John M. Setzler, Jr. Life in Black and White

A Free Day

It doesn't happen very often. In fact, I can't remember the last time it did. Today was one of those days where I had absolutely nothing to do and some money in my pocket (not the jingling kind). I decided to make a trip down to Charlotte to go see an IMAX film at Discovery Place. I had never seen an IMAX film and it didn't cost too much to go, so I jumped in the car and went for a ride.

Speaking of free...

Charlotte, the smallest big city in the country, has recently added light rail transportation to their ongoing list of entitlements and money-losing endeavors. I like the train though. It's a single north/south line from I-485 up into the middle of town. All of the stations below a certain point have free parking, which can save you a good bit of money in Charlotte. If your final destination isn't too far from the rail line, it's very convenient to ride the train instead of driving into town and parking in a deck.

I paid $3.00 for a single round trip pass today. That's pretty comparable to the fares in DC, NYC, Chicago, and Atlanta. The problem is that I didn't actually need to pay the fare. I should have ridden for free. All of these rail stations are open-air stations that you just walk up to. None of them are underground. As you walk up to the boarding platform, if you look close enough, you will see a small ATM-like box that will sell you ride fares for the train trip. If you don't notice this kiosk, it's no big deal. Just walk onto the platform and get on the train when it stops. There are no turnstiles or fare collectors to be seen. Once you are on the train, there is no one asking to see your tickets. Once I was on the train today, I happened to notice the list of rules for passengers posted above the exit door. Rollerskating and expectorating on the train is not allowed. You aren't supposed to smoke either. I think the last rule on the list said something about riders are required to purchase fare. In fact, I'm sure it was the last rule on the list. When I was ready to make my return trip to the station where I parked, I made it a point to watch people coming onto the platform to see if anyone was purchasing fare or not. Out of 25 or 30 people that came on after I did, I saw one of them purchase fare. Some of them may have purchased day or week passes. In fact, I'm pretty sure that everyone probably did this ;)

Signs are good for us.  They tell us what to do and what not to do.  Otherwise, we would all be screwed.  This particular sign made me think a good bit though.  What, you may ask, did it make me think about?  It made me wonder about the guy or gal who decided it was a necessary addition to this train station.