‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: Alex Rueda
Occupation: Secondary Teacher
Location: Torrance

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

Five days a week, to work 17 miles each way. Weekend to run errands and go out.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

90501 to 90255 for work.

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

2

How long does your commute typically take?

40 minutes.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical driving experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I deal with it.

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

$100 – $300

Do you use any forms of alternative transportation?

I tried to use Metro and purchased a monthly pass with freeway bus service.

Why do you drive?

My car is safe when I get to work at my school parking lot.

Your Perspective:

Why can’t/don’t you take transit?

I did it one month.. When I got back to my car, someone had broken into it.

I waited 40 minutes fot Metro police to arrive and they said the lots dont have security of any kind. This is a huge lot, the Artesia Transit Canter at the 405 and 110 freeways.

They said there are no cameras and the few patrol cars come by once every 2 hours, pass by, and leave again.

Not a good thing. I lost a 400 in radio and the door lock.

I wanted to drive less, read more, relax, save money using Metro. Guess it didn’t work.

I am very sad – I did give it a try.

Now I’m scared to use the Metro and it’s not that cheap anyways.

$3 one way for two buses going to work, and $3 to return plus the freeway fair. That’s at least $6 a day, but it really comes out to about $8 a day.

That is the same or more than gas on my car – and my car is safe at work!

Also, Metro is unfair with how they charge people. The weekly pass makes no sense! You must get is on Sunday! Why? That was the old ways when they had to print bus passes.

There’s no reason other than to steal from the public. With the new TAP card it’s possible to make a weekly pass for a week starting the day you buy it, no matter what day of the week it may be. They used to sell a few this way. They make it inconvinient when it shouldn’t be.

How can I ride a system when I feel they dont protect my car at their lots, and when I know they can save me money but they don’t?

Have you tried to use transit before? What was your experience?

See above.

What could local transit agencies do to encourage you to take transit more often?

Make lots safe, really safe.

Stop robbing people. Make the fares affordable. We teachers work very hard and get paid very little to be professionals. Give us a discount!

How do you feel about buses?

I’d ride a bus if there was a route that served my needs.

How do you feel about rail?

I’d ride rail if it there was a route that served my needs.

Given limited funds, how would you address L.A.’s transportation issues?

Look at systems like the one in Bogota Colombia, its amazing.

Look at the pricing in Argentina. It’s very cheap.

Stop finding ways to take money from the public!

Instead, find ways to get them home and to their destinations.