that the system is adequate when considering the buses, but as previous bloggers suggest and I affirm, the bus system stinks and is regularly not on time and inconvenient b/c it doesn’t take you near where you want to go).

I’m moving back to Atlanta next year, and the only thing I truly lament is having to give up an adequate and functional public transit system.

By Lee

November 9, 2005 11:40 AM | Link to this

To Josh: The 2000 census indicates the city of Atlanta is now 61% black, down from 68% … get your facts straight.

By James McCoy

November 9, 2005 11:45 AM | Link to this

So Lee with a 7% decrease in the Black population of Atlanta proper,what’s your point?

By Lee

November 9, 2005 11:47 AM | Link to this

James … his figures are off … that is all I’m saying … I don’t live in the City of Atlanta and never plan to..

By James McCoy

November 9, 2005 11:53 AM | Link to this

Mr.Harris I believe with this particular posting of yours,have allow the world to be expose to the real city of Atlanta,GA,truly not the city too busy to hate. Reading the 178 posting here, have left a bitter taste in my mouth and has further eroded my faith in mankind.

By countrymouse

November 9, 2005 11:55 AM | Link to this

I suppose that I should qualify my statement (as it seems to be necessary for whatever the reason here) by saying that I am a professional black woman who chooses to take advantage of MARTA by commuting from my home in the Edgewood/Candler Park community to my office in Dunwoody. While MARTA is an amalgamation of imperfections, it certainly suits my needs. Do I wish that some fellow riders would use their “inside” voices? Do I wish that I didn’t have to sometimes hold my voice to the point of near asphyxiation due to the oh-so-familiar stench that often perfumes the cars? On both counts: A resounding “Yes!” But until then, I just enjoy up the tunes on my I-Pod, stand on the platform pray for the arrival of a “blue” train (which are not lined with stinky carpet) and thank God that I am not damned to spend four hours a day on the city’s highways when, more often than not, my point of origin is only a 15 minute drive from my final destination. As tough as the train waits can intermittently become, I can always find a scintilla of gratitude because the situation could be worse.

By Mark

November 9, 2005 11:58 AM | Link to this

Point taken, BMM. Admittedly, I have much more experience with MARTA and with NYC than my one trip to DC. Again, I have not observed anything while riding MARTA that I thought was peculiar only to the people who use MARTA. I find that the people who ride MARTA are no more or no less unruly, disrespectful, etc., than people I experience in any other public setting.

As a clarification, not all MARTA train cars smell, but they sometimes do (not once this week yet) and most people keep to themselves (even the ones who smell).

By Mark

November 9, 2005 12:00 PM | Link to this

Amen, CountryMouse.

By Mr. Truck Man

November 9, 2005 12:03 PM | Link to this

Some of these posting are just too funny. Is it suppose to be an insult to me when someone calls me Whitey? If it is, it isn’t working. Like I care what some thug looking guy who can’t afford a car, with a do rag on his head, wearing a light blue throw back jersey from the 70’s and some four hundred dollar sneakers his grandmother bought him thinks about me. I just laugh and thing to myself, give him a day….he’ll be in jail with all his buddies. Okay liberals and ” I’m so repressed black people” start typing, now it’s your turn. Just keep one thing in mind, as I buzz down the highway in my new truck, listening to my own music, stopping whenever I please, you can’t measure how little I care about what your opinion is of me.

By Amazed

November 9, 2005 12:04 PM | Link to this

When you paint everyone with the same skin color into the same category, you are indeed a racist. However, in response to the effectiveness of MARTA, there are clearly problems that need to be addressed. I believe that MARTA bus and train system needs to be expanded into Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton and other metro counties. It is ridiculous to have a system for each county. I am a South Gwinnett resident and I work near GA400. My commute by car on a good day can be 45 minutes to an hour, on a bad day it can be as long as 1 to 2 hours one way.

When it comes to race, people are usually blinded by the facts. Yes, the majority of the troublemakers on Marta are young black males. However, I am a black female who drive daily and many of the really bad drivers on the highways, where I reside, are young white males. The main road to my subdivision has a history of bad accidents, due to drinking and speeding. There have been many deaths and 90% or more have been white males and females.

My point is, you can find problems with MARTA and Driving, but troublemakers come in all colors. I’m sure readers will wonder why I would classify bad drivers as troublemakers. However, when you are driving 65 – 85 mph in a 45speed zone, you are causing trouble for my family, other drivers and yourselves. I feel threatened by these “bad drivers� daily and wonder if I will make it home. They also make obscene jesters and hurl racial slurs, not because I’m driving slowly, but because of their home training.

So, I know that you don’t have to ride MARTA to see ignorance at it’s best.

By Lee

November 9, 2005 12:07 PM | Link to this

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Brand Atlanta campaign, especially the theme song, has caused so such anger that its spilling over to different aspects of living in Atlanta, including MARTA. I personally think the song is disgusting and is a major embarrassment to Atlanta. I wouldn’t be too surprised if the campaign actually keeps people away. Maybe MARTA is taking some of the brunt of this controversy.

By Remi

November 9, 2005 12:11 PM | Link to this

This is a question for some Northern people and for Mr. Harris: Why is it when some of you guys move here or in any part of the South and the slightest misfortune happen to you, it’s always about the race? If you found a job at your time, if your hellos was reciprocated or in this case MARTA not coming your way it’s all about racism?

It’s ironic how some of them think that racism plays into this considering that the CEO of MARTA is African American. Atlanta is majority Black. Atlanta isn’t considered to be the “Black Mecca” for nothing. It’s called that because it’s a very opportunistic place for Blacks and other minorities to grow business wise and even family wise.Their city government is majority Black with the mayor being a woman and African-American. OOOOOh!! Atlanta is a racist off limits city/state. C’mon think of something more logical to describe the ATL.

I was born and raised in Hotlanta.Yes, there are racial problems here, but no more than the next place and I’ll tell you what I have lived in NYC and have been in other parts of the North. They(the North)can also use a dose of diversity training as well. Mr. Harris, do you want to know the difference between racism in the North and the South? The difference between them is when you come across a prejudied person in the South, they aren’t going to hide it, while up North they will fool you with it( and yes some of them are not subtle with their feelings as some you always say about their” brand” of racism). Why do some Northerners like Mr . Harris put race in it because there are some of misguided Northern people who have been taught throughout their lives that racism is only exclusive to the South instead of the truth. When it comes to racism, some Northen people like Mr. Harris are 200 years behind time about it.

