Burke/Springfield Lines revolt!

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   If anyone has used the new Pentagon slug line for locations in Burke/Springfield, they now that the new location has pretty muched ruined the afternoon slug situation.  It took me more than an hour to get home last night.

	The old line was fine. There was a stack lane, and the cars waiting caused NO congestion.  If they are concerned about pedestrians breaking the law by jaywalking, they should enforce the jaywalking laws.  There is a crosswalk.  Sluggers from Pentagon City and Crystal City don't even cross the street.

	Revolt.  Slugs continue to report to the old line location.  Don't hold signs to avoid harrasment from the police.

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
trbilbro Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote trbilbro Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Burke/Springfield Lines revolt! Posted: 15 Oct 2003 at 10:42am
	If anyone has used the new Pentagon slug line for locations in Burke/Springfield, they now that the new location has pretty muched ruined the afternoon slug situation. It took me more than an hour to get home last night. The old line was fine. There was a stack lane, and the cars waiting caused NO congestion. If they are concerned about pedestrians breaking the law by jaywalking, they should enforce the jaywalking laws. There is a crosswalk. Sluggers from Pentagon City and Crystal City don't even cross the street. Revolt. Slugs continue to report to the old line location. Don't hold signs to avoid harrasment from the police.

mirangus Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 28 Aug 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote mirangus Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Oct 2003 at 11:11am
	I hate to break up your little anarchy parade, but the lines in their old locations DID create a LOT of congestion for everyone else. I can completely understand that you are frustrated about waiting longer than normal for a ride, but please remember that this is all still really new and drivers and riders alike are still getting used to the concept. Since they moved those lines, the Pentagon has actually become a decent place to pick up passengers again. It got so bad, prior to the move, that I stopped going to the Pentagon all together and waited in Crystal City. The flow of traffic is much improved right now.

trbilbro Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote trbilbro Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Oct 2003 at 11:22am
	It took fully 15 minutes to get around the bend out of the Pentagon reservation. Congestion at the Pentagon is worse. More police officers have to be used. The only way it will get better is if fewer people slug, which defeats the whole purpose. The old Burke/Springfield line had a very long stack lane, out of the main lanes on Rotary, which rarely had more than 4 cars. The other lanes to points south caused the congestion, not my line. The move puts us at the end of a very broken system. BTW, the whole slug line thing is based on what you call anarchy. It is an informal system and regulating it always breaks it. If the current situation continues, you can bet that folks will find a way to make it work again.

youngtechs Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote youngtechs Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Oct 2003 at 11:43am
	I would have to agree with Trbilbro. As a driver who's been picking up slugs for about a year now, it was just fine with picking up Springfield slugs where they were before. I don't understand why they moved 3 different places (each about 50 feet in length) for slugs into one central place that is about 75 feet in length. As a driver waiting for the 610/Stafford/Woodbridge cars to move out of the way is ridiculous. Plus I agree that there are more police there now directing people in and out of the slug pickup area. I've begun to adjust my schedule so I leave the Crystal City area at 6P so I don't have to deal with that mess and I can just travel in the HOV by myself. (Totally defeating the purpose) I don't think the slug pickup lines would be so bad if they extended the length of space where people could pick up passengers by about 200+ feet. I know that's where the cars park, but couldn't we parallel the parked cars? I wonder what they're going to do with the old Springfield/Burke pickup area... Who can we write to to complain about this situation? Some Dept. in the Pentagon came up with this brilliant scheme and we have to give that dept some sort of feedback. p.s. don't get me started with the drop off craziness in the AM...

wdossel Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 02 Jan 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote wdossel Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Oct 2003 at 11:45am
	quote: Originally posted by trbilbro [br]BTW, the whole slug line thing is based on what you call anarchy. It is an informal system and regulating it always breaks it. If the current situation continues, you can bet that folks will find a way to make it work again. ... well, not quite... Anarchy: (fm the Greek "anarkhia" meaning without a ruler) 1. Absence of any form of political authority. 2. Political disorder and confusion (note: it sure wasn't political, but there was a fair amount of disorder and confusion last night...) 3. Absence of any cohering principle, as a common purpose or standard. (Webster's II) While slugging certainly is an informal system, it by no means is absent either a common purpose or structure -- just see the threads re. rules for slugging. They just are not enforced by a recognized political authority... - Will

youngtechs Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote youngtechs Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Oct 2003 at 11:50am
	HMM I just checked the circular again and it said "if you have any questions, please contact Mr. Dennis Smith at 703-695-8004" Michael Bryant signed the letter. I don't want to start a revolt, I'm just pulling this info off of the PBM-03-29

