If only there were a way...

Today, I had a lovely experience on my morning commute. I decided to express my displeasure using the WMATA Metro comment system. Here was my letter:

Dear Metro folks,

I am a regular rider of the X and Y bus lines.

Today, at 7:09 AM, I used the NextBus system to check the next scheduled arrival at stops A and B, which are the two closest stops to my house. In a spirit of unrestrained optimism, I believed the NextBus system when it reported a line X bus would arrive at stop B in 9 minutes - perfect timing for my 5 minute walk there. The sheer joy of starting my week with such luck lifted my spirits more than I can tell you.

My optimism was rewarded by a glorious 25-minute wait during which NextBus cheerfully informed me the bus would be there in 5 minutes, then 3, then 2, and then 1 minute. Wonderful, except that the bus it was reporting never actually arrived. I assume the system was tracking the Lost Dutchman bus, which drives Route 29 like a spectre, never actually being seen, but still being reported.

Had I known the real timing, I could have walked (good exercise) or taken a different route, or even perhaps waited to see my daughter wake up. It is exceedingly frustrating to have a "NextBus" system that in fact does NOT report the next bus - which came on time according to schedule - but tracks an idealized version of reality.

Perhaps you could fix this. If only there were a technology available that would allow real-time positioning of moving vehicles, and if that technology were widely available, perhaps even in small hand-held devices that any consumer could purchase for under $100. What a wonderful world this would be.

Sadly yours,

Daddy Geek

I don't know...maybe some kind of global way of positioning one's vehicle...some kind of system...naah, that would never work.