By Sara

November 9, 2005 12:40 PM | Link to this

Why is it racism only if a white person says something, but you turn it the other way around it’s always free speech. Enough of the double standards, enough! If a white man got on the air waves and spouted off just a particle of what the likes of Louis Farrakan has said, Jesse Jackson and all his croonies would be up in arms. If Farrakan were a white guy, he’d be head of the KKK the man is such a hate filled racist, but oh no…no one had better say that, you’re a white bigot racist if you do. Watch the news, look at who is doing the crime, do the math and it isn’t because some people (white) get by with crime and go away free. No one with an IQ above room temperature really believes this. Black people can have the Black Chamber of Commerence, 100 Black Men of Atlanta and Black Concerned Parents. Just try interjecting that with the white word and see how many civil rights workers come out of the wood work to protest. Why is it racist for a white person to feel uncomfortable on MARTA? And for the woman who stated that it’s the whites on the road that scare her the most, what planet are you driving on? Fact is, and you may not like it, the whiter the area, the safer. Ask the blacks that live in my area why they moved there. If you don’t like the perception some have of your community, do something about it. Your double standards don’t seem to be doing the trick, they’re not working. FYI: I’m not a Fox news watching conservative, contrary to what many of you think. If I am starting to think this way, how many others are too.

By Mark

November 9, 2005 12:42 PM | Link to this

ClearEyes is absolutely wrong.

According to my own estimation, the vast majority of MARTA stations are in fact not located in slums, and twenty-four of the thirty-eight (sixty-three percent) stations have parking (and nine of those offer long term parking). Listed below are all of the other MARTA stations besides the Airport. ClearEyes, please explain how each of the following is located in a slum:

College Park: Definitely not a slum. I doubt any definition of the word slums includes a neighborhood where houses are selling for more than $300K. Parking available.

East Point: See College Park, above. Parking available.

Lakewood/Ft. McPherson: People seeking good housing deals that are no longer available in East Point and College Park are steadily moving to this area. And it is located near a military base. Parking available.

Oakland City: Again, this neighborhood is growing and gentrifying as people are looking to buy an affordable home intown. Parking available.

West End: See Oakland City, above. Parking available.

Garnett: There are no homes located near this station. It situated between the jail and the municipal courthouse. This neighborhood is certainly not ascetically pleasing, but without any residences, I doubt it qualifies as a slum.

Five Points: There are no residences, and this station is located near the Atlanta and Fulton County government centers, as well near Georgia State University and the downtown business district.

Peachtree Center: This is definitely no slum and is located in the heart of the downtown business district.

Civic Center: There are no residences near hear except for the $200K condos. Otherwise, this station sits adjacent to Emory Crawford Long Hospital.

North Avenue: The closest station to The Varsity (and Georgia Tech), and located on the southern edge of Midtown, which is definitely no slum.

Midtown: Definitely not a slum. Surrounded by expensives lofts, condos, and offices.

Arts Center: Definitely not a slum, and located adjacent to the High Museum of Art and a shuttle bus ride away from Atlantic Station.

Lindbergh Center: Definitely not a slum, and is the closest station to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack (about a twenty minute walk south down Piedmont). Additionally, an enormous new retail/office/residential center is going up across the street. Parking available.

Buckhead: Definitely not a slum, and located in the heart of the Buckhead business district.

Med Center: Definitely not a slum, and located adjacent to St. Joseph’s and Northside Hospital. Parking available.

Dunwoody: Definitely not a slum, and located adjacent to the Perimeter Mall. Parking available.

Sandy Springs: Definitely not a slum. In fact, I think that was Sandy Spring’s motto when they were seeking incorporation: “We’re not a slum.� Parking available.

North Springs: Definitely not a slum. Parking available.

Doraville: Definitely not a slum, and located adjacent to the GM plant. Parking available.

Chamblee:

Brookhaven/Oglethorpe Univ: Definitely not a slum, and located on the northern edge of Buckhead. Parking available.

Lenox Square: Definitely not a slum, and located in the heart of Atlanta’s upscale shopping district. Parking available.

Indian Creek: Definitely not a slum, and there are some very expensive homes located near here. Parking available.

Kensington: See Indian Creek, above. Parking available.

Avondale: See Indian Creek, above. Parking available.

Decatur: Definitely not a slum, and located in the heart of downtown Decatur.

East Lake: Another neighborhood that is quickly gentrifying and in which it is very difficult to find a home for less than $300K. Parking available.

Edgewood/Candler Park: Edgewood is gentrifying and is filled with new homes, condos, and lofts. And Candler Park could only be a slum to someone from Beverly Hills. Parking available.

Inman Park/Reynoldstown: Reynoldstown is gentrifying, and Inman Park has long since gentrified. This is also the closest station to Little Five Points. Parking available.

King Memorial: This neighborhood is also undergoing redevelopment and many (if not all) of the former housing projects have been bulldozed and are being replaced with loft-style apartments and condos.

Georgia State: Definitely not a slum, but it is insidiously located near the state capitol. This station is also located adjacent to Georgia State University.

Omni/Dome/GWCC: Definitely not a slum, and is located between the Phillip’s Arena, CNN Center, and the Georgia Dome.

Vine City: If your definition of a slum includes a financially depressed area which is predominantly populated with low-income residents, this could arguably fit into your definition. Parking available.

Ashby: See Vine City, above. Parking available.

West Lake: See Vine City, above. Parking available.

Bankhead: See Vine City, above.

Hamilton E Holmes: See Vine City, above. Parking available.

By paul02085

November 9, 2005 12:44 PM | Link to this

I find it humorous that you lefties are comparing the commie AJC to President Bush. Gonna sick the ACLU on them???

Another hilarious thing, is someone telling men to have their wives take self-defense courses so they feel good about riding MARTA. Thats precious.

MARTA will never succeed outside the loop and i am glad. Let the thugs have it.

By Karen

November 9, 2005 12:45 PM | Link to this

This blog makes me wish we could all just hash it out once and for all — this race crap. With each incident, no matter which side you’re on, it’s a contstant resentment that just keeps building and breeding. Blacks and whites in this town need couples counseling because we’re not getting divorced and our kids are all screwed up from all of the fighting!!!

By Mark

November 9, 2005 12:49 PM | Link to this

I can only speak for myself, but as the conservative whitey that I am, I can honestly say that I hold absolutely no opinion of you whatsoever. In fact, your existence means absolutely nothing at all to me. As far as I’m concerned, in reality, you could be some disaffected, acne-scarred teenage girl impersonating the father-figure she so desperately needs and wasting your life on the Internet. I doubt I will ever find myself fantasizing about you driving around in anything. Because you explicitly requested our opinion, I just thought you would like to know.

By Mark

November 9, 2005 12:51 PM | Link to this

Of course, my last post was in reply to Mr. Truck Man.

By Kelley

November 9, 2005 01:00 PM | Link to this

The AJC removed the “flamy-er” postings because it’s a business, and it doesn’t want to get sued.

As for me, if MARTA came even close to where I live, I might consider it an option. But it doesn’t, so I can’t.

Most of the folks that work downtown live in the suburbs, and MARTA, because of its sparse coverage, isn’t even a choice for most.

But there are always van pools (Clean Air Commuters)!

