there are things in this world that just stupid.

case in point: the metro system in washington dc.

for one thing, the trains aren't long enough to fill the entire platform. this means that if you are on the wrong end of the platform then: sorry! you've just missed the train. (and then the best part is that they keep playing an announcement about how you should spread out across the entire platform! how to avoid overcrowding on trains? keep people from getting on!).

also, they charge a certain amount for each trip depending on where you started and where you are going. you have to swipe your card when you enter the train and again when you exit to make sure you've paid enough to go to that particular station. now, you would think that you could just buy a card for $10 and swipe it till you run out of money. but you would be underestimating the stupidity of the system (it's STUPID!! STUPID!!!!). so every time we took the train, we each had to buy a one way ticket. and when you've got 9 people, that takes a while.

(did i mention that the machine wouldn't give more that $5 in change? so if you needed a ticket for $2.85 and only had a 20, you were out of luck!) (and you had to figure out if you were traveling during reduced fare hours or normal fare hours and....)

there has been a lot of talk in new york about the subway ticket prices going up and up. but let me tell you, i'd pay a lot to keep our system from becoming like the one in washington.

and no, i am not swayed by the clean quiet trains and spotless train stations. not even a little bit.