Gomez Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Gomez Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Oct 2003 at 12:05pm
	I suppose we had better be accurate and complete in some of these posts. I (and apparently trbilbro) are primarily Burke/Springfield guys, so our "before the change" comments refer to THAT old pickup location, where the only problem I ever saw was jaywalking. No congestion, no dangerous lane-crossing to make your turn-off, etc. And it certainly wasn't close enough to the Pentagon to pose a security threat. i.e IT WORKED! And as my father always says, "If it works, don't fix it!" Whether all of the other slug lines that have been relocated are better off, I can't say. As for the "revolt", how can the police (within the bounds of the law)forbid one from standing on ANY public spot awaiting a ride?! I see DOZENS of people and cars IN THE PENTAGON PARKING LOT, RIGHT NEXT TO THE CORRIDOR 2 and 3 ENTRANCES waiting to pick up or to be picked up. Granted, these are specific cars for specific passengers rather than the "generic" slug paradigm, but it seems that legally there is no difference. The slug pickup line can be wherever the slugs themselves choose to have it. If we are driven out from reasonable locations by DPS, then the line will relocate somewhere else - let's try parking lot lane 10 as a random suggestion. The fact remains - THIS SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK as currrently configured. Doubling the duration of one's commute can in no way be characterized as "improving" the situation.

trbilbro Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote trbilbro Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 Oct 2003 at 12:12pm
	Well, the Pentagon is a military reservation, so you don't enjoy the same rights as you normally would in a truly public place. That being said, as long as you don't hold a sign up advertising that you are in a slug line, I doubt that the police would bother you. They are much too busy with the mess they have created. I will attempt to use the old line "informally" next time I slug. If others see me, perhaps it will grow again. If people would just use the crosswalks to get to it, there would be no problem. Maybe we can move the whole thing over to Petagon City!

trbilbro Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote trbilbro Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 Oct 2003 at 7:50am
	I picked up slugs at the old Burke line yesterday. There were about 5 or 6 people lined up around 4:10pm. The old line is alive.

mirangus Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 28 Aug 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote mirangus Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 Oct 2003 at 2:25pm
	Like I said before in my previous post, I can completely understand your frustration with the new system because of walking further or more traffic congestion your way, or whatever. I don't go down that far, so I don't see your traffic and therefore cannot make any comments to that. However, I do know that before they moved the lines, it was so unbearable to navigate to where I would pick up that I stopped using the Pentagon altogether. I looked forward to this move to ease the congestion of everyone, not just where I need to go. The congestion that was there before the move was everyone's fault, not Springfield or Stafford/F'burg or Prince William, it was combination of everyone trying to stuff 10 lbs of you-know-what into a 5 lb bag, there was just too much going on in too little a space. I have noticed a dramatic improvement in, not only where I need to go, but entering the compound at all!! Logic dictates that when you space things out, there is more room to navigate and things are a bit less hectic. As for the cops directing traffic, I can only assume that they'll be there about as long as they normally are, about 3 weeks or so, then they disappear until the traffic patterns change again, so we'll all have to endure that one. I know it may be a pain to walk a little further, but unless you are a driver who has endured the pre-move traffic, you really can't possibly fathom what a breath of fresh air it is now to navigate around the Pentagon. As with anything else, give it a little while (more than a week and a half) for things to settle down and become the norm, then complain if it is still to much to take. As for breaking the new policy and standing wherever you want, more power to ya, but just know that once drivers get a taste of this nice new traffic pattern, they will hesitate to use the Pentagon anymore if traffic ever goes back to anywhere near the way it was. Ergo, less drivers = longer waits for slugs. Just something else to think about.