By Devin

November 9, 2005 01:04 PM | Link to this

I am glad someone started this blog today. Just to preface my Opinion…I rode MARTA this am from Dunwoody to P’tree Center. Now, I can could the scheduled stops on my hand, but today I was treated to some MARTA stops, 28 to be exact. Start, stop, start, stop, start, stop…you get the point. This is EVERY day. And not to mention the loud speakers they have at the stations. These speakers sound like the McDonald’s drive through. You cannot make out what they are saying. But, I seemed to have figured it out. So, for any of you who don’t know, they are saying, “we are experiencing delays in our North and South bound trains”!
In closing, I have rode many transit systems and MARTA by far is the worst system I have ever ridden. Oh, one more thing Marta…can you print the slang terms for the names of your train stations or better yet, just have the conductor speak properly.

By mel

November 9, 2005 01:05 PM | Link to this

Sara,

What Amazed said was true. Who perpetuates the majority of drunk driving offenses? I can’t tell you how many big pickup trucks drivers with rebel flags have revved their engines, rode my tail, and cursed at me on the roads. Don’t walk through the parking lot in front of one of them. They like to pretend they’re going to hit you, no matter how fast you cross the street. And the young ones? They seem to like the loud rap music and bling bling, as well as foul language and disrepectful attitudes. Oh, and I hate going to Centennial Park anymore, because there are plenty of the older ones sitting on the benches, watching the little kids. Are they watching my daughter? That’s what I suspect, because that’s the way many of them are. But you continue to live in your safe, white world. But be sure to watch your kids and your pension funds.

By Lela Rose

November 9, 2005 01:06 PM | Link to this

I’m African American, professional and can afford a car. I ride MARTA during the week by choice. We have four (4) cars in my family. My husband has a car because he refuses to ride MARTA. My sons are in college and they both have a car and my daughter, in high school has a car. I absolutely refuse to purchase another car. Plus with the high cost of gas MARTA is more cost efficient.

I will admit that MARTA isn’t efficient time wise. I catch a bus that’s scheduled to arrive at 7:00 a.m. but never gets to my stop until about 7:10 or 7:15 a.m. And I’ll admit there have been many mornings that I’ve caught the bus with rude people. Many mornings the women on the bus have to stand to let elderly passengers sit down because the men and teenagers on the bus will not give up their seats.

The bus drivers don’t enforce the rules for riding MARTA. Many mornings I have to listen to loud rap music, profanity and other vulgarities. Passengers routinely place bags and other items in unoccupied seats preventing others passengers from sitting down. There is not a day that someone is not on Marta selling something (socks, CD’s, DVD’s, soda, snacks, batteries, jewelry).

Then there are delays at the stations, trains with no heat during the winter or no air during the summer, few if any, MARTA policemen patroling the trains. I’ve noticed the worst service and rail cars are on the East/West line. This truly angers me. The cars are old, smelly and I’ve even ridden trains that were infested with bugs. AND yes, I do think the kind of service on the East/West line has a lot to do with race. I live in a well established community, yet it is a predominatly African American.

Still when I added it all up the rude people, the poor service, the old rail cars, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hour I spend inconvenienced on Marta isn’t bad. I’ve spent just as much time stuck in traffic with rude and dangerous drivers.

I ride MARTA becasue is cost efficient. I pay $52.00 for a monthly MARTA card. My other choice is an additional car payment of $325.00 - $500.00 per month, car insurance, and parking fees, plus gas. We’re a family of five (5)I can find other things to do with my money than pay car payments, insurance and parking fees. I consider MARTA to be a logical choice, if sometimes and inconvenient choice.

By paul02085

November 9, 2005 01:06 PM | Link to this

PS- Sara, you are absolutely 100% correct. Thank you for saying it.

By jakesdad

November 9, 2005 01:10 PM | Link to this

I have historically been pro-MARTA. when I worked at Coke I took it to North Ave and walked the few blocks. when I had to fly I took it to the airport. I’ve always taken it to events (concerts, games, etc.) whenever possible. recently, however, I have had experiences that will make it hard for me to consider using it in the future. I have had GT season tickets since ‘99 and all but one trip this year has been marred by various screw-ups, poor/no comminication, unnecessary delays/train changes. ironically my reasons have nothing to do w/demographics of riders but everything to do w/the competency (specifically lack of) of MARTA itself. I would hate to see (and don’t think Atlanta could afford) public transportation die here but I am far from certain MARTA (the agency, not necessarily infrastructure) is salvagable. I know there is no shortage of people w/this opinion but I never thought they could push me into that column.

By John

November 9, 2005 01:12 PM | Link to this

Yes, I’m from New York, but not the city. I was raised 75 miles north of the city and for me to commute there, I would drive 3 miles, park my car and take the train. When I was transferred here in the 80’s and lived in the suburbs, I had mentioned to people that this area needs mass transit desperately due to the growth. The comment I would usually hear was “we don’t want the “undesireables” out here!” Shocked at the ignorance, my response was “Yeah, I remember an “undesireable” carry a 48 inch color TV onto a train to return to the city.” Wake up people and get a clue as to what the benefits of mass transit are.

By Boxer

November 9, 2005 01:17 PM | Link to this

Marta sucks, period. I have been all over the world and experienced train systems in Washington DC, London, Germany, Japan, etc and Marta is by far the worst managed railroad I have seen.
- trains break down way too frequently, especially during rush hour, and schedule is unreliable - customer service is virtually non-existent - many, but not all, Marta employees are rude and arrogant to Marta patrons - security on trains and in stations is poor - train cars are in poor condition and rarely clean (trash, no a/c, urine)

I could live without a car in New York, London or Washington but not in Atlanta. The Atlanta transit system doesn’t meet the customer needs in terms of coverage, reliability, safety and dependability.

I don’t think this is a race issue but more of a government organization mismanagement issue.

By Mark

November 9, 2005 01:19 PM | Link to this

Dear Politically Incorrect: Huh? Try your post again, but this time in English.

By mel

November 9, 2005 01:20 PM | Link to this

Boxer, I agree with you. I do think there is a certain level of indifference in the upper levels of management. I wish they would hire some people—-any race—-who are committed to making MARTA better, instead of getting a check and some benefits. Bottom line: The people at the top don’t care, and it just trickles down from there.

By Mr. Truck Man

November 9, 2005 01:21 PM | Link to this

Mark,

You’re not a white conservative, you’re a sissy crybaby.

By Joseph

November 9, 2005 01:24 PM | Link to this

Is there a typo on the previous poster’s name? Instead of “politically incorrect” did he mean “politically incontinent”? Sad that such messed up people are so desperate to display their ignorance that they have to resort to a blog about MARTA…

By Mr. Truck Man

November 9, 2005 01:27 PM | Link to this

One more thing Mark before I head off to lunch. You type a little light on your non-capitol letters. Let me guess, you live in Midtown? You go gurl.

By Lee

November 9, 2005 01:28 PM | Link to this

I resent Truck Man’s remarks about Mark…he has given his opinions, and rather eloquently I think, just like all others on here have expressed theirs.

By Mad As Zell

November 9, 2005 01:29 PM | Link to this

Hey Mark, not one smelly train car this week? I’m glad to see that MARTA has set the bar of achievement so high. What’s next? Trains and buses that don’t break down and run on time ? Helpful drivers? Now I think I’m getting carried away.

