Septa sucks

Sometimes a man faces trials in life -- be it making a better life for his family, or finding the perfect job, or just searching for some sort of meaning in this vast sea of shit we call America. This past weekend I undertook such a trial, by traveling to a bike race on public transportation.

Yes, getting around the Philadelphia area on SEPTA leaves a bit to be desired. The fuck is a regional rail anyway? What seems to be the simple task of getting from West Chester to Manayunk -- "Manjunk" to those in the know -- instead proves to be both excessively time-consuming and confusing. I made this chart to illustrate.



As you can see, there is no direct route between Manayunk (depicted by bikers and drunks holding bottles, one of whom is about to get run over) and West Chester. Doesn't SEPTA realize there is a veritable goldmine of entitled ex-frat boys and sorostitutes dying to travel between two of the major Delaware Valley party hubs or something? These are not the types to make 3 transfers to get to their destination, including one in West Philly (Swank Bar anyone?).

I guess this is where the glories of the automobile are made plain. A 45 minute drive is a bit more palatable than hours on buses and trains. But in this post-$4/gallon world, adjustments should be made. Unfortunately, looking to SEPTA for innovation and problem-solving is like asking the "blue-collar whites" to vote for Obama. You're likely to get all kinds of ill-thought excuses and lies framed in hostility.

God how I miss the el. My list of cities with better public transit than Philly reads like a list of every city I've ever visited or lived in, except for LA. Even Denver was better. But you work with what you got. When you need to get to a place where open container laws are openly mocked, a mardi gras without the beads, you suck it up and ride the bus for three hours.