GOING SOMEWHERE SPEEDILY

During the course of week one all the excitement and new surroundings were accompanied by a lot of thought…

As a proud metro rail commuter back home I always find myself in deep thought on various issues in my immediate surroundings. Sometimes I’m inspired, sometimes I’m troubled or disappointed and sometimes I’m just in an energized brainstorming frame of mind… So here I am in this swift transportation mode; cushioned seats, air conditioner, carpeted floors and a generally pleasant way for people to travel from point A to B. Metro rail DC…

I instantly started to make a distinction between the metro system here and the one back home. The first thing that struck my mind was how everyone in the train was so mesmerized by their glowing screens. IPods, IPads, IPhones, Kindles and something I was very delighted to see; newspapers all gazing at me like a Krispy Kreme doughnut waiting to be bought. This observation lead to my thought about how back home people mostly sit and think in the train, listen to music or chat away with friend, family or people they don’t know. I was amazed by the neatness of the dc train; this is because of the strict rules and regulations set; no eating, no bicycles and no pets on trains.

Food is sold at most stations in South Africa… I watched a train being swept one morning before I hopped on. I realized that the litter on the train is caused by the food that is being sold on the stations. I thought that perhaps we as South Africans are underestimating our rights and privileges, because we eat the food, yet some of us struggle( in our ignorance ) to throw the packing packets away. Setting the DC‟ no eating on the train policy” in South African would cause colossal damage, not only for the people eating the food but the small enterprises run by mothers, fathers , young women and men on the station. I thought of how peculiar it is that the metro trains in DC are equipped with carpets and how dirty and odorous they could get during rainy seasons or from people experiencing nausea. In that regard the maintenance of the trains could be form of job creation back home yet the inevitable DC train maintenance worries would be set on us.

My thoughts lead me to a clear conclusion that every country has its own operating system that poses challenges yet works for them. I enjoy the sense of community in the trains back home as well as the different people I come across who depict a South African story through visual appearance. I enjoy the neatness of the trained here in DC , the time efficiency of the trains and the roller costar effect at certain points.

Metro Rail DC Mission statement- DC Metro operates and maintains a safe, reliable and effective transit system that enhances mobility, improves the quality of life, and stimulates economic development in the Washington metropolitan area

Metro rail South Africa Mission Statement -Sustain transport solutions through service excellence, innovation and modal integration

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I encountered a wise and much admired South African that said in a speech; today we speak of transportation as an integral part of our lives all because of such humble and resolute efforts by our heroes. Today we plan our lives around transportation and take for granted its history and its part in the systematic segregation of Black and White South Africans.

There is more to transportation than we think… more thoughts will arise during the remaining weeks here in DC and as I head back home.