By Linda

November 9, 2005 01:40 PM | Link to this

I don’t understand how so many of the more intelligent and valid postings got CENSORED but Mr. Truck Man can spew idiocy repeatedly and it stays?! Ahh, the AJC.

By Mad As Zell

November 9, 2005 01:40 PM | Link to this

Is it just me or does Politically Incorrect sound like one of those MARTA riders that most people would want to move to another car to avoid? Have you ever contacted to see about being a spokesperson for MARTA? You sound like a great salesman.

By Rick

November 9, 2005 01:42 PM | Link to this

I live 6 miles from downtown in unincorporated Decatur. I-20 is three blocks from my house. I also have a MARTA bus stop outside my front door. The time it takes to wait for a bus, go two and a half miles to Edgewood/Candler Park, wait on a train, switch trains at Five Points go another two stops is almost an hour one way. I can drive to work and be at my desk in under 15 minutes. You do the math.

By Mark

November 9, 2005 01:48 PM | Link to this

Dear Mr. Truck Man:

What am I “crying” about? How am I a “sissy?” If you’re getting a bit defensive I understand, since you seem to be the one who is even too scared to use a real name on your posts, and since there seems to be a lot about liberals that upsets you. I know that for some people thinking and using the brain cells God gave you is hard, I know it’s hard work. I understand that instead being intelligent and writing something worthwhile, you’d rather just type some nonsense in the hopes that you’ll bait some other idiot into a knee-jerk response. Apparently, some liberal or some minority (or both) hurt your feelings and you’ve never recovered emotionally. Well, don’t let those bullies get to you. You’re entitled to embarrass yourself just like everyone else.

By True

November 9, 2005 01:52 PM | Link to this

Bryant “an affluent white suburanite who funds all of their poor black programs”

Maybe you should move your “affluent” a* to Mississippi and go be “affluent” and support “your people” programs.

By James McCoy

November 9, 2005 01:55 PM | Link to this

I wonder if it would matter if in an emergency where someone was sick and need medical care would the color of their skin keep you from helping them?

By Mark

November 9, 2005 01:55 PM | Link to this

Mad As Zell:

If you’ve read some of the other posts, you’d have noticed that it’s the carpeted, brown-colored MARTA train cars that have the highest chance of smelling. My theory of this phenomenon is because those cars are carpeted. Whose idea it was to carpet a subway car train is beyond me. The blue-colored cars are not carpeted and, in my experience, rarely smell.

When it comes to public transportation, the bar is definitely set very low. Again, you have to expect to get what you pay for ($1.75 per ride versus $2.25 per gallon of gas).

By myra

November 9, 2005 01:57 PM | Link to this

I’ve been riding the transit system in Atlanta since 1975. I ride out of necessity only. In the past year the service on MARTA has been at an all time low. The service has been so poor that I would not be against a boycott such as we saw in the 50’s. That’s how serious this problem is in my opinion.

Additionally, station employees from drivers to attendants are rude, and socially inept. Everything is broken down all the time. By the time I get to work, which takes me on average 1 1/2 hours, I am exhausted and stressed out. Simply because of the stopping and going and single tracking and late trains and late buses, etc. It is clearly time for a change. At this point, I would never recommend MARTA to anyone moving into this city.

By Rick

November 9, 2005 01:59 PM | Link to this

Why is MARTA broke? How often do you see fare scofflaws, non-working token machines and broken turnstiles? I bet half the riders don’t pay at all.

By Mad As Zell

November 9, 2005 02:00 PM | Link to this

Boxer: of course this is a race issue. If it were actually about holding incompetent government accountable to the taxpayers then we might actually get something constructive done and we can’t have that now can we? We have to continue to attack each on the basis of race, because that’s the most visible thing that we can highlight on each other to attack on. We have to stay distracted on this race thing as much as possible so that corrupt and incompetent government can continue to stuff our money into their pockets without any tough questions asked.

By boxer

November 9, 2005 02:02 PM | Link to this

By the way I am all for some form of mass transit (preferably rail) coming to my county and am willing to pay some tax money for it. I would prefer to commute than to come down GA400 anyday, anytime. But I do not want to subsidize the gross mismanagment of a system like Marta unless we can flush out the management and make some fundamental changes.

By sATaLyte

November 9, 2005 02:05 PM | Link to this

Good lord I hope “bravesdude” is looking to see if there were any responses to his comments?

He has to be, because first of all his statement was so mind-jarringly idiotic, and I am also thinking just a simple minded cry for attention, that he has to be scrolling through this list about every fifteen minutes or so wondering “ah durrr I wunder if eenywun wesponded to dat huh huh huh huh”.

Get off your high effin white horse; gold teeth, pants hangin, and all that other jigaboo nonsense. You, whitey, who rule over this country economically because of the money you made off the hides of hard working “blacks” have the audacity to say stop “blamin whitey”.

Do your research you (and I can not believe you admitted this) you Hummer driving louse, everybody knows what it means when some middle-aged white man goes out and buys a hummer, you are not fooling anyone. You got to writing for five minutes and found that unloading your true bigotry-fueled, “we are the minority wah wah bullcrap” was liberating, like a huge load you felt you could finally get off your chest.

No MARTA is not the best system, but I’ll be d*ed if its the worst. You baby boomer suburbanites are everything that is wrong with this country, your forefathers would be ashamed and the newer generation is embarassed.

Please, do not fire off against city hall. It is the only entity keeping this city an actual city. Actually promoting diversity, making changes, and improving budget shortfalls, it seems to be the only progressive major-political entity in the state.

Pssh drives a hummer, whatever.

By Lee

November 9, 2005 02:17 PM | Link to this

Hey Truck Man …

As I’m sure you already know, not ALL gay people live in Midtown….I don’t ! Your remark was silly.

By Mad As Zell

November 9, 2005 02:24 PM | Link to this

Hey Mark:

The bar for public transit in Atlanta is set so low that it sounds to me like it has to be dug up out of the ground. I’m originally from Indianapolis, where there are no trains, but the system has been facing the same exact problems for the better part of 15 years (more severely in the last 10), but with even more public neglect and disinterest. Although by looking at this post, I’m pleasantly surprised at the amount of interest in this issue in Atlanta, though I think the AJC used the race angle to draw in slightly more bloggers than usual. I also think that the increasing amount of severe traffic disruptions (especially on 75, 85 & 285) along with the super high cost of gas has helped to spur more interest in this issue than usual as well. I myself would like to know what the state government is doing at this point to address the traffic and energy issues (maybe those road and transit improvements could occur sometime this decade).

By JEFF

November 9, 2005 02:27 PM | Link to this

I was raised in Atlanta. I am now 40. I especially hate to use the bus or rail service when attending special events with my family. You never know what trouble you may come across. For example. Other commuters bad manners or bad language. Marta is a great service only if you do not have a vehicle. Marta really needs improving!

