A Weak Ago Today: L.A. Marathon Retrospective

A dreadful pun, to be sure, but not nearly as dreadful as the mess of downtown traffic and subway screw-ups that marked the 2008 L.A. Marathon.

Last weekend there was the L.A. Marathon. It is an event that much of the rest of the world knows occurs round this time annually. Then there is Metro, the City Council, the meter maids and most anyone associated with "keeping L.A. moving," or whatever the bullshit motto of the meter maids might be. Then again, the L.A. Marathon has been an annual event for approximately as long as the "city" of Los Angeles has been bereft of a comprehensive transit plan.

Here are some videos from last Sunday, above ground and below, that is sure to prompt anyone who has lived in a real city to ask: "What the hell is wrong with the morons charged with running what alleges to be the second largest city in the United States?"

From Tony V (who alleges to be the mayor), to City Transportation Chair Wendy Greuel (whose questionable constituency in Sunland-Tujunga is beneath anything I have witnessed
in the hinterlands of Tennessee), to the outrageously evasive Metro CEO Roger Snoble, to the insincerity of LACMTA (Metro) Chair Pam O'Connor, to everyone else directly involved at the top, there is such a huge hole in accountability, competence, finances and above all, sincerity—I will be frank: EVERY one on the MTA board is a flat-out liar and cheat—that it is no wonder that this so-called city is such a bleeding mess. Even when a potential world-class event is planned, Metro and its associate idiots are not on hand to let it be a damn mess.  One might see it on the news, however, so I spent the day documenting that which would not be were Metro, the L.A. city council, et al, not concerned with adultery, covering up drunken wives' wrecks and junkets to Australia.

Did I mention the millions of dollars spent on green kiosks in which pee should have been collected but after many, many months remain unopened?

 

 

 

 

 

-BusTard

Comments

[Simon]

What time did that train stop at Santa Monica? I think I may know what happened.

I convinced my father to take the train for the first time so that he could avoid the marathon traffic. On the way back, someone on his train passed out (possibly a marathon person) and the train stopped at Vermont/Sunset and sat there for a full forty-five minutes while paramedics arrived and slowly removed the woman from the train.

Suffice it to say, I won't be able to convince my dad to get back on the train any time soon.