DC Car Free Day!

Hey folks, if you are in the DC area, Car Free Day is Monday, 22 September.  If you go to the website and pledge not to use your car that day, you could win a Kindle Fire or other prizes.  Even if you don't normally use your car to commute to work, you can still pledge to go car free that day.

Also, I know it's been a while since I posted about this before.  I've met a few people recently who were new to the DC area and were not aware of the Guaranteed Ride Home program.

In order to encourage people to use public transit in the DC area, you can register for the Guaranteed Ride Home.  If you have some sort of a family emergency an you need to go home during the middle of the day, they will pay your cab fare to go home up to 4 times per year.

I used it.  It works.  One day, one of my kids was sick at school and needed to be picked up and my wife was out of the area.  I called the Guaranteed Ride Home program and there was a taxi at my doorstep within 10 minutes.  It drove me from Crystal City all the way home to Ashburn and I signed a slip for the $70 cab fare and didn't pay a dime.

It's FREE!  If you live in the DC area and use public transit to get to work, SIGN UP!

DC Car Free Day

Heads-up!  DC Car Free Day is Wednesday, 22 September 2010. 

Like last year, if you pledge on the website that you will not use your car that day, then you will be entered for some free prizes.  I won a $10 gift card to our local bike store last year. 

It's okay if you already use public transit or bicycle to ride to work.  You can still pledge that you won't use your car that day and enter to win the free stuff.

If you check out the DC Car Free Day Facebook Page, you can find other useful information.  For instance, Bike and Roll is offering FREE BIKE RENTALS that day.  Check it out!

Thank You Commuter Connections!

Dear Commuter Connections,

THANK YOU!

I know I had some harsh words for you last time I tried to use your service.  However, after 19 months of commuting to work via bus here in the DC area, I finally had an occasion when I needed to go home in the middle of the day.  As I dialed the phone number for the Guaranteed Ride Home program, I was skeptic about the program actually pulling through for me.  I expected red-tape and excuses why my situation was unique and somehow didn't qualify for the service.

I was wrong. 

Not only was I wrong, I was even impressed by how helpful the operator was.  She asked for my Commuter Connections ID number.  I hadn't the foggiest idea what my ID number was.  She very kindly said that was okay, she would look it up by my name.  I told her my name, and she rattled off the street address of my office building for confirmation. 

Then she said my registration had expired. 

Doh.  (Pregnant pause - waiting for her to tell me I'm out of luck.)

Again, she very kindly said that was okay, she re-registered me on the spot and said a new card would be coming in the mail. 

Ten minutes later, I walked out the front door of my building right as a red-top cab pulled up to the curb.  The fare from Crystal City out to Ashburn was just over $70.  The cab driver just had me sign a slip of paper when he dropped me off at my car, and I was on my way.  

I'm grateful.

Thank you for a hassle-free experience and for getting me a very timely and free ride home.

Sincerely,
Kevin

For those in the DC area:  If you commute to work via public transit in the DC area, then Commuter Connections will pay for your cab fare home up to 4 times per year in the event of family emergencies that require you to go home when buses aren't running.  Don't believe their claim that they will offer you a free ride home in the event of unscheduled overtime, because you have to schedule that in advance (so much for the unscheduled part).  However, in the event you have a family emergency or sickness and you need to get home in the middle of the day, the Guaranteed Ride Home program is there for you.

Oh, and if you already registered for GRH when you first got here to DC over a year ago like me, then you might want to go back and renew your registration.

Mark Your Calendars: Bike to Work Day 21 May

Heads-Up:  Friday, 21 May 2010 is the Washington Area Bike to Work Day.

For those of you who live close enough, give it a shot!  It's great for exercise and avoids the traffic. 

For those of you who like to PT in the mornings, like me, beware!  I found out it was Bike to Work Day the hard way last year.  I went out for a run on the Mount Vernon Trail that morning and felt like a salmon struggling against the current to swim upstream.  There were a LOT of bikes on the Mount Vernon Trail that day.  It might be a good day to do your run inside on the treadmill to avoid becoming road-kill.

Pentagon Gouge: Mass Transit Subsidy Distribution

To my ONE faithful reader who counts on me to warn him when they are distributing the National Capital Region (NCR) Mass Transit Subsidy:  Please accept my apology.  I'm dinq.  I should have posted this yesterday.

The Mass Transit Subsidy is being distributed THIS WEEK in the Pentagon.  Don't forget to pick yours up!

