So I'm basically a freelance sysadmin...

[strredwolf]

Nothing new.

Boss needed help with a friend's systems and was willing to pay me, so over the past few weeks we started working on some things.  Durring that time, I've developed a deep hatred of Debian, and much hope the other distros based off of it have better politics -- I know OpenEmbedded is one.

But this isn't about Linux.  It's about Baltimore.

No matter what you say, there can't be anything more screwed up about Maryland's MTA system.  The only good thing is the MARC train systems seperately, the Baltimore-to-DC commuter trains (and even then they have some problems).  The bus service could use some help, as does both Metro (heavy rail) and Light Rail services.  It not the worst out there, though... I think New York from my impression could be worse.  But compare it with DC, which have hints of actual intelligence.  You can get to places in DC by mass transit (subway and bus) -- I could get to Comcast's tech office by taking MARC, MetroRail, and Metrobus.  To get that, all I needed to do was plug in an address and where I was starting from in WMATA's web site.  Not so for Maryland MTA.  Ugh.  I ended up with like two bus schedules in seperate Acrobat windows, one Mozilla window with the Light Rail schedule (HEY!  Where's the PDF?!?), one of the system map (if not two, one for outside Baltimore, one inside), and one on Google Maps aimed at Baltimore.

You now know why my new years resolution is 1920x1600.

Comments

[nikkyvix.livejournal.com]

...The bus service could use some help..

Some?! Ha! They need a major overaul...starting with 80% of the drivers. If they aren't dropping 50-minute lags between busses on 10-minute routes (capped off with triple-leapfrogging busses when they eventually arrive), then they're misleading you with route posts that haven't been updated since 2002 (at a metro station, no less), or prodcing raggedy busses that break down or show up reeking of assorted human-essences more often than should be acceptable. The subway is the only transit mehod I have the least to complain about, and I haven't ridden the light rail since 1998. Ennh... I won't even comment on the website.

[strredwolf.livejournal.com]

Light Rail's improved to "Every 10 minutes" since they double-tracked (something they should of done from the get-go, if not just expanded the MetroRail and be done with it). It's not half bad now... except for traffic slowing it down. Car traffic. Plus, the drivers basically have to be clean of any drug (medical or illegal).

Thankfully the bolt scandal kicked out alot of people from bus side, including three high-end (or highest-end) managers. That slowly got the act together for a while. Now they're starting to replace all the fareboxes with DC-like systems.

The subway system I just ridden... and it's basically DC's with some small changes. You don't get cards, you get slips. They're turnstiles, not doors. You don't "check out" and the cars are basically the same build with a different exterior shell and some thrills they can save money on by having the driver announce the stations instead of a *!)@(# computer that gets interrupted by the doors dinging shut.

[prismo.livejournal.com]

That's a pretty good resolution. Well defined.