Music on the Metro?

Ask anyone who is born and brought up in DC and you will find a million and one different reasons about why they love their city. Ask any one from New York the same question and you'll likely get just as many responses. There are many things that set both cities apart; so much so that it is often difficult to pin the differences to specific things. For one thing, the size and scale of New York is so vastly different from that of DC that the relative 'tiny-ness' of the city if readily apparent. The other big difference is that during the week, DC is alive and teeming with businessmen, politicians and a general throng of humanity. But after hours? When the government is closed, when workers have returned to their homes in Maryland or Virginia? There are portions of DC that become like a ghost town. This is one of the main attractions to New York. No matter the time of day or night... there is life!

The effort bring life to the city seems to be part of the motivation behind the latest move by Metro to attract more riders. With gas prices and oil costs on the rise, many look to alternative methods of travel to get to and from work or any other destinations. For workers in and around DC, the Metro is the most obvious choice. New York has their subway too. Although both do have their respective transit systems, there are differences there too. Metro has been operating in the city of over three decades and in that time, the trains have remained relatively clean, so have the stations, the platforms and surrounding areas. New York's? Well, they are pretty clean but there is graffiti and trash and all sorts of nonsense lying about. New York's subway does have one nice feature though and that is that there are always entertainers out and about on the platforms.

The acoustics of a train platform, punctuated by the roar of a train approaching is a unique one and one that just sounds good together. It gives New York yet another bit of life that we are missing here in DC. In DC it can often be rigid and proper; like what Congress is supposed to be like but hardly ever is. Riding the escalator? Stand right walk left! No food on the train! Chewing gum? Prepare to be cuffed! Now I'm not suggesting the Metro go all lax and that we all go out and spray paint the Metro cars but we need something to give back a bit of humanity. The Metro board is considering lifting that ban and allowing entertainers to return to the platforms of Washington's Metro.

The decision is still a ways off from being made but hopefully it will be made soon. I think it would be a marvelous first step in terms of bringing some more character to DC. I was born and raised here and I can give a million reasons as to why I love this city as much as I do. It bugs me when people think of DC as being cold and overly political. That's part of the city's character, but even more so, it's only one angle of a face that has a thousand different expressions. One must take the time to see that. Residents see it all the time. Tourists and visitors are limited to what they experience. Let's add some life to the touristy spots! Let's get some music and jugglers and dancers on the Metro!