LAist: Go Metro! (If You Can Get There)

benh57

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:33:04 -0800

If is persistent, the city could have an ADA lawsuit on their hands.

tornadoes28

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:48:29 -0800

Paul, I have riden the red line for 8 years and have long noticed how often the escalators are out of service. Not just not running due to someone pressing the stop button, but being repaired or fixed. I actually have rarely seen an escalator just not running due to someone pressing the stop button but many times see repair people taking them apart and many stations, including Universal. They do seem to require major maintainance pretty often.

greenblood

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:13:51 -0800

jesus, if somebody that doesn't think whining adds to the quality of life is asking for mediocrity then sign me up. i love los angeles, otherwise i'd move to portland and be giving city personnel high fives for taking care of half a million residents so well. this is a big-ass city with millions of people. shit is going to break, be dirty, be ugly and not going to be conveniently located. forever.

plm

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:03:29 -0800

this is a major problem and not just someone whining about services(or lack of). i took the redline home from civic center to santa monica/vermont the other day and saw that the escalator at sm/vermont was down. there were three bikes, two wheel chairs and stroller all trying to get into the elevator. i thought "what if the other elevator doesn't work? how are the wheel chairs going to get to the street?"(isn't that a bit illegal?) how about the mom, her baby, the stroller and the bags in her hands? the elevators don't always work and what does metro want those people to do? they want them to get off at either the previous or following stop, take a bus and end up at their final destination. rrriiigghhttt. that's incredibly convenient for the paralyzed person to do. maintenance issues likes these that are overlooked or pushed down in priority are what cause the city to loose money in law suits or just create a general feeling of indifference toward users of public transportation. who wants to ride the subway if you have to walk up 5 stories worth of stairs? that's no fun. that's not the faster commute i imagine. if we want to encourage usage of the metro, the system needs to be maintained. i don't think any of us are asking for a miracle, just the use of some common sense.

Emoney

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:36:19 -0800

You offered the guy help and he declined... there is nothing else that YOU could have done. As for stand-still escalators: the ones in Hollywood/Highland are transformed into stairs almost every day. There's even been a couple of times that I've been going up and "kids" (aka teens) have purposely stopped one so they can have a good laugh. Fact of life: Emergency STOP Buttons get uselessly push and mechanical equipment has to be maintained/serviced. It's an inconvenience, but Metro normally informs riders of these issues and is more than happy to suggest alternative routes.

Jedi of Hollywood

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:48:30 -0800

Paul, We deserve the very best in LA and especially Hollywood. I take pride in my city and love to show transplants the best LA has to offer. Metro puts a poisonous dart in my jugular when simple things like escalators arent working. If LA cant have functioning escalators what makes people think that the rest of the city all the way up to the mayor arent functioning? (dont answer that) You seem to me like an uptight person with a great big lightsaber up your butt.

Enci

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:32:43 -0800

paul, accepting mediocrity is your view of life in LA? That is just very sad! Escalators and elevators work in malls, inside office buildings, etc. I have talked to the Metro people, from the maintenance crew to the head of Metro and kids triggering the escalators to shut down is no excuse for it not to work. Hollywood/Western station has a maintenance crew and a Metro supervisor there at all times and they don't do anything about the problem. Maybe you should call in and report the problems as opposed to shunning people who actually care about their city and the bad leadership.

SoapBoxLA

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:32:00 -0800

If you look at the emergency buttons at Union Station and at Hollywood & Western, you'll notice a big difference. The Union Station button requires lifting a cover then pushing the button. The Hollywood & Western, NoHo & Universal emergency buttons have covers that push down meaning anyone who brushes the button as they ride the escalator can trip the escalator, requiring someone with a key to reset. While I appreciate your theory, it is unsupported by reality or the recommendations of our friends at Mitsubishi, the ones who repair and maintain the escalators. Anyway, always good to hear of your advocacy work for mediocrity! Keep resisting higher standards!

G Pro

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:27:07 -0800

At least he wasnt sitting in the car idling.

paul

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:11:49 -0800

Also, as a daily user of the Universal City Metro, I can tell you that this: A) It is the first time I haven't seen or heard of the elevator not functioning. B) If you had taken the trouble to ask anyone, escalators that aren't operating for no apparent reason (at least at the North Hollywood and Universal City stations) are for the most part the cause of people (usually younger, according to the cops at the station) who think it's fun to press the Stop button.

paul

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:05:50 -0800

Stephen, have you ever been to New York or any other major city? Just wondering, because you seem like an ignorant, whining child with your posts.