August 2011 Observations

RideOn5905 · August 20, 2011, 08:29:42 PM

Observations from riding around on the Glenmont - Fort Totten bus bridge today:

At Silver Spring, 6558 signed as the Y8 to Montgomery Mall and 6029 right behind it, signed as the J2 to Leisure World.

Took a chain of buses to Wheaton (61, 55, Q6), then caught 6551 to Fort Totten, then 6521 to Silver Spring, where I saw the above, then 2556 back to Fort Totten, then 6591 back to Silver Spring, where I went off to lunch.

On the way to lunch, I spotted 4208 starting an F4 run; it's either a Landover bus or it's on loan from Bladensburg.

After lunch, I took 6171 back to Fort Totten (a lucky catch, since I love the D40LFRs), then took 6171 again all the way up to Glenmont.

Upon arrival at Glenmont, I saw a guy in handcuffs with mysterious reddish stains on his shirt; it could've been blood or something, I don't know.

Then I took 2562 back to Silver Spring for a brief moment, then I took 2597 back to Glenmont.

From there, I took another chain of buses to Shady Grove (C8, 46, 55), where I waited for the 61 to take me home. After a few minutes, it showed up in the form of 5710. Everything was going well, until we got to Quince Orchard Road. Just before we went beneath the I-270 underpass, a woman in an Acura cut us off, then proceeded to flip us off. Naturally, the driver hit both the brakes and the horn. He pulled up next to the Acura, opened the door, and shouted: "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM, MAN?!? GAD DAMN!" Fortunately, we were at a red light when this confrontation occurred. When the light turned green, the driver pulled out, and before the Acura lady got a chance to move, the driver PULLED IN FRONT OF HER, EFFECTIVELY BOXING HER IN. Needless to say, it was one of those "you have to see it to believe it" moments.

Well, at least Metro went with a far more diverse bus bridge, unlike the Rockville - Bethesda one from two weeks ago, which was more or less, DE42LFAs ad nauseum, with a handful of C40LFs thrown in for good measure.

79MetroExtraMD · August 21, 2011, 10:25:28 AM

Friday:
5442 J4 M153 @ College Park
Yesterday:
6213 heading westbound on Penn Ave near 8th St. SE. (so its probably an Annex bus now).

WMAveteran · August 22, 2011, 01:36:48 AM

Quote from: RideOn5905 on August 20, 2011, 08:29:42 PM
Observations from riding around on the Glenmont - Fort Totten bus bridge today:

At Silver Spring, 6558 signed as the Y8 to Montgomery Mall and 6029 right behind it, signed as the J2 to Leisure World.

Took a chain of buses to Wheaton (61, 55, Q6), then caught 6551 to Fort Totten, then 6521 to Silver Spring, where I saw the above, then 2556 back to Fort Totten, then 6591 back to Silver Spring, where I went off to lunch.

On the way to lunch, I spotted 4208 starting an F4 run; it's either a Landover bus or it's on loan from Bladensburg.

After lunch, I took 6171 back to Fort Totten (a lucky catch, since I love the D40LFRs), then took 6171 again all the way up to Glenmont.

Upon arrival at Glenmont, I saw a guy in handcuffs with mysterious reddish stains on his shirt; it could've been blood or something, I don't know.

Then I took 2562 back to Silver Spring for a brief moment, then I took 2597 back to Glenmont.

From there, I took another chain of buses to Shady Grove (C8, 46, 55), where I waited for the 61 to take me home. After a few minutes, it showed up in the form of 5710. Everything was going well, until we got to Quince Orchard Road. Just before we went beneath the I-270 underpass, a woman in an Acura cut us off, then proceeded to flip us off. Naturally, the driver hit both the brakes and the horn. He pulled up next to the Acura, opened the door, and shouted: "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM, MAN?!? GAD DAMN!" Fortunately, we were at a red light when this confrontation occurred. When the light turned green, the driver pulled out, and before the Acura lady got a chance to move, the driver PULLED IN FRONT OF HER, EFFECTIVELY BOXING HER IN. Needless to say, it was one of those "you have to see it to believe it" moments.

Well, at least Metro went with a far more diverse bus bridge, unlike the Rockville - Bethesda one from two weeks ago, which was more or less, DE42LFAs ad nauseum, with a handful of C40LFs thrown in for good measure.

Cool, thanks, a good report. That was quite a memorable day for a transit fan.

WMATAGMOAGH · August 23, 2011, 05:04:04 AM

QuoteFrom there, I took another chain of buses to Shady Grove (C8, 46, 55), where I waited for the 61 to take me home. After a few minutes, it showed up in the form of 5710. Everything was going well, until we got to Quince Orchard Road. Just before we went beneath the I-270 underpass, a woman in an Acura cut us off, then proceeded to flip us off. Naturally, the driver hit both the brakes and the horn. He pulled up next to the Acura, opened the door, and shouted: "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM, MAN?!? GAD DAMN!" Fortunately, we were at a red light when this confrontation occurred. When the light turned green, the driver pulled out, and before the Acura lady got a chance to move, the driver PULLED IN FRONT OF HER, EFFECTIVELY BOXING HER IN. Needless to say, it was one of those "you have to see it to believe it" moments.

Am I the only one who gets a bit nervous when bus drivers who are responsible for their passengers show extreme road rage? That said, maybe I've spent too much time here in Israel, but that sort of situation is fairly common here, certainly more so than in the US. Thanks for the update on the bus bridge.

rideonrulez · August 23, 2011, 10:53:21 PM

Today at Silver Spring I saw Ride On #5243 which is an ex-Pittsburgh PAT cutaway on the #8 after the quake. The destination sign actually worked too.

WMAveteran · August 26, 2011, 02:04:48 AM

More New Flyer Xcelsior sightings on 8/25/2011:
#7007 operating U8 service (Benning Heights/Capitol Heights) at Minnesota Avenue & Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE;
#7014 at Minnesota Avenue Metro Station displaying "Not in Service" sign.

WMAveteran · August 29, 2011, 04:23:00 PM

1) WMATA: Xcelsior #7013 operating V7/V8 service on Kenilworth Avenue service roadway at the DC/MD line (8/29/2011).

2) Shuttle UM: Gillig Advantage on southbound I-270 near Falls Road (I couldn't get the bus number) operating route 124 service between UM College Park and the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville (8/29/2011).

3) Greyhound: MCI 102 in "stealth" paint lettered for Greyhound TNM&O on I-495 (outer loop) near the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on 8/25/2011. Although Greyhound purchased TNM&O (Texas, New Mexico & Oklahoma), I thought it was unusual to see a TNM&O coach so far from its home in the southwest. I had never seen one this far east before.

WayneNYC · August 30, 2011, 08:42:20 PM

6456 and 6461 on the J7 this afternoon. Normally, I wouldn't bother to report this, but I drive I-270 to/from work daily and I rarely see the "express" LFAs on the J7/J9. More often than not, I see 6207-6211 doing the J7/J9 trips and of course the occasional non-express bus as well.

This afternoon I saw 7046 on the J9.

rideonrulez · August 30, 2011, 10:55:15 PM

Quote from: WayneNYC on August 30, 2011, 08:42:20 PM
6456 and 6461 on the J7 this afternoon. Normally, I wouldn't bother to report this, but I drive I-270 to/from work daily and I rarely see the "express" LFAs on the J7/J9. More often than not, I see 6207-6211 doing the J7/J9 trips and of course the occasional non-express bus as well.

This afternoon I saw 7046 on the J9.

I can tell you that 6208 was on the L8 this afternoon. Also saw a 42XX Orion on the 79.

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August 2011 Observations