Light Rail

After two days of recuperation, we were again looking for excitement, lol.  A ride on the Sprinter light rail line that runs through north county seemed like the thing to do.  Besides, as the tracks run right next to our campground, we see (and hear) the trains running by several times a day.

The whole light rail project had been quite controversial during its planning and construction.  The system was finished shortly after we moved to Florida.

This pic is from the North County Transit District website

What an experience this ride turned out to be.  We drove to the western terminus of the line in Oceanside, and after parking the Geo Tracker we purchased 4 one-way tickets (so we wouldn't have to get them at the other end), and waited for the train to arrive.

So much fun for $4.00

It wasn't long until we were boarding the train and settling in for the hour-long ride to Escondido.

All aboard . . .

Within a few minutes of leaving the station, a ticket taker came through checking everybody's tickets.  So far, so good.

Plenty of room for people, bikes, walkers and wheelchairs

Just after we left the first stop, and had taken on several more passengers, the ticket taker discovered two young men at the other end of our car who evidently had not purchased tickets.  There was quite a kerfuffle of activity surrounding this discovery.  At the very next stop, the two men were booted off the train, and surprisingly, the ticket taker got off with them.  Evidently she phoned the police to have the two arrested for nonpayment.

The train continued on its way without further incident.  Except that . . . amazingly . . . for the entire rest of the trip to Escondido . . . and . . . on the entire return trip back to Oceanside, there was no ticket taker on the train.  There are 15 stops along the line, and passengers embarked and disembarked at each one.  Other than that first ticket taker, no one checked any passenger for tickets during the remainder of our ride.

If this were private enterprise . . . which would have to run at a profit to stay in business . . . you better be sure every passenger would be checked for payment.  Kind of gives you a clue as to how government runs things, doesn't it?  Oh well, after all, it's only taxpayer dollars.

Rules for riding

The ride itself was pleasant enough.  The ride takes about the time it would take to drive the same distance in heavy freeway traffic.   Although once you get to your desired station, you still have to get to where you're ultimately going  . . . on foot?  or by bicycle (which you took with you on the train, right?)  or by car (why didn't you just drive in the first place?).   The California terrain is just not conducive to this light rail concept.  Even the station located at the Cal State San Marcos campus is a good 3/4 of a mile from the school . . . a lot farther than the parking lots are!  

A particularly nice, if somewhat weird, feature of the trains is the soothing female voice with the delightful British accent, reminding riders of safety regulations and upcoming stations.  I supposed the British accent conveys some intended sense of class or good breeding to the endeavor. 

As we left the parking lot in Oceanside after our excursion, we noticed the accommodations made for drivers who bring their green-friendly cars to park in the lot while they take the train.  Those with electric cars can park for free, but only if they have first plugged in their cars to the no-cost charging stations.

No takers at the free electric charging stations

And to think that government will soon be in charge of our health care!