It's been a difficult time for me lately. With the Rampture upon us and street services repaving the street I live on, even though my stretch seems just fine, I have been challenged of late to see the L.A. transportation glass as mostly full. Of course there are some bright spots in this reality. This week, Metro finally completed Phase 1 of the Expo Line to Culver City. What's more, the agency is ahead of schedule and under budget on the Orange Line extension in the San Fernando Valley. The views from the elevated portions of Expo on a clear day are enough to convert any Angeleno to transit rider. Now all we need on that line is more frequent and faster service, a PA system that actually announces when trains will be delayed and completion of the line AHEAD of schedule and UNDER budget to Santa Monica. Seeing the region's other overdue transit construction projects promised to us by Measure R and 30/10 actually built instead of just planned and litigated would be nice as well. But then, this is America in the age of partisan politics and the battle for the White House. In my next life I am coming back as the Chief Justice of the Supremes so I can rewrite Citizens United in a way that bars billionaires from throwing tens of millions of dollars behind the I hate Obama Just Because campaign.
Sensing from my emails that I am going over a rough patch, my friend Paul Ross in China has been a welcome source of support. His regular calls and emails have helped me get things back on track. Still, even this communication seems to have been affected by the decline of the American Empire. Earlier this week when Paul called me from Shanghai, he kept getting a recording saying the line is busy.
When we did finally connect, sensing I need a new phone, as well as a subway to the sea, Paul graciously offered to send me one "take out."
Yes, a phone would be nice I said, but isn't there some other next generation thing China has had for decades that the United States won't have for another quarter century or so? I know, how about the Westside Subway extension and a bullet train?
Paul tells me he is on it.
Fortunately, until that package arrives, I have my bike and the world's easiest commute.