By toni

November 9, 2005 02:34 PM | Link to this

I chose to ride MARTA to and from Stone mountain to Five Points because I thought it would be convienent.However I am finding it more annoying daily. I think the nicer trains are sent to the northern suburbs while the STANKY old 1977 original trains are sent to the Indian creek station, and all points west of it. I was so nauseated this morning I almost got off and went back to retrieve my car. I wont be riding tomorrow. There should be an an infrared system install to read MARTA cards and a smart pass system where one would not have to insert a card into a mechanical machine. You simply walk through a gate if you have a valid pass. all others would need to stop and pay.

How come the same bum sleeping on the train yesterday morning ( stinking up the place) is still on the train at 6:30pm.?

By boxer

November 9, 2005 02:35 PM | Link to this

Mad as Zell: If you would like to know how little, too late the state government is taking action to resolve traffic and energy problems then you might want to check out the websites of the Georgia DOT and the Regional Planning Commission. There are some good ideas out there with regards to rail service but it’s all talk at this point. No funding, no committments and no relief in sight to the daily traffic hell we all face here in Atlanta

By Christina

November 9, 2005 02:39 PM | Link to this

Ok sATaLyte - slavery is a tertible part of world history. But do we ever move on from there? My ancestors were running around in the Andes mountains and were conquered, brutalized, yadda, yadda, yadda. I’m not using it as a crutch and I don’t treat spaniards like dirt when I encounter them today. How do we make things better TODAY? I’m not even white but get confused as such where I receive the same rude treatment from so many african americans on Marta, retail store, etc. in this town when I approach them with the same courtesy I approach everyone else regardless of their skin hue.

By Amazed

November 9, 2005 02:48 PM | Link to this

Sarah dear, I was only pointing out the fact that troublemakers come in many colors. Get the chip off your shoulder.

I have always lived in the suburbs and in areas that are more than 75% white. I have watched my neighborhood change in the last 5 years. I have many white friends and I know that white people can be just as ignorant as black people. My aunt, who is white by the way, can testify to that fact. I don’t need a news report or statistics to tell me about what happens in districts that are NOT heavily minority, I have life experiences and on the job training when it comes to those things. I lived in Alpharetta/Roswell area for about 5 years, things happened that never made the news.

I have also had a few experiences on MARTA that have made me afraid. I was not afraid, because the person was black. I was afraid, because of the person involved. I’m not afraid of all men, just because the person involved was a man. When I stated, I was afraid of the bad drivers, it wasn’t because they were “White�, it is because of the way the person involved was driving. I do not classify all white people as bad drivers, because I’m smart enough to know that it’s not their skin color driving the car. It is an “idiot� driving the car.

Sarah when you view incidents that happen to you by the color of the persons skin, then, you have a problem.

Also, it’s not always racism when a white person makes the statement. How do I state this???? In this country, your ancestors, not all of them, wrote the book on it.

By Dream

November 9, 2005 03:04 PM | Link to this

Well, after reading all the very insightful, “well-thought-out” and “well researched” comments, I have come to one conclusion… you make the choice!!! Everyone was blessed with a brain (some more than others I see) and free will. Either you take Marta and all the baggage that comes with it or you take your car and all the baggage that comes with that. This started out as an opinion blog based on Marta and it’s shortcomings and has ended up being a battle of “I’m right, you’re wrong”, “I’m better than you” and the infamous forever thrown race card. Race issues reside any and everywhere you look. Can’t get past it. And for the record there is no such thing as “reverse” discrimination. It is what it is either way you look at it. Now with all that being said…let’s direct our focus on the issue at hand and direct our concerns to the the powers that be. No one on this blog (I don’t think) has the power to change a thing, so let’s direct our grievances to the people who do. All the name calling and insults are completely unnecessary to get any point across.

By Mr. Truck Man

November 9, 2005 03:07 PM | Link to this

Mark, you’re not white. You’re not conservative. You only play one on this BLOG.

By The Knight

November 9, 2005 03:14 PM | Link to this

sATaLyte is still living in the past, like 150 years ago. Still blamin’ Whitey. If you will go do your homework, you will find that Marta’s management IS black. Don’t get off on the white yuppies. It is strictly a management problem. “Built off the backs of hard working blacks”? You racist moron!

By sATaLyte

November 9, 2005 03:25 PM | Link to this

Dear Christina

I was simply speaking to “bravesduuude” about the comments he made.

It seems as though he just lumped all us blacks in there together and made us the cause for all his problems, which in his case sound like, loud music, city hall, and Atlanta which is primarily black.

Yes race needs to become less of an issue when dealing with people. I tend to judge people by their character and I am not ignorant of the fact that many whites hold a grudge against minorities because they feel like special programs and other goverment subsidies help give us a leg up in society. Then again I do not really know, but the animosity(not racism per se)is still there.

Blacks are just as wrong, hell people are just wrong not races, but when some loudmouth starts to vent and insult people whom I have a connection with culturally, people who they lumped together because of their skin color and then attempt to berate them in an online forum, they need to be checked.

Assume he made rude and unfair judgements about your people, people who you share a lifetime of struggles with, people who you care about. Assume he just tossed words around carelessly using generilizations and stereotypes, then bragged about a hummer?

C’mon now.

He’s saying, “yeah I know that its the most wasteful, gas-guzzling, waste-of-money, impractical, perfect example of the reason a gas shortage is upon us, example of why countries hate america…but I hate the world and love Bush. So get over it”

By sATaLyte

November 9, 2005 03:30 PM | Link to this

Dear Knight

In response to “bravesdude”, I made a factual statement about slavery. Only once did I make it, the rest of the response was an attempt to let this blogger know that he went way to far in his generalization of black americans and needs to check himself.

Did I use any racial epithets to describe him.

Not one.

Read his post, and determine for yourself if his comments were acceptable.

Make your own decisions about whose the racist.

By Sara

November 9, 2005 03:32 PM | Link to this

sATaLyte put that pipe down before you type. Do some research, 75% of all welthy black athletes in Atlanta drives Hummers.

By Mr. Truck Man

November 9, 2005 03:34 PM | Link to this

Okay now I am dissapointed. When are we going to start blaming FEMA and Bush for the bad service MARTA offers? Jez.

By Keon Johnson

November 9, 2005 03:36 PM | Link to this

Marta’s system mismanaged? You’re right because basically it’s set up as a board. However the problem is people that don’t represent the people who use MARTA are on the board…unless that has changed. For example….I may be wrong and please feel free to correct me. Gwinett and Clayton Counties have representatives on the MARTA board. Crandly Brey(sp). From Clayton and I can’t remeber the man from Gwinett. How many people on the board do you believe ride, or have ever ridden MARTA?

It’s race, politics, class and other issues. It’s seems like more issues are added each year. Now it’s also cost. The claim is that now mono-rails are more expensive to build and maintain that in the 70’s. Now they want to switch to light rail…IF…the allow a Cobb line. By the way they want the COBB line to not go by Proctor Creek which was intended to go into COBB but, originate out of the Art’s Station. I wonder why?:)

By sATaLyte

November 9, 2005 03:38 PM | Link to this

Dear Sara

I did not condemn white America for owning Hummers.

