Link Light Rail: a Love-Hate story.

Link Rail frustrates me a lot.

There’s just something about it that makes me think that it only wants to appeal itself to the white knowledgable recycling middle class of Seattle.

Okay, the majority of Seattle.

Recently, the bus route 42 was changed into route 107. Route 42 went from my neighborhood directly to downtown Seattle, a 45 minute – 1 hour ride. It went along Rainier, turned to Renton Avenue, and then on to Martin Luther King where it would continuously run to join up with Rainier and turn onto Dearborn as it paralleled with Chinatown and ended up in Downtown Seattle. The bus was always busy, filled mainly with minorities considering the path it ran on. It went right by Phuoc Loc Tho (PLT), the Vietnamese-orientated shopping area too.

This is where my criticism of Seattle’s Sound Transit system comes in. Many people I meet o nthe 42 bus are elderly Asians. First generation immigrants, I would assume. They have went  on the 42 bus, like my mom, for years and years and years. It’s routine.

Now that’s changed to the 107 bus which runs from somewhere down in Renton to Rainier and ends there. The idea of this route is to encourage people to use the Link Rail system. I’m fine with walking a block and taking the Light Rail. But I’m more worried about it’ll impact that old lady sitting next to me that keeps asking how to get to PLT and Asian Counseling Referral Service and Chinatown. Their routines are screwed up. If they were me, they’d easily learn to adapt and know that the Link Rail goes directly to the Othello Station and the ID Station.

Did you know the Metro paper transfers work on Link Rail as well? Because I doubt many people know that. The first day my mom and I rode it, there was a security check [surprise!] and we all had to show our tickets. I had the Husky Pass and my mom had a paper transfer. It was all fine and dandy. Using the paper transfers is very convenient because you can bypass the machines.

But that’s all going to end at the end of this year. So after that, my mom will have to navigate the machines and get a “Link Rail Upgrade”. I’ve used those machines and trust me, it’s VERY TEDIOUS. It’s also all in English so what happens to the minorities that now have to switch buses take 3 buses to get to Chinatown. Or walk 2 or 3 blocks so they could get to their bus stop. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WINTER COMES. I’ve complained to Metro bus drivers and they agree and hope that somehow, there will be an interpreter service on those machines that will help the Asian population, especially those who have English as their Second Language or non-English speaking at all.

Link Rail is very convenient indeed. But I just wish that they would do something to coax more people on it because Rainier/MLK is one of the most diverse populations in the WHOLE CITY. Plus, a lot of commuters are those who are older and unable to drive and that’s why they use the bus in the first place. I know that all this is due to budget cutbacks but this sudden [or so it seems] switch-up of bus routes is just too much, too fast.

d’oh!

you know how much my parents hate me?

enough to literally push me out of the door urging me to take my instruction permit’s test [my mom at least] and THEN

not teaching me how to drive.

yes, my dad did nothing this evening and i asked him to teach me how to drive. and he’s like “no. you don’t need to know how to drive yet” and i’m like. WHAT?

and apparently my mom thinks i’m going to crash and stuff so she’s like “better wait til you calm down”.

er. right.

it’s like that whole thing where a lion is starving and a piece of steak is laying right there and its laying right there..and it’s laying right there…

and then the cage door OPENS!

…you think i’m going to be CALMER when i actually get a chance to DRIVE?

right, mom.

walk the path less traveled.

it’s been a while since i’ve written something meaningful. and tonight, i feel a little lonely because for the past few weeks, i think i’ve missed a part of me. a person. and while it’s not healthy for me to hang wih her, i still feel conflicted because we’ve had the best times ever together.

it’s like a weird breakup. the whole loving a person but knowing that you broke up with them for a reason.

& i really can’t even compare it to a breakup because we didn’t break up. and no i was not in a relationship with her because yes, i am not a lesbian. she was one of my best friends. a best friend. or so i thought.

and i still think we are. but somewhere along the way, it just fell. what goes up must come down. and soon, it’s like you don’t even know the person and secrets held back are all that you have in common. a wall placed in between. and it sucks. it really does. i want to pick up the phone. but at the same time, i don’t. it’s like purgatory. seeing if you’re good or waiting to repent for your sins.

what i felt stood in a way was the impulse to lie. why does one lie even when they don’t need to? i’ve never been someone to truly criticize someone for telling the truth, no matter how bad. sure i’ve judged people. i judge all my friends. but in the end, they’re still my friends for a reason. i don’t give a shit what they do because i always know there’s some good part of them. and i believe in that. trust bonds friendship and i try to be there for people that need me. and though my trying isn’t very meaningful, shouldn’t it be something?

and friendship is a two way street. like any other relationship, there has to be a semi-equal amount of effort put into it. and maybe at times, i just don’t feel that it was like that. i’m not saying that it was all entirely her fault, but at times, who else could i blame?

i truly do value my friendships. every moment means something. and especially for the past few years with her, it’s been bumpy but we’ve always been good right?

but now, i just feel empty. i want to say i’m sorry. but what do i have to be sorry for? i didn’t do anything.

