(Don't forget the Songwriter's Challenge.)
To the VRE, of course! I've spent the past two and a half years taking the bus and metro every day and now I'm turning my back on all that. This would never have been possible without the sponsorship of my dear employer, who is now reimbursing for travel expenses as the VRE is only a hair cheaper than parking downtown everyday.
In total the VRE is not really faster than bus/metro since it doesn't stop that near to my office. However, there are other pluses.
#1. Built in Exercise. I really mean to exercise more but I don't usually. When I get home I usually start working on a side project I have going on (because I love love work). The VRE stop is somewhere around eight or nine blocks from my office instead of the one block I used to walk from the metro. Not only that but I get to walk across the national mall when it is relatively peaceful and gee, it's kind of pretty. Also, when I get up early enough I can also walk to the station from my house.
#2. It's Comfier. It is easier to both sleep my way to work and, if I choose to, work on my laptop, as it is less bumpy and the chairs are a wee bit nicer on the bottom.
#3. More Reliable. I know VRE has not won any awards for reliability so in general it may not be more reliable than metro. But it is much more reliable than MY bus route. I have missed the morning bus on an average of once per week since I moved. I was probably spoiled where I used to live as the bus route was one of the most reliable in the system, but I just can not deal with standing outside for 15 minutes in the cold for no reason at a rate of once per week when no other buses are coming because the last bus of the morning came five minutes early! So far the VRE never comes earlier than I expect, and if it's coming later at least I KNOW I haven't missed it due to the other hundred people at the station.
#4. There's a bathroom AND you're allowed to drink water. I don't think I need to explain this one, but just say Hallelujah.
Don't get me wrong; there are things that bother me about the VRE, not the least of which being the tomb-like silence that pervades. Sometimes I wonder whether anyone would make a peep if I started having a heart attack. You think the metro is quiet? Try the VRE. However, this morning I met a nice woman named Patricia, and the tomb-like silence was broken.
2 comments:
Plus, the VRE has a cool theme song! "V-R-E, tomorrow!"
You suburban people and your VRE. I had a co-worker that met her ex-husband on the VRE so it can also be a place of romance. They used to bring a bottle of champagne with them for the commute home.
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