I take an enviromentally conscious stance concerning these matters and I think it is ignorant to brag about its godawful gas mileage.

You are right, many blacks own Hummers. 75%, show me some proof.

They would be just as wrong, this text will be bolded=in my opinion, as anybody else for bragging about the wastefulness of its gas mileage is the actual pipe user.

By SayitAin'tSo

November 9, 2005 03:40 PM | Link to this

I was about to respond but then I saw where Michael Jackson may not live in the United States anymore and now I am too upset to even think about MARTA.

By bravesdude

November 9, 2005 03:46 PM | Link to this

sATaLyte …..You are unreal and obviously a simple minded a**. I am in no way racist…quite the contrary. I am sick of simple minded underachievers like yoursef who rant and rave about the racism in this state. I myself am actually a minority being part Cherokee Indian. So….let it be known that my “forefathers” didnt make a dime off the backs of hard working “blacks”….quite the opposite!!! The “Native Americans” have been srewed worse than anyone who ever set foot here….how bout you doin a little research!! While we are the subject lets not put all the blame on “whitey” for the slavery issue. How bout you doin a little research yoursef on that topic. I believe you will find that 95% of all Africans sold into slavery were done so by their own people…good ole Shaka Zulu. See….when he invaded neighboring tribes he either killed everyone in the village or….when it became profitable….sold them into slavery. #1 slave trader was actually an African male….bet you wont read that in any history books being used in scholl system….wonder why? One last rebuke to one of your mindless/baseless comments regarding: You, whitey, who rule over this country economically because of the money you made off the hides of hard working “blacksâ€? …..wow!!!! Now who sounds like a racist. This state, mainly city of Atlanta has been a cesspool since the “African American” leadership took over. The city is drowning in the racial politics that goes on daily. You cannot get a state or city contract if your a “whitey”….people talk about “good ole boy politics”…..heres a good example of the opposite. Your obviously an uneducated- middle aged -bus riding-under achieving person. Try knowing a few facts and learn “reading comprehension”….this is something they teach in grammar school….I wasnt being racist, more like realist….look around…use your eyes…what i said is the truth and if you dont like it …try and change it yourself!! You cannot tell me you dont see the young guys wearing their “gangsta” gear. The lucky ones are the guys who do save $500 to buy their 1975 Caprice Classic….then somehow they come up with $10,000 to buy 45” wheels and tires to put on them. I know this is a sterotype, but you must admit that its accurate and a good example of the poor judgement instilled on the youth of this city. Im done…..guess i made some folks mad…I hope i made a few think No racism….just facts as i see um!!!

By Mr. Truck Man

November 9, 2005 03:51 PM | Link to this

Now we’re on slavery. Blame whitey. One thing for sure, ole Whitey would not allow himself to be a slave for 200 years. We fight back.

By Mad As Zell

November 9, 2005 03:59 PM | Link to this

Hey Boxer: I’ve already seen the grand plans on those websites. Like the one to run bus rapid transit down the middle of the freeway on I-75 & I-575 from 285 to Woodstock. The bus rapid transit lanes on I-75 would also double as tolled truck lanes HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes. That’s not the worst Idea that I’ve heard, except for the part of widening parts of I-75 to 20 or so lanes in some sections (for anyone else that wants to see these plans from the geniuses at GDOT and the haven’t quite proved themselves ready for primetime leadership of GRTA, you can go to http://www.nwhovbrt.com to see more about the bus rapid transit and truck lanes). I don’t have a problem with providing more transit options, but I am concerned about the possibly hundreds of homes and businesses that would be affected the widening of an already superwide I-75 in Cobb County. It would seem that widening the highway anymore would become kind of destructive to the community and would signal a very deep problem with traffic and quality of life issues. Why not utilize, for example, some of the existing railroad tracks that run through Woodstock, Kennesaw, Marietta and Smyrna for commuter rail. I mean if the toll truck lane option could come into fruition any sooner I’ll take it, but I would like something that was not so destructive to the community.

By bravesdude

November 9, 2005 04:02 PM | Link to this

Also…i am one of the 25% of Hummer owners whos a “whitey”…unreal! I luv my vehicle and could care less if its not “enviromentally conscious”. I work out of my own home and put less than 7k miles a year on it pulling my boat to the lake! Quite less than your Prius driving self im sure. Plus i got a healthy tax break for purchasing what is considered a “commercial vehicle”…Cant Beat it!!! Your ignorance is amazing!!!

By Jcuervo26

November 9, 2005 04:20 PM | Link to this

@bravesdude is an idiot. Obviously, this is a forum for commutants and it is a place for them to comment on the tribulations of riding public transportation. Although the opinions of motorists count just as much, you are making some pretty good points but just using the wrong words or way of putting it. You DO sound like a racist to me when you make comments about gold teeth wearin…and transit ridin..and all that other junk. Why label people? How about I put the label on white people as “posers”. You know, your nephew or grandson walkin round listening to music created by those gold teeth wearin people, or your fellow whitey neighbor with his whitey son drivin a hummer on heavy rims. or how about his whitey daughter fornicating with the gold teeth wearin transit ridin people that seems to be inferior to your unrealistic bigot world. Instead of being grateful and thankful that you DONT have to commute and you are BLESSED to work from home you choose to put down others.

In my opinion youre really just been postin all day in boredom hoping to strike some controversy in the room because there IS no real action going on in your life. For your best interest I would remain indoors like you do with that attitude and keep these comments to yourself when walking the streets of Atlanta. No one was born out the womb with a vehicle waitin on them outside the maternity room. Be thankful for what you have and that you dont have to struggle.

By Jcuervo26

November 9, 2005 04:23 PM | Link to this

@say..I dont blame Michael for not wanting to come back to the US. Who would want to come back to a country that calls you “jacko” and follows ur every move. I swear if i had the money id be outta here in a heartbeat too if i were famous. everywhere i turn somebody is in somebody else’s business.

By Mad As Zell

November 9, 2005 04:28 PM | Link to this

Could we all clean it up a bit in this blog? Why all of the vicious attacks on each other on the basis of race? Is it just because were on the computer and most of us wouldn’t dare say these things to each other in public? What really worries me is that some of us would say these things to each other in public, no matter what color (especially blacks and whites).

By Jcuervo26

November 9, 2005 04:31 PM | Link to this

@LEE…just to cosign on his earlier post not all gay people live in midtown..i live in dekalb.

Dont even LIKE going to midtown either.

