Opinion: Popular, full of promise and packed in tight

To the editor: Having grown up and lived in Chicago until my mid-30s, I know a thing or two about riding crowded public transit. Nothing is worse than riding a packed “L” car on a hot summer day.

That is, until I rode the Expo line.

( “Metro Rail’s jam sessions,” Aug. 6)

My first thought was, “Didn’t someone plan to buy more light-rail vehicles?” After reading the story, it seems that topic was not thought carefully enough.

However, there is more thinking not being done. Here in San Diego, the system purchased new light-rail cars to replace cars that date to the 1980s. The old cars sit in yards and on sidings, presumably waiting to be scrapped.

Metro appears to be following the Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney “Hey kids, let’s put on a show” method of transit planning.

Too bad building rail lines is more complicated than putting on a musical revue.

Ralph Walton, San Diego

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To the editor: What about cheek-to-jowl metro-crushing don’t L.A.’s new mass commuters get? Mass transit means mass crush, people!

So crush on in, but please, leave your shopping carts on the platform and stop complaining or you’ll be exiled to NYC.

Jerry Collamer, San Clemente

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To the editor: Finally, Los Angeles has joined the real world of public transit.

Just look at trains in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan and how crowded they are. Commuters adjust by packing themselves in and standing closer to each other. It is public transit after all.

Grow up, L.A.

Andrew Ko, San Marino

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