My new e-mail BFF, WMATA
Looking for more buzzing from you Blackberry? More beeps on your cell? Although I’m not an extensive Metro user, I think even I might be able to use a service where they let you know where the rail problems are. When I worked in Old Town and took Metro to work, it was really the same amount of time if I drove, but I liked taking rail. Sometimes the line between DCA and Crystal City would be down and rush hour rail cars would have to share one rail, we’d sit there for ten minutes, I’d be late… that’s the sort of instance I would have liked this service.
The downside, I can imagine, is much like signing up for Google Alerts when you get spammed by everything under the sun that mentions your keyword when you really only want five percent of what they e-mail you. If I start taking Metro more regularly at some point, I might sign myself up.
i’m signed up for this, but i hasn’t been useful so far. i’ve never gotten an alert at a time that it would have affected my commute and i’ve gotten stuck in delays for which i received no alert (like last night).
maybe the problem is the 5 minute lag time i have between checking my email and arriving at the metro? maybe if i had a blackberry it would be more useful? i don’t know. it’s a good idea in theory though. i wish amtrak had something like this.