By Jason

November 9, 2005 04:33 PM | Link to this

I work across the street from Arts Center Station. Getting on this train at 5 PM is hell. I’m SORT of lucky to be able to get on a train at Arts Center - anywhere else on the line and the train is already full! The trains are just as busy as the were during the 1996 Olympic Games! The trains are full, yet people push and shove their way on - even if the train operator announces to wait for another train - people refuse to do so - which creates a huge push / shove situation - and it becomes clearly dangerous - people get pushed over and shoved, and babies in strollers get knocked from their mother’s grip. It’s not that people can’t wait - it’s their attitude. They are too good to wait for the next train, which is usually less than five minutes behind. I understand not wanting to wait - we ALL want to get home! But the reality of it is - you got here too late, the train is full, and you had better wait on the next train! It does NOT matter who you are, how long of a day you have had, how you are feeling - NONE of that matters! Wait for the NEXT TRAIN!!!!!!!!!!! It’s the attitude of some of the people on the train that gets to me. Now, what else. MARTA put up these nice, high-tech boards that show news, sports scores, weather, etc. When the were first introduced, along the bottom the showed the amount of time until the next train arrived - and what a GREAT feature - you knew how long you had to wait! Of course, this was way too good to be true - for about 2 months, it stopped working, and all it said was some BS like “sorry for the inconvenience, we are experiencing technical difficulties..” MARTA just recently changed the scrolling text to now read “…Visit ITSMARTA.COM for system information…” Well that p** me off to no end! I really liked the feature of knowing how long you had to wait - it was great for making plans and letting friends and family know where you are and how much longer they need to wait..and MARTA just took it down. It makes no sense - you offer that feature and then take it away? There is NO EXCUSE for this type of action by MARTA! And I can understand having “technical difficulties” for a day or two, but not well over two months. It should have been fixed and working within a couple of days!!! Now, at the North Springs Station - this is the end of the Northbound line. Usually, a train will wait at the platform until it leaves the station - but recently, it will come to the station and turn right around and leave - when you get used to a train waiting on the platform for a while vs. a train leaving immediately - that will drive you INSANE. It needs to be CONSISTENT and the SAME. Either have an immediate turn around time or have the train wait - no matter what time of day. Some train operators will come into a station - stop…and everyone will THINK the doors are about to open - but no…the train will move up again…and then stop…sometimes doing this up to 3 times! It’s very dangerous, as people are already up and standing waiting to get off the train - it’s also very dangerous for people waiting for the train along the platform - they may think it’s safe to enter, when all the sudden, the train moves up! This leads me to believe that MARTA has poorly trained MARTA operators. MARTA trains also run at totally different time intervals on the North / South line versus the East / West line. I’m sure this has to do with the fact that the Northbound line goes to Buckhead and Dunwoody - you have the run the trains on a more timely schedule for the upper middle class. But MARTA trains should run on ALL equal terms - and all wait times for ALL trains should be the SAME throughout the system - MARTA caters to it’s more wealthy crowd a lot better. I don’t need to mention just how many turnstiles do not work or malfunction while going thru them - numerous times, even after putting in my MARTA card - has the turn stile stopped and I’ve run right into them. Now, the people that I don’t feel sorry for are the morons who think MARTA is so hard to ride - despite all it’s problems, it’s still a great system. People complain that after 9PM you must transfer to North Springs train at Lindbergh - This is common knowledge. It’s pure and simple. These morons from out of town were comparing it to the T in Boston and how the T is much better -you don’t ride MARTA everyday, that is a very ignorant claim to make. MARTA is the most simple system in the world to ride - anyone who complains about MARTA should not even begin to think about riding the NYC Subway! There is much to b*** and complain about with MARTA, but overall, it gets me to where I want and need to go - but it is way too expensive and should be funded by the state. And it needs to go into Cobb County, despite the people that do not want it to go there. MARTA is also way too small of a system for as big as Atlanta is. It should go directly to Turner Field, not by bus. The one thing that makes me laugh is when people beg for money on MARTA…now, you are on the MARTA train, you DID pay for your fare, right? No? That is illegal - and you should be banned from riding MARTA at all costs…If you can afford to ride MARTA, you sure as hell don’t need to be begging for money on the train or at the station! I do not want to ever see a homeless person on MARTA again if they don’t pay their way!!

By sATaLyte

November 9, 2005 04:34 PM | Link to this

Dear Braves Dude

Maybe you should have written that one in all caps.

Are you defending yourself and your statements? It doesn’t matter what your lineage consists of.

Middle-age bus riding?

Yes I ride the bus and whether it makes a difference or not, I own a small compact vehicle. It is much more convenient to take MARTA to and from work rather than drive.

I chose to address that statement, because out of all the hot-tempered narrow-minded things you had to say that stung.

Shots like that who come from H2 Hummer drivers sound like they feel a little superior to those who take public transportation. If you are not a racist then I seriously consider you take a look at your classism issues.

Everything else, eh.

Please do not take the minute amount of blacks you see with gold teeth, low-riding jeans, and flashy rims as the overall state of black men in America.

Why are you so focused on the slavery issue anyway?

I mentioned it in an attempt to get you to realize that this anguish you seem to be in is no way comparable to that of others.

Really, go back and read the last 3/4 of your first post.

Were those words not an attempt to arouse anger from blacks?

Did you feel as though those half-cocked rants were acceptable?

You have to come into Atlanta with two guns as opposed to one?

Because city government is predominately black its a cesspool?

Where in the hell have you been?

Gentrification is spreading like wildfire. Of course Atlanta has its problems, no denying that. Yet under the mayorship of competent black female its on a course towards a positive direction.

My problem with you, “bravesdude”, is your association with all of the problems of Atlanta, a city you grew up in and supposedly love, and cast nary a hint of blame on the “good ole boy” politics of state government who don’t really give a d**n about the city that put Georgia on the map.

You just say “cesspool”, “African-American”.

“I need 2 guns”. Not funny.

Check urself.

All this uneducated, reading comprehension, whatever.

Brag some more about your Hummer. Much more amusing.

By Jcuervo26

November 9, 2005 04:37 PM | Link to this

@Mad…I would say this in public or online. Just like a whitey would fight back racism (as posted earlier) a minority will want to stand up for themselves too when unjust and ignorant comments like hummer drivers and gold teeth stereotypes are blurted out without thought. I have no problem voicing my opinion in person its people that shelther themselves in their homes to earn income and then brag about what they drive are those to shy away from a good debate in person.

He wouldnt be saying half his comments to a civilian waiting for the #33 bus at Five Points I PROMISE you.

Now can we get back to the original purpose of this blog and keep tearin down MARTA? LOL

I think thanks to the antiquated and ignorant remarks they may just cancel this blog altogether and start fresh.

By Arts Center Rider

November 9, 2005 04:38 PM | Link to this

Marta keeps laying folks off in order to lessen their budget deficit so Sonny will give them more state money. Meanwhile, less employees means poorer service.

Why doesn’t the Amalgamated Transit Union (i.e. Marta Union) call for a protest or boycott one morning and shut down train service.

All the inner city and south atlanta workers who commute to the northern suburbs wouldn’t be able to get to service jobs at MCI, McDonalds, Target, Best Buy, etc.

Then all the stay-at-home moms would complain to their rich CEO husbands that “they couldn’t get their nails done today and something should be done”!

Then Arthur Blank calls a few of his corporate buddies who agree to put up a few million buy out the system.

