MTA Commutes Can Drive You Crazy

I ride the Red Line and many bus lines daily and never witnessed any polling, nor do I know anyone who participated in this so-called survey (“MTA Survey Finds Most Riders Happy,” July 30). The results are similar to those of President Bush: 60% to 70% approval ratings, which leads me to understand that I must know only the other 30% of our population.

Aside from the park-and-ride Metro riders who live and work conveniently near the Red Line stations, I know of no one who’s the least bit satisfied with our transit service.

Those of us who’ve lived in cities like Chicago and New York and are used to buses every 15 minutes are frustrated with commutes that take four to five hours of our days. Many of us freelance; I travel to different areas of Los Angeles daily, and that is where the tidy park and ride ends and the nightmare begins.

On a Wilshire Boulevard Rapid bus recently we stopped for 10 minutes to de-board a handicapped person in a wheelchair. As the door finally closed, a man ran up and knocked on the door, only to be ignored, which happens to me daily. A group of us ascended to street level at the Universal City station to see our 152 bus across the street. Our whistles and screams couldn’t get the driver’s attention (he was on his cell phone) and he pulled off, stranding all of us headed to Burbank for another hour. I’ve e-mailed the MTA about this, obviously to no avail.

There is no coordination between the Metro and the bus lines--it’s hit or miss. And the machines won’t take your dollars unless they’re freshly printed.

Rollin Dexter

Toluca Lake