..or maybe that’s what i should be sorry for. the fact that i did nothing as it fell apart.

cats love too.

god. so i don’t know what season cats mate in or whatever. but i think maybe it’s this month. or specifically this week. and we JUST got new windows too (like…last year) and they’re double thick paned windows cause we live in the ghetto yo.

but ohmygoddd at night it’s the creepiest thing. my cat is a male cat because we don’t neuter our pets (or care to do it) and so if we got a female pet, we’d so be screwed. so anyways, i think he’s like the pimp in the neighborhood or something because MAN he’s got a crew! i’ve seen probably four cats he’s hung around…er..at least four dif. cats that have hung around our backyard. no wonder our cat food keeps running out. but it’s not like i am chasing them to check out their private parts or whatever so i wouldn’t know if they’re male or female or tranny or something.  but the sounds they make! it’s just creepy. like meow moans. i don’t even know how to explain it.

meeeeeeoannn.

and its all long and stretched out and repeated and . gross. and weird. and like i open my window and hiss. and it stops. and i go back to sleep. and it starts again.

 

jeez.

another weekend.

ho hum ho hum. it’s the weekend once again. what to do. i need to go to kohls to return pants to get new ones. who knew i could lose weight in a week. weird. they’re having a sale too. i need…pants. besides jeans. im wearing my black courds so much they might as well start molding into my skin. they’re just so comfortable though. (shopping online) oooh that plaid peacoat i saw at aero for 29.99 is on clearance for 19.99….hm….

i’m having trouble figuring out what to do for my birthday. though, maybe i won’t do something at all since it’s such a effing hassle get everything together and then some people always feel left out or neglected and someone’s not having fun. this is the consequence of having friends from different groups. god, what if i just hung out with the asians. then all my friends would be in the same group and we could do group-y things together. or..not.. because that’s not me. but it’s annoying and ridiculous and me, i want everyone to be happy so if someone wasn’t. yep, there goes my birthday plans. and choosing an effing movie is hard too. romance? horror? action? i dislike action movies. whatever. i must end up scrapping everything and having an intimate lunch with an old friend. and then we’ll go see a movie. just me and her of course. wow, that sounds like a date. rofl.

god, i need a meeting with a punching bag right now.

i’m really digging all this newfound dance music from cascada and basshunter and big bang’s new single (for Japan) “Number 1″. it’s all about the bass beats, baby. home alone, i could easily just turn up the bassbooster in my brother’s room, plug in my laptop, and rock the house. literally too. i don’t think the neighbors appreciate it though. okay okay. maybe not that loud, but loud enough for me to shut the door and just lay on the floor and feel the vibes. i’m into that stuff. trancy beats and whatnot. on the other hand, i’d like to someday just sit in a white ass room in silence. like, one of those hecka bright white rooms that you see in music videos and stuff. and just sit there in the corner, all quiet and stuff. god, i sound crazy right now.

i did get some good luck today by having my math test turn out to be a take-home test. what else…nope. nothing else. i’m feeling quite blah at the moment.

im at the store. typical day. typical week. nothing new.  i’ll live like this ’til i’m 30. well, at least i get free vitamin water…blah.

hey schizo..oh wait..

i hate those small-ass bluetooth headsets that clip  onto your ear. seriously.

they creep me out cuz suddenly there’s this person next to you and they may have long hair or shortish but long enough to cover their ears hair and they’re like…talking to themselves ><

and i always think they’re talking to me or something so i turn around and..nope. not me.

they’re talking to invisible person.

& what’s worse is that sometimes they think that the person on  the other line can’t hear them or something and they talk extra loud.

talking..to an invisible person..

*shudders*

bus chairs

you know what i hate? standing on the bus. you know what i hate more? standing on the bus with a shoulder bag that has textbooks. you know what i hate the most? when you’re standing like 10 feet behind an open chair and the people near that chair who are standing refuse to sit their ass IN that chair. meaning. there’s an empty chair on a crowded bus and i have a textbooks that are probably gunna be the cause of future scoliosis and i cannot reach that open chair and it’d be totally rude of me to push my way through to get to that chair cuz i’m SUCH a considerate person but will you PLEASE take away the emptiness of that chair. the one that looooongs to have some butt warmth in it? before i literally, stab you because of how much you anger me. because my health is more important of YOUR pride.

thanks.