Comments on: Fantastical Atlanta Transit Dilemma: Pick One

By: E

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:38:04 +0000

Another Rick, I can assure you that I keep as low of a profile as possible on MARTA. What’s important here is that any of us HAVE to do so in order to avoid trouble/confrontation/discomfort. Which gets back to my original point, that many many people are simply not going to be comfortable with the atmosphere on MARTA as it currently stands.

Either it gets cleaned up, or we just accept that it’s an intown-only thing forever.

By: Another Rick

Another Rick — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:46:28 +0000

I have to agree with Snowflake: that blank look is a learned survival skill. I learned it at a very young age riding the NYC subways. Despite his statement that he has used mass transit all around the world, apparently E (see above) has not learned that.

By: Flaka

Flaka — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:31:23 +0000

NelleBelle, sounds as if I must have been sitting opposite you on the way home last night! Just kidding – but it sure was a mean looking lady!

By: CSD Snowflake

CSD Snowflake — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:36:55 +0000

I don’t let the ambience stop me from riding MARTA either. It’s the best way to get to downtown. (Works for airport only if you’re SURE your returning flight won’t get delayed and land in the middle of the night. That’s happened to me countless times). The NYC subway technique to not being bothered by anyone is to look blankly at nothing, slack-jawed, with absolutely no expression on your face. Has worked fine for me on MARTA too but that body language doesn’t add to the commercial attractiveness of MARTA!

My guess is that many of us in Decatur are MARTA veterans and cope just fine with it, however unappealing the sounds and smells at Five Points are at times. But MARTA can’t survive on Decaturites alone. It needs the will and financial resources to become a truly useful and attractive mass transit system.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:19:56 +0000

Nelliebelle, I agree with you. No one has actually ever bothered me on MARTA, I just stand/sit back and watch whatever is going on. The same people who ride MARTA are on Decatur Square, for heaven’s sake! I agree that those who need help should receive it, if possible, but other than that I don’t see why I need to worry about traveling on MARTA. When I have visitors, I get them on MARTA as soon as possible, and most of them love the experience and can easily see the advantages over cars, parking lots/fees, maps, and vehicular hassles. It “turns their head around” to find themselves on MARTA without any stress other than how to swipe the MARTA card and watch the map for their station. I never pick visitors up at the airport in a car; I either ask them to come to me via MARTA or I go meet them and introduce them to the system, fare cards, etc.