Blank replaces Sonny as Governor in 2008.

By Diane

November 9, 2005 04:39 PM | Link to this

Chill, it’s not that deep. Before you head home, relax….take a deep breath, unless the person beside you has an offensive odor, sorry. Everyone get home safe by MARTA, by foot, bike or car. Peace.

By Mark

November 9, 2005 04:39 PM | Link to this

Mr. Truck Man:

I’m still waiting for you to provide the name of those studies you referred to earlier. I don’t know why you’d want to keep such pertinent information all to yourself.

By Mr. Truck Man

November 9, 2005 04:42 PM | Link to this

Mark dude, you take this waaaay to serious. Take Dianes advice, chill bud. Be safe.

By jennifer

November 9, 2005 04:42 PM | Link to this

You might as well be driving a MARTA bus if you are driving a hummer. It’s ok, though, I will be sure to point and laugh at you just like I do anyone else I see driving one of those silly things. Talk about an ‘extension’ of yourself. That’s worse than a middle-aged, hairy guy who has lots of gold hanging around his neck driving a Corvette.

The fact you say you don’t care if it pollutes more than other vehicles only shows YOUR ignorance and the type of people who purchase those things.

By Shayla

November 9, 2005 04:45 PM | Link to this

I have read all of the comments. I, at one point, rode Marta. I, too, had “interesting” , most of the time amusing, experiences riding Marta, but that is a part of life. I lived to tell the story. I now bravely have a showdown with the dreaded downtown connector on a daily basis. I meet the connector in the ring 5 days per week only because for my present commute Marta is not convenient. I am the type of person that does what they have to do and try to to make the most of it while doing it.

As far as race and Atlanta, I would be naive to say that it does not exist (different types and will always exist) but it does not bother me. I must agree with Mr. Truck Man. I do not let what others think of me bother me because I know who my maker is and my goal is not to worry about what others think about me but what God, my family and friends think of me. (On a side note, I am a Black female.) I just want to live, love and grow and someday depart this place for one that is more serene, colorless and restful. That is not my ultimate GOAL, not buying an expensive car, not getting a credit score of 850.

By jennifer

November 9, 2005 04:50 PM | Link to this

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the high credit score and a nice 540i.

By Diane

November 9, 2005 04:50 PM | Link to this

Jennifer, the guy with the gold chains and Corvette, it’s my father in law and I apologize for him mowing the yard shirtless all summer. But, at least his back hair was lightened by the sun and didn’t stick out near as much, unless you see him up close. He means well. Bye all, time to add another car to the traffic. I have to drive, sorry, kids in daycare.

By Mad As Zell

November 9, 2005 05:06 PM | Link to this

JCuervo26: Nah, they don’t need to cancel the blog because there’s insanity everywhere, on the roads, on the trains and I’m sure everyone can attest to the wackos that we all have to put up with on a daily basis at the workplace. Insanity is just a fact of life, most of us will brush it off and just try to stay on point as much as possible. Glad to see that everyone is starting to chillout a bit, at this point anyway.

By jennifer

November 9, 2005 05:12 PM | Link to this

Diane, thanks for the laugh. I loved your response.

Have a safe drive/walk/ride home from work tonight.

By bmm

November 9, 2005 06:54 PM | Link to this

I don’t think a better MARTA system would decrease traffic outside of the city. I live in DC where the Metro system is pretty good, and as soon as you get out of the District (e.g., into Maryland or Virginia suburbs)the traffic is every bit as horrendous as Atlanta (compare 495 to 285, and there the same). A good MARTA should lighten traffic in the city though, and certainly would make transit around the city more convenient.

But let’s face it, MARTA will not become a better system until more people use it, and more people will not use it (grammar?) until it becomes a better system. Why does DC or NY metro not make “yuppie whitey” uncomfortable? Because Yuppie whities use those transit systems on a regular basis and there is no stigma attached to them. The only way I see MARTA improving is by a political push to increase funding and making the system a true big-city transit system, and sadly, I just don’t see that happening.

By bravesdude

November 9, 2005 06:56 PM | Link to this

Jcuervo26 …..i would say evrything in the middle of 5 points or any other slum in this country and have on more than 1 occassion. People like to blame others for their own ignorance as well as their own lack of abilities. I could care less what you or any other un-educated bum has to say….cant stand all the wellfare suckin liberal posters on this blog anyhow. You can tell who they are just by reading a few lines. You say im blessed to work at home….i made correct choices in life to get where i am. NO ONE HANDED ME NOTHING!!!! Look around and listen to what im saying….im not racist…im realist! Tell me where i was wrong and i will agree….until then you are just adding to the problem and not helping. Typical…just like satalyte. If you guys wanna raise your kids in the mess which is Atlanta….go ahead…bad choice….life is about choices and thats a bad one. Move somewhere that has a good school system and your kids can have the proper learning environment….or stay in the city and theyll grow up lovin 50 cent or tupak or biggie….wow-tough decision!!!!! Who needs Marta!!!

By grandhusul

November 9, 2005 07:25 PM | Link to this

@bravesdude..man im just gonna pray for you. you cant tell jack about anybody by just reading a few lines they post in some community blog. you dont know who i am or any of the people who comment just like we dont know who YOU are (not that most of us care to anyway) so no one here can pass judgment on ANYONE..unless anyone in here is GOD. Trust me, by reading your comments, you dont come close by a long shot. its sad you feel the need to have to carry weaponry because you have a sadistic ignorant mouth hopefully one day you will never have to use it.

God bless

By bravesdude

November 9, 2005 08:26 PM | Link to this

grandhusul…..i have had to use it and thats why i carry them….unfortunate but true in the soceity we live in. I feel sorry for you also….but i thank and welcome your prayers.

By alewife

November 12, 2005 11:52 AM | Link to this

Why is that so many white racists, like Mr. bravesdude, claim to be descended from Cherokee Indians? Why are there no Creek, Chickasaw, Peedee,or other tribes in the ancestry of white racists?

By scrappy

November 13, 2005 05:51 PM | Link to this

I moved to Atlanta a few months ago from Miami, a city with very poor public transportation and loads of urban sprawl. At least MARTA rail goes directly to the airport, unlike Miami Metro mover, where you get off the train and take a bus (with your luggage!). I have ridden the train twice since I got here, back and forth to the airport and had no problems. Granted it was not rush hour, but I would do it again. I have also had visitors from other states take it from the airport to my house in Dunwoody and reported no problems beyond crowds. I have ridden the subway in NY, DC, Boston, Chicago, London, Toronto and Paris and I feel the service on MARTA was no different from the rest. Having not sampled the bus, I cannot speak to that. From reading these posts, I get the impression that Atlantans are more hung up on race than I would have suspected from my day to day encounters. I think the fears of people are greatly exaggerated. Anyone who has ever taken public transportation knows you face the good, the bad, the pervert, the gentleman, the crazy person, the preacher, etc. It’s part of being up close and personal with your fellow man. I say thanks for MARTA and let’s expand it. If it went closer to my office I would take it to work.