It’s funny to me how casual people are getting with bikes on the light rail. Yesterday morning, I saw an old man ride his bike right onto the train and stand in the aisle straddling it. This morning, I saw this boy ride his bike onto the train and just sit on it the whole ride and simply peddle off the train at his destination!

I should point out that in each case, there were spaces to hang bikes and places to sit. These guys, both young and old, were just doing their own thing. This randomness and variety provide some of the people-watching pleasure that makes riding light rail so interesting.

Did you know that APS has partnered with DBG (Desert Botanical Garden) to provide a free shuttle between the Valley Metro Light Rail station at Priest / Washington and the Desert Botanical Garden? I just found out a couple of weeks ago, and I’m riding it to the garden for the first time today.* This is a great convenience that I hope many people will take advantage of.

You can catch the shuttle by the gazebo in the parking lot of the little food court at the NE corner of Priest & Washington. It runs every 15 minutes from 9 AM to 7 PM.

*I sent this to my blog via Flickr in real time, but it didn’t upload. I guess it was interrupted by several incoming phone calls and it timed out. So I’m uploading it now to get the word out about the free shuttle.

The stations on the Valley Metro Light Rail alignment offer endless opportunities for reflection and photography. This morning, I got this photograph by stabilizing my G1 cameraphone against one of the I beams that suspend the sails, lights, text displays, PA speakers, security cameras, etc. And what I got was the beautiful reflections in the high gloss paint on the I beam!

I got on the Valley Metro Light Rail, and little did I know it was No Pants Day!

Turns out this is the 8th annual Ride the Metro without Pants Day instigated by The Urban Prankster Network throughout the world, and we just happened to experience it for the first time here in the Valley of the Sun.

I guess I just had to experience riding when a) it wasn’t Opening Weekend, b) it wasn’t a holiday weekend, and c) people had to pay to ride. Before all three of these conditions were met, the trains were miserably crowded. Now I only see people standing who choose not to sit. I am enjoying riding Metro now. I think riding it is really cool. I feel like such an urbanite living in a cosmopolitan metropolis! I’m so cool you could chill your martini in the palm of my hand!

Just don’t leave it there too long.

Well, I decided to go for it and buy a 31-day pass to ride the Metro to work. I’m just going to hope the trains get less crowded. They’re fine in the morning; it’s the afternoon I worry about. But I trust that Valley Metro wants to keep its Light Rail passengers happy and run more trains.

I took this long exposure with my G1 cameraphone. I stabilized my arm on one of the posts at the station. I must say I’m happy with the light streaks and the reflections of the station in the train windows!

I have nothing against people; it’s just crowds in tight spaces I don’t like. Come on, Valley Metro, add more streetcars to the rails! It shouldn’t still be "standing room only" a week after the Grand Opening and three days into charging fares for passage.

I think Metro is a boon to the Valley. I want to see it succeed; I’m only publicly criticizing it in the hope of putting the heat on Valley Metro to make it an attractive alternative to driving.

P.S. There were only two cars in this train. Each station can accommodate trains with up to three cars. With ridership like this, you’d think they could run the trains with three cars.

I’m excited to be on a public interpreting assignment this morning, on call to interpret for any ASL user (deaf or hard-of-hearing person) who wants to see and learn about the accessibilty features of Valley Metro Light Rail. Light rail will start running here in the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa) on December 27, and will be free through December 31. Today, at the 38th St / Washington station, we’re here from 9a-Noon and 2p-5p. I’m learning a lot in the process of interpreting and asking questions myself between clients, and I’m totally jazzed about riding the rail when it opens!