July 7, 2004
Riding the 30s
...Makes me want to drink 40s.
Washington Oculus (who I'm seriouly considering just calling "Doc Oc" from now on) gives the rundown on the least-loved lines on the least-loved mode of transportation in D.C.- the 30-series buses that troll up and down Wisconsin Avenue.
My usual bus, the 42, has the positive traits of running a route that goes nearly everywhere I'd want to go, running frequently and not bunching up, but nevertheless pisses me off whenever I take it due to the extent of the crowding and odor/mental health of my fellow riders.
The 98 is less crowded and cheaper, but comes along as often as a double-parker in Adams Morgan who has the courtesy to at least put on his hazards while blocking the street.
Although I've only rode it two or three times, the S-series of 16th Street seems pretty good, all bendy and well-lit and whatnot.
Also, I'm pretty sure there's a 90-series bus that runs from Ellington Bridge to Eastern Market. Adams Morgan to U Street to the Hill? They should market that bus as the Bar Crawl Express (or local, as the case may be).
Posted by rj3 at July 7, 2004 2:02 PM
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Comments
what, no mention of the L-series?
Posted by: nm at July 7, 2004 2:06 PM
Well, tell me about it - I've never been on one.
Posted by: Randolph at July 7, 2004 2:39 PM
I live right on the 90-series on the Hill. While they are great for hitting the bars on the Hill (Penn Ave. and 8th Street), U Street, and Adams Morgan, the aren't much fun. The ridership of these lines is not the same as the customers of the bars along the way. There are more people riding it to get to NY and FL Ave. then U and 14th. Hopefully that will change, but for now, it is pretty sketchy. More of a NE/SE crowd that one would like.
Posted by: SeanOfTheHillPeople at July 7, 2004 2:46 PM
I have much love for my 30s--especially now that I can use my SmarTrip card on them. I enjoy being reminded that the majority of the inhabitants of the city are not the stuffed shirts and too-much-education-for-their-own-good 20- and 30-somethings with whom I interact on a daily basis.
Posted by: MG at July 7, 2004 5:04 PM
She's talking about her coworkers, I'll bet. What a bunch of losers.
Try the D2 sometime. Nothing but mild-mannered Glover Parkniks.
Posted by: Smith at July 7, 2004 7:20 PM
i'm not sure i want a daily reminder about the sorry state of our nation, which is unable to deal with its population of mentally handicapped homeless people. honestly, i'd rather share a bus with a bunch of yuppies.
Posted by: nm at July 7, 2004 8:49 PM
I love the bus system, chiefly because it all happens above ground. When I lived in Logan Circle, back in the salad days of being a renter, I was proud to claim allegiance to all 14th St buses.
Now that I live in what I like to call Capitol Hill but is in reality plain old Northeast, I have to ride the stupid X buses to get anywhere. They don't come very often and they are always packed to the rafters. So I drive a lot and pray that my house increases in value exponentially.
Posted by: Cara at July 8, 2004 9:35 AM
Don't "X buses" sound like they should fly or have cloaking ability or something?
Posted by: Randolph at July 8, 2004 9:47 AM
The X-buses in my area (the X2 and X4, which go more or less between Cordozo and McLean Gardens) *do* seem to have a cloaking ability: I rarely see them, and when I do they're just whizzing past the stop.
And if you want a really fun bus passenger experience, try the H line, between Mt. Pleasant and Brookland....Say 'hi' to crazy bible screaming lady and toothless smelly angolan guy for me.
Posted by: Michael at July 8, 2004 1:04 PM
Yeah, but see, those of us who wait for a 30 bus at Farragut Square inevitably have to watch 5 42s go by before even one 30 bus decides to grace us! The 90 and 92 buses are great for avoiding parking in Adams Morgan...
Posted by: jenn at July 14, 2004 1:58 AM