For locations and times to pick them up, see this website.

Pentagon Gouge Extra Edition

First, lest we forget, tomorrow (10 April) is the 47th anniversary of the tragic loss of USS THRESHER (SSN-593). Here is a short article about the loss. The wikipedia page has a detailed description and computer-graphic animation of what happened to the THRESHER. In the wake of the loss of the THRESHER, the submarine force implemented a robust Quality Assurance (QA) program, in addition to some important design and procedural modifications. The submarine QA program is what ensures that we have the same number of surfaces as we have dives.

To the officers, crew and families of THRESHER and all the other submariners on eternal patrol, God bless you and may you rest in peace.


BT BT

Blessing of the Fleets Ceremony is TOMORROW!

I wish I had known about this sooner, but the Blessing of the Fleets Ceremony is tomorrow (Saturday, 10 April 2010) at the Navy Memorial in downtown DC. Click on the link for a timeline of events. If I didn't already have other plans, then I would have liked to attend.

BT BT

SnowTraffic-mageddon is coming!!!

Due to the Nuclear Security Summit meetings bringing 40 heads of state (and resultant security forces) to Washington, D.C. on Monday and Tuesday (12 & 13 April 2010), experts are predicting apocalyptic traffic jams.

Loudoun County has already announced they're not even going to provide commuter bus service into the city on Monday and Tuesday. LC buses will only go as far as Rosslyn, the Pentagon, and Crystal City in the morning. In the afternoon, they will ONLY run buses from Rosslyn every 15 minutes, NOWHERE ELSE / NO REGULAR SCHEDULE.

Plan ahead!

Pentagon Gouge: Mass Transit Subsidy Distribution

For military folks in the DC area, this week is the National Capital Region (NCR) Mass Transit Subsidy distribution. Don't forget to pick yours up! For locations and times you can pick them up, visit this website (I think it has to be from a .mil domain computer). (Update: I'm able to access it from my home computer, no problems.)

Also, since this is the first distribution after the holidays, it is worthy to note the policy on having leftover benefits from the previous period. If, like me, you spent some time on vacation and didn't use all your metro checks for the last quarter, then the rules say you are supposed to report that when you collect your new quarter's benefits and reduce the amount of metro checks you collect for the new quarter. From the NCR Mass Transit Subsidy website explaining the eligibility and rules of the program:

I will adjust the amount received based upon long term TDY or leave.

This means that if you are away for an extended period, in which you are not commuting and incurring costs, that you will not claim benefits, or if you have already been issued benefits for that period, you will reduce your next claim by any remaining amount. Please note that the DoD does not pay to “hold” or “reserve” seats for vanpools while you are on extended absence.

NOT Guaranteed Ride Home

Dear Commuter Connections,

GO SUCK AN EGG!!!!

Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest.

According to the Commuter Connections website, they offer this great program called Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH). Here's what their web page says (I have added some emphasis by highlighting portions of the text in red):

Guaranteed Ride Home (otherwise known as GRH) provides commuters who regularly (twice a week) carpool, vanpool, bike, walk or take transit to work with a FREE and reliable ride home when one of life’s unexpected emergencies arise.

Commuters may take advantage of GRH up to four times per year to get home for unexpected emergencies such as a personal illness or a sick child. GRH can also be used for unscheduled overtime when your employer mandates that you must stay late.

GRH is designed to rescue commuters who are worried about how they’ll get home when an emergency arises. Knowing there’s a guaranteed ride home allows one to use commuting options like transit and carpools with peace of mind and confidence.

Best of all, the GRH service is FREE!

Some restrictions apply so be sure to read the PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES

Questions? Call us at 1-800-745-RIDE.

Yeah, notice that nefarious little "some restrictions apply" caveat at the end???

So there I was...

It had been a looooong week. I had missed the last bus home from Crystal City most of the week, so I had to take the Metro over to Rosslyn to catch my backup late bus from there. My wife was not happy about eating dinner without me multiple times last week.

Along came Friday. My last appointment of the day on Friday was a 1 p.m. meeting in the Pentagon. Given what a tough week it had been, I said to myself, "Self, I'm gonna go home early this afternoon as soon as I get out of that 1 p.m. meeting."

"Tee-hee, we'll just see about that," said Murphy.

Then all-hell broke loose at the meeting, and next thing I knew I was frantically running around like a chicken with my head cut off, gathering information and writing urgent action memos for flag officers.

