I filed this past Tuesday and at a curiosity looked at my OTR account, and the refund had already been approved and I had a credit posted on my account...assuming I will see the refund next week.

I've never seen them so fast...

And yet, people still get on the wrong train.

It's not a unique or obscure feature...the subway systems in Boston/NYC/LA/SF all have such an announcement system, as do most systems overseas.

There's a whole bunch of things I would fix, but three stick out from a user-experience perspective:

• Better wayfinding signage. IIRC, Randy said they would soon launch a major improvement project in this area. Reintroduce the "X Line Train to Y via Z" signs on the platform. Actually roll out signs at stations that show what line/platform goes to DCA + IAD, not just IAD, as they have recently done.
• People may seem this as a nuisance, but figure out a way to get the PA system in stations to call out the destination/line of approaching trains. The PIDS boards are often hard to read, especially at a distance. Other cities have such a system, but that said, I feel like WMATA makes more overhead PA announcements than most systems...likely why they got rid of that European-train station "ding-dong" that used to play before announcements.
• More Spanish signs and announcements. It wouldn't necessarily be hard to program the 7Ks to make important announcements, like "Transfer is Available to XYZ," in Spanish. I've frequently read that the system is somewhat hard to navigate for Spanish speakers who know little English.

It was just a visit to get a Tret RX lol

Again, it didn't bother me and is none of my business, I just found it interesting...I assumed he was likely high-risk.

Agree though, I masked all throughout winter and didn't get sick once. Will probably do so again this winter.

Good.

I have absolutely no problems wearing a mask at a doctor's office, it's just annoying when they ask you to take it off for some reason (check your throat, etc.) but then snap at you if you don't put it back on fast enough or talk while the mask is off.

I went to a Kaiser doctor a couple of weeks ago and was surprised to see he was wearing three masks (two surgical and one N95) and a face shield. None of my business and I could care less, but I haven't seen anyone with that level of protection in like two years.

Kaiser does.

100% agree with everything you said regarding Stephen Krashen's theory.

I'm at a similar level to you in Spanish (I've twice tested into C2/Advanced for Reading + Writing and C1/Advanced for Speaking) but still found myself gasping for words when trying to have a conversation with someone. I could easily read a novel or write a college-level essay but would struggle to speak to my Spanish-speaking neighbor about the weather.

I started retraining myself using the Comprehensible Input method a couple of weeks ago and it has really changed my thinking...

Thank you for the well-detailed + informed response.

I've often wondered if trolleybuses could be utilized here to speed up the transition, but obviously, trolleybuses have numerous disadvantages...aesthetics, difficult to reroute, etc.

I had no idea the hotel had closed...IIRC it was the oldest continually operating Marriott in the system.

Folks in the Palisades have no one to blame but themselves.

It’s always rich when I hear someone from the Palisades complain about having to drive for groceries.

Safeway was going to build a brand new store on the site of the old one with housing on top and the community said hell no and Safeway packed up…the NIMBYs won the battle but last the war.

IIRC, something similar happened in Spring Valley a while (~10 years) back. Safeway wanted to build a store with housing on top and the community pushed back.

Lmfao she had no issue attacking David Hogg a couple years back and chasing him down the street.

Reminds me of the 20-somethings who shoplift lunch and food from the hot bar at the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods because they don't want to wait in line.

Yeah the Safeway app is pretty great...I'm surprised more people don't use it.

Single guy without a car and a small-ish kitchen.

I go to Safeway 2-3x a week and (usually) TJs once a week for specific items. I usually spend on average anywhere from $90 to $110 per week, so around $400/month give or take.

I usually just buy the same fresh things over and over again...think eggs, juice, fruits, veggies, chicken, fish, cheese, and yogurt. I have a pretty well-stocked pantry of dry goods, frozen foods, and a shit ton of condiments that I top off as needed, maybe once every 4 months.

DC provides a decent amount of resources for first-time homeowners compared to other cities I have seen.

They also provide funding for homeowners to install rain gardens and rain barrels, which I thought was neat.

The local network of Fresh Farm Markets is pretty great and I like that the District government has a decent spread of food waste/composting drop-off points.

Nice work as always, Carlos!

I would believe it.

I know people who have PhDs that aren't even hitting 70k in the non-profit sector.

Why would you have to take three trains?

The Green Line will continue to serve U Street and you can continue to transfer to the OR/BL/SV lines at L'Enfant Plaza as you do today.

I'm kinda frustrated with the proposal for two reasons:

1. I think the vast majority of riders will experience some type of fare increase under the new scheme, but Metro isn't really being upfront about it. For example, an off-peak fare between Petworth and DCA is now $3. The peak fare is $3.55. The new "all day" fare will be $3.65. The current off-peak fare between McPherson Sq and Tysons is $3.85. The peak fare is $4.80. The new "all day" fare is $5.40. I get that inflation has increased operating costs (and fares have to increase as a result), but Metro just isn't being 100% honest when they say they say the new fares will "improve the customer experience."
2. I'm so sick of them flip-flopping the terminus of the Yellow Line every few years...it's a giant pain in the ass for those of us who live north of Mt Vernon Sq and regularly take the Yellow Line into NoVa or go to DCA...we now lose our one-seat ride. I understand that they want to essentially increase service on the Yellow Line bridge (as it has been historically under-utilized) and I understand that it isn't possible to turn trains at Ft. Totten and still increase service levels, but it's incredibly frustrating as someone who frequently used the Yellow Line.

Nothing is going to come from simply telling MTPD that there is a man on the train wearing tight pants with a boner because that in itself isn't illegal.

You need to take a photo/video and specifically state that he is intentionally getting close to people and posing/standing in a way that seeing his dick is unavoidable and causing unwelcome behavior.

FWIW, I can't imagine MTPD doing anything in this scenario, seeing as the agency has told people that men jacking off on the train is perfectly legal.

There always seems to be a lot less maintenance-related issues in the older buildings, as well.

I've lived in two different "luxury" buildings in NoMa and they both had the same problems...fire alarms constantly would go off, HVAC would break, thin walls/noise issues, the in-unit washer flooded, "brand new" fridge broke, etc.

I live in an older building (that's like a tank) now in Dupont for less than any of those luxury buildings.

To be fair, most people in Albany didn't have snow tires, either...we didn't. Always had all-season.

Berkshires are beautiful btw. My family has a cabin on the NY/MA border in New Lebanon.

Grew up in Upstate NY (Albany suburbs) and lived in Charlotte for a few years.

Markably better than Charlotte does, but nowhere as good as it was in Albany, where we would be in school on time even if we had a foot of snow overnight.

I haven't been here for any major blizzards, but in the 6ish years I have been here (the max might have been 5-6 inches) I thought the DC government cleaned the streets up fairly quickly. Some narrower roads deep in certain neighborhoods took longer to clear, but major thoroughfares were clear.

Probably because it's easier for everyone just to slap on letters to the existing gate numbers.

Keep in mind airport wayfinding isn't just about passengers, but ground/OPS staff and flight crews. Keeping the original numbers intact preserves a degree of familiarity.