Josh: March 2007 Archives

My head is still spinning from the phone calls, letters and e-mails from readers bristling about troubles with the MTA bus system.

You related tales of rudeness, inconsiderate Los Angeles motorists and the stress of traveling some of the nation's most congested streets.

And those were just the comments from bus drivers.

After reading my last column about Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus drivers who deliberately start routes late, rush past their stops to gain extra time and sleep during their breaks, one bus driver left four voice mails offering his take.

He said the MTA does not give drivers enough time to make it through their routes, and when traffic clogs or cars crash along the way there's even less time for them to catch their breath and recover from the stress. So some drivers create their own breaks.

"Sometimes we do things we shouldn't do because we're trying to make it work for us," he said.

Another called with tales of passengers spitting, punching and making faces at drivers. If he defended himself, he's sure that would be the end of his job.

No one ever said driving a bus was easy, especially in Los Angeles where people can get a little nuts when anything interferes with their commutes.

Riding the bus isn't always a breeze either and many called and wrote about their own public transportation war stories.

With disabling leg problems, 58-year-old Larry Moore of Glendale relies on his walker to get around. The MTA reserves seats in front of the bus for seniors and handicapped riders such as Moore.

But more often than not, Moore said, able-bodied passengers grab those seats, leaving him to hobble down the narrow aisle in search of another seat.

"Some of the bus drivers will tell people to get out of those seats. Sometimes the riders will laugh at you," Moore said. "If they don't move, the drivers say there's nothing they can do about it."

What on earth is the matter with these people? Commuting in Los Angeles is tough enough.

In fact, Los Angeles residents spent about 623,796,000 hours stuck in traffic in 2003, costing about $10.7 billion in gas and lost time, according to the Texas Transportation Institute.

Moore said getting around can create such frustrations that sometimes it's not worth even leaving the house.

Even with all completely functional limbs, I don't want to leave my place on some days and deal with the commute.

Although there are times when the sun is shining and the Beatles are playing on the radio that there's no finer place to be cruising around than in Southern California.

But driving behind cell-phone talkers who hold up lanes of traffic while lost in the never-never land of their conversations drives me completely berserk. At those moments I visualize sticking a filthy plunger to their car windows and flinging them off the roads. All with one hand.

Harsh? I can't help myself. Like I said, this is Los Angeles and we generally don't like anything that messes with the ride.

So what drives you crazy about your commute? Whether it's by bus, bike, train or car, there's bound to be a thing or two that sends you over the edge. Tell us what should be done about it.