"When a special event attracts unusual crowds, such as a concert or a sporting event at MCI Center, Metro will operate four-car trains immediately after the performance or game and pare back to two-car trains later, spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said."

Four-car trains after events? Gee, there's an incentive to use Metro to get to and from hockey games . . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19122-2004Jun30.html

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Play hard, shake hands, drink beer.

"LA needs two hockey teams like Switzerland needs two navies" -- Norman Chad (from "My 10-Point Plan to Save Gary Bettman from Himself")

That's more than chaos theory, that's chaos.

Metro: We offer less for more!

and make sure you have a SmartCard when you park . . . Metro no longer has attendants (seems some of them saw their cash registers as their own little ATM machines).  I see that as a prelude to 24-hour parking charges (right now, I believe you only pay between 2 and 10pm).

I don't think one should underestimate the effect this could have, particularly on hockey, which depends on a considerable single-game market.  Who's going to want to deal with this nonsense after a game?  Wasn't this the charm of MCI in the first place?  It was right over a Metro station?  You could ride in the comfort and ease of a rail car rather than deal with crowded roads and traffic? 

Not now . . . after games, you'll see more fights to get on trains than you'll ever see on the ice during a contest.  At least until folks stop showing up.

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Play hard, shake hands, drink beer.

"LA needs two hockey teams like Switzerland needs two navies" -- Norman Chad (from "My 10-Point Plan to Save Gary Bettman from Himself")

Truth be told, it's been 4 car trains anyway, at least on the Orange line. First three through Metro Center after games have been crowded, but after that there's been plenty of room. Probably won't seem any different than it has been for most riders. Can't vouch for any other color lines.

That Smart Card thing about the parking, though, is going to screw up a lot of people who park in the hinterlands until they get used to it (first time they can't get out of the lot, they'll be used to it).

The only issue I have is the smart cards for people going to one game. The limit is 10 bucks. So if you never use metro again, you have paid $10 for a one dollar parking bill. Nice.

I can't recall ever having seen a 6-car yellow line train.  And the blue line trains they run on the yellow line after games are usually 4-car trains.

However, the red line at Gallery Place scares me to death.  I don't know what it is about that platform, but when it's crowded I become terrified.  So even though I take the yellow line, I was thinking this would be bad for the red line riders.

Sweetie

Shut up, Ted.

"The only issue I have is the smart cards for people going to one game. The limit is 10 bucks. So if you never use metro again, you have paid $10 for a one dollar parking bill. Nice."

Where do you park?????? The Metro lot in Twinbrook is like $4 and change with a bus transfer, and over $6 without! Also I believe there is a $5 chage for the card to start with, so your first $10 only gets you $5 worth of parking or fare $$.

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I am not a number...... I am a Free Man!

My mom's been grumbling about the parking charges since she started working downtown.  She said one of the parking attendants at Dunn Loring told her that the plan is indeed to go to 24 hour paid parking.

Of course, it would add more expenses to games if I were still in town, but I'm wondering how the tourists will deal with it.  I guess it will be locals only in the parking lots?

The only 6 car trains I ever saw on the Green Line were on my way to games during rush hour when everyone else was heading home.

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"And the #1 draft pick goes to ::coughgagcoughhackhackgag:: the Washing::gaggag::ton Capi::hackgag::tals" G. Bettman 4/6/04

say what you want about the metro, but try getting out of staples center or dodger stadium a few times and you'll be begging for the metro!  Personally I think the metro is a great way to get to and from games.  Sure if you go straight down there after a game you have to wait a bit, but would you rather wait 15 minutes for a train and then you're gone?  Or would you rather RUN to your car, fight traffic to get ON the freeway, and then fight traffic across 6 lanes of LA freeway with cars travelling anywhere from 5mph (other people merging onto the freeway) to 75 miles per hour (people already on the freeway trying to pass the merging people before they slow them down)around you so that you can drive another twenty minutes to get home?

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Don't make me angry.... you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.....