78. You Won't Find Any $5 Footlongs at this Subway

When your CaliforniVacation: SoCal gal wrote about the Hollywood and Highland street closing, including the subway stop located there being closed, she decided she wanted to find out for herself just how subway this subway is.

In all her years in SoCal she had only adventured the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system once.  That was to go to downtown Los Angeles.  While that ride had been fairly painless and perhaps even a little enjoyable, the green and blue line portions of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system are not subway lines.  They run either level with or above ground.

Well, let me tell you.  The portion of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system known as the Red line, which runs from 7th Street/Metro Center to North Hