For the last few days, I have been riding the LA Metro Transit System. It’s been great. I now arrive to work at the same time everyday. Not too early, not too late. I�m not pissed off or stressed when I get to work, and I perform better throughout the day. In all, I�m in love with the Metro.

I was planning to give it three days. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday on the Metro, Thursday in my car, Friday I would choose the mode I preferred.

Monday � I arrived at the Lankershim station around 7:40 AM. I parked in the spacious lot and walked to the escalator. Down two-stories to the main level and there I bought my ticket. However, because the ticket machine didn�t accept ten-dollar bills, I had to make change, and then buy my ticket and finally head to the train, which I missed by a few seconds (stupid ticket machine).

The Metro Red Line Subway exist four stories below Los Angeles. So far, the people have been interesting. Of course everyone has headphones and music playing, but it�s no different then being in your car. Except, you are in one big car, ignoring one another. Here is where the three-dollars a day (cheaper for a weekly, monthly, or yearly pass) pays off, Universal City to Hollywood and Highland in seven minutes; Universal to Wilshire and Vermont in fifteen minutes. From there I transferred to a different train ended up at Wilshire and Western (in front of the Wiltern Theater). Total travel time thus far, twenty minutes.

Now I had to resurface and grab a bus for the remainder of my journey. I took the 720 express from Wilshire and Western to Wilshire and La Brea. From there, I jump on the 20 and travel another six blocks and get dropped off in front of my building at 5700 Wilshire Bvld. Total travel time, approx forty minutes. Ten to twenty minutes less than by car and I listened to my iPod all morning and even read some of the LA Times.

Secondary benefits included more walking during the day as well as meeting 1) an American Idol contestant (wanna be) who loved singing on the bus, 2) a large black woman who thought Congress woman Maxine Waters was involved in a conspiracy to kill Biggie Smalls, TuPac, and Shug Knight (she also believed Shug was already dead), and 3) not one, but two invitations to be born again in the eyes of God and get a �fast-pass� to Heaven. You don�t get that kind of fun from Kevin and Bean.