Tips for MARTA rookies
Published on: 07/02/08
Hello, MARTA rookies. Maybe it was $4 gas prices that pushed you through the proverbial turnstile (train ridership is reportedly up 15 percent year-over-year) but we're glad you're along for the ride. However, there are a few things to know, so some of us MARTA regulars compiled a few tips. Enjoy.
Remember: It's "public" transit. That means the public, in all its rich, unending variation, will be on the train with you. If you can't deal with the occasional oddball, loudmouth or panhandler, you're out of luck. So stick your nose in a book or an iPod in your ears and repeat to yourself: At least I'm not stuck in traffic. At least I'm not broke from filling up.
On the other hand ... If something really annoys you, and it will — dirty cars, broken escalators, rude operators — let MARTA know: Customer service is at 404-848-5000, or e-mail custserv@itsmarta.com.
Ride for a discount. Check out your workplace for underwriting. Lots of companies and institutions subsidize monthly MARTA passes good for unlimited rides. Also, check www.commuterrewards.com for programs that will pay you money for your new commuting decision.
Some rules of the ride. You want to get on the train? Wait until all the folks exiting are done before entering. Are you really in that big a hurry to get to work?
• Remember musical chairs? Bone up. Indecision could cost you a) a seat alone, or b) a seat. Especially at Five Points, where large numbers of people will flood into a mostly empty train. If you see a seat, sit down.
Despite what their body language might indicate, the great majority of folks who take up more than one seat or sit on an aisle with the window seat empty will make room when asked. Just ask politely.
• Chivalry is not entirely dead on MARTA. Younger, stronger riders have been known to offer up their seats to the older and less hardy. Just don't count on it happening every time. Displaying a weary look or audibly struggling with your packages just might get their attention, though.
• Yes, yes, yes — talking for your entire trip on your cell phone is rude. And you'd be surprised at the lack of awareness among those involved in clearly private phone calls. But, between us, dead spots east-west basically hit at tunnels near Decatur, Avondale and Kensington stations. North-south, the cell is pretty much out between Five Points and Arts Center, with a brief reprieve at Civic Center.
• Some advice from a reader, Tamyra Ramsey: Hold on tight when moving, but do not wrap your whole body around the pole on the train. "All of us standing need to get a hand on that pole," says the Midtown resident, "so stand back and let us get a hand in there."
Learn to be efficient. MARTA veterans ride the car that will eventually stop nearest their departure station exit.
• Experience will teach you that, over time, you will wait an average of five minutes per train during peak hours, i.e., your commute. However, on Friday evenings after a hard week, you will undoubtedly arrive on the platform to see your train leaving the station and will wait 10 minutes (or longer) for the next one.
• If you hate crowded trains, wait a few minutes during peak service. Some trains, like the Candler Park-Bankhead train, travel a shorter route with fewer riders.
A few survival tips. An umbrella can come in handy when trying to make it onboard as the doors are closing. (MARTA, of course, says this is not so smarta. If the door won't close after you, service will stop, you'll have to get off and wait for a replacement train and your fellow travelers will not be happy with you.)
• If you wear an ID badge for work, put your Breeze card in the plastic sleeve with it. The turnstile scanners will pick up the pass through the plastic. It's far easier than fishing around for you card in your wallet.
• Place tickets flush to the turnstile scanner for best results. Don't rush it to catch an approaching train. That will almost always backfire.
• People aren't supposed to panhandle. Some do. People aren't supposed to play their music loud. Some will. The AC is supposed to work in the summer and the heat in the winter. They sometimes won't. But again, keep repeating: Gas is $4 a gallon, gas is $4 a gallon ...
• Another reader, another tip — this time from Jeff Delp: Fill up your Breeze card before you hop on the bus. If a lot of riders are digging in their pockets and paying with cash, it slows down the commute for everybody.
• It's tough to be spontaneous or punctual with public transit, but there's something to be said for planning ahead. Try A-Train, the trip planner at trip.atltransit.com, or Google's transit planner at www.google.com/transit.
Leisure, bikes and guns. Don't forget weekends. Chamblee station is on the doorstep of that town's antiques district. Going to Piedmont Park? 10th Street. The High, the Alliance, the ASO? Arts Center. Shopping at Lenox or Phipps? Lenox station. Eddie's Attic, Taqueria del Sol, Watershed on your menu? Decatur.
• You can bring your bike on board. You may have to wrestle it through the gates; a MARTA employee may open the emergency gate for you. There are elevators, or you can carry it up and down the stairs (do us all a favor, don't use the escalator). Except during the peak of rush hour, you'll probably find space for you and your ride at the front or rear of most cars.
• And remember: Starting July 1, it's legal for MARTA riders (with proper permits, of course) to carry concealed weapons. (Our advice: review the tips about on-board courtesy above.)
Last but not least. Don't take our word for it. Give us your MARTA tips or observations in the commenting area below.
– Compiled by Mike Benzie, Mark Davis, Michael Gray, Jamie Gumbrecht and some helpful ajc.com readers.
Photo: D. Whitefield
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