The Saga continues
After my initial post last night, I decided to try to do something about my non-functional Transit Link Card (at least the Metrorail portion of it won’t work - apparently de-magnetized or never magnetized in the first place prior to the month of May.)
The MARC 503 Train arrived on time around 5:25 a.m. today and I headed for the Metro entrance at Union Station. I had to show my pass to get in since the fare gate is still not an option for me. I decided last minute to not change to the Yellow Line at Gallery Place and contined on the Red Line to Metro Center.
I got to Metro Center and had to go down an escalator to the Orange/Blue platform and then back up another escalator to get to the other Red platform where the Sales Office is located. Every single window was closed and the station manager at his nearby office told another gentleman who walked up about the same time as me that they didn’t open until 7:30. This was around 6:40-6:45 so I trudged back down the steps to the lower level platform and took the Blue Line to King St and arrived to work just a few minutes later than normal, but still prior to the 7:30 that sales office opens.
I had gone to the Metro Center sales office in the first place since Commuter Direct’s site said to replace de-magnetized cards go there or to the Pentagon one. I had no idea where the Pentagon one is (it apparently is outside the actual station up by the bus bays) so I headed to the Metro Center one.
I have since discovered the hours of the Metro Center sales office are posted online at the WMATA site but arriving there via the menu system wasn’t that intuitive to me - I finally gave up and did a site search.
The hours there are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. I am at work before 7:30 almost everyday and I’m usually avoiding Metro on the afternoon commute by taking VRE northbound. The one or two days a week I take Metro to Union Station in the afternoons, I actually am running behind schedule and trying to make a train on time. I did discover the Pentagon one opens at 7 a.m. so I may try that next time - however the Yellow line train I’m usually on arrives at a time that things appear to be a madhouse around there.
I guess I’ll go to the Pentagon one afternoon or morning or if I have to, I’ll leave early to go by Metro Center. I can imagine what their lines and bureaucratic BS might be like if I’m even able to get a replacement card.
This is yet another time to say that a 5-10 minute schedule adjustment for MARC or VRE would mean me saving $960 a year and never having to take Metro again unless I was late or chose to.
