Come on Texas, Get with the Program!

Ever since I went I was in college at UT in Austin, I understood the need for better mass transit in Texas. I had never been on a bus till I took the UT shuttle buses to campus each day, but I quickly realized it was better than driving. However, outside of the shuttle buses in Austin, the transit is not reliable, and who wants to wait out in the 100+ degree heat for a bus that may take a hour to show up. The only good thing about the city buses is that they are cheap.

When I moved to NY, I was more than happy to get rid of my car and be a true commuter. I loved it. Each morning, I bustled through Grand Central with my coffee and cheesecake (yea, I ate cheesecake for breakfast, don't judge.) and I felt like I was part of the action. Of course, I had a 1 1/5 commute, but hey, at least I got to read.

I have had high hopes that Texas would get it's sh*t together and makes some improvements. Dallas and Houston have added commuter light rails, but people in Houston can't figure it out, and there were 75 train to car accidents in less than a year!

For years some people have been pushing for a commuter train to connect Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio. It would relive so much of the traffic on I35 and I10, which are nightmares to drive on. Southwest Airlines (which I refuse to fly) have fought this rail with all their might. Now, the Obama has dedicated 8 billion for national light rail development, and Texas still won't budge. Read more here.

I'll continue to share Obama's vision for a connected country, but I am not optimistic.

New Form of Transit?

Carousel in GG Park: Leila is getting close to conquering her fear of carousels. She will now ride it and talk about it, but only because she is obsessed with Lions. When we get off she says, "Bye bye lion, thank you." You would think a kid that is used to riding in buses, trains, subways, planes and cars would ride anything. I guess carousels are a little freaky. I have also noticed they go really fast. Maybe if mass transit in SF was as fast as the carousel, more people would use it!

Bend it Like Leila

F line downtown/ going to soccer tots: Everyone thought I was crazy when I signed my 18 month old daughter up for soccer. I understand that she is quite young for organized sports, but the kid loves balls, loves to run, and there is an adorable uniform involved. Plus, when you stay home with your kid all day long, you have to come up with a few scheduled activities to keep your sanity. So far, we have done swimming, music, baby sign language, and gymnastics. Why not soccer?!

The first few sessions were as to be expected; kids all over the place, laying down in the middle of the field, taking their shoes off, crying, you get the idea. However, most of the group really started to get it by the 3rd or 4th class. My little Beckham was doing all the stretches, running in and out of cones, kicking the ball into the goal (and shouting "GOOOAAAL!"), and doing most of the obstacle course.

What does this have to do with riding Muni? Well, apparently people love to see a kid in uniform on their morning commute. Every time we make the 45 minute shlep to the filed, Leila gets peppered with questions and comments. Maybe I should dress her up everyday!