I made it back to my office the first time about 5:30 p.m. As I walked in the door, I was alarmed to discover my phone was ringing. You know what they say about not answering the phone after 4 p.m. right? (Especially on a Friday!) Well, I missed it - I picked up the phone right as the call went to voice mail the first time. I said to myself, "Self, if it's important, they'll call back."

Ring ring.

I picked up the phone. One of my coworkers coming back from our urgent tasking around the Pentagon was apprehended by the Pentagon Police because he didn't have his courier card.

Doh.

I was the ONLY one left from our office. Everybody else had gone home for the day. I had to rescue my shipmate from the clutches of the Pentagon Police. So I dropped my stuff in my office, turned around, and headed out the door jogging the 3/4 mile stretch back to the Pentagon. I had to talk to the duty sergeant and sign for custody of my shipmate and the documents he was carrying without his courier card.

No sooner had we been released by the Pentagon Police then the cell phone rang. The admiral's executive assistant (EA) recalled us to the Pentagon to bring back the materials we had just finished reviewing in the admiral's office. Back we went into the Pentagon.

By the time we got out of the Pentagon, got back to the office to drop off the important stuff, picked up our personal things, and got to the Metro, I knew it was going to be too late. The absolute very last bus I can catch home is at 7:30 p.m. I got on the Metro about 7:20, and arrived at the bus stop about 7:34 to an empty bus platform.

So, tell me, dear readers... Wouldn't YOU consider this an example of "unscheduled overtime when your employer mandates that you must stay late"???

I sure thought so.

I reassured myself, "Self, NO PROBLEM! THIS is EXACTLY why you signed up for that Guaranteed Ride Home program with Commuter Connections!"

Flipping out my sometimes-trustworthy, not-all-together reliable BlackBerry, I googled Commuter Connections and dialed the phone number to ask for my FREE and GUARANTEED ride home.

The GRH customer service representative answered the phone. I said, "Hi, my name is Kevin. I had to work late and missed my last bus home, so I need to get my Guaranteed Ride Home."

The lady on the phone said, "Well, that's only for family emergencies during the day."

I said, "Uhhh, NO it's NOT. Your website specifically says it covers unscheduled overtime."

She told me that in order to get a GRH in the evenings after overtime, you have to call during the work day and make a reservation to get the ride home that night.

Um.

Excuse me???

How the HECK does THAT qualify as "unscheduled" overtime??? If I KNEW in ADVANCE that I was going to be late, then I would have driven my car to work that day. If I KNEW in ADVANCE that a coworker was going to be apprehended by the Pentagon Police, then I would have said, "Hey, don't forget your courier card!" If I KNEW in ADVANCE that the admiral's office was going to call and ask us to come back to the Pentagon, then I would have taken my backpack with me from my office so I could leave on the Metro directly from the Pentagon. If I KNEW in ADVANCE that Commuter Connections wasn't going to HONOR what their WEBSITE says for the GRH program, then I wouldn't have bothered signing up for the program or promoting the program to other people on my blog.

I tell ya, up until Friday, I'd been singing the praises of Commuter Connections to every shipmate of mine who has transferred to the DC area.

In the end, I ended up calling a friend who lives near me in Ashburn to drive out and pick me up from the Herndon Monroe Park-n-Ride.

After looking into it, I see they require a "supervisor" at your business to confirm that you were working on approved overtime. Ya know, I can understand the need to have a supervisor certify that you were officially working on unscheduled overtime so that people don't abuse the program, but requiring reservations in advance to get a "guaranteed" ride home for "emergency" situations is just RIDICULOUS!

Why don't they have your supervisor confirm that it was unscheduled overtime on the NEXT business day??? If you don't turn in something signed by your supervisor the next day, THEN charge the person's credit card for the cab fare. What a concept!

DC Car Free Day

Car Free Day is 22 September.

If you visit the website and pledge in advance that you will eliminate or reduce use of your car on 22 September, then you could win some free stuff.

Note: Even if you are already a car-free commuter, you can still pledge to be car-free on Sept. 22.

As for me, I normally drive my car a few miles to the Dulles North parking lot and take the Loudoun County Bus from there. On 22 September though, I plan to completely eliminate use of my car. I can walk 0.8 miles from my house to catch the Ashburn Farms shuttle bus to Dulles North and then catch the Loudoun County bus in to the Pentagon like I normally do.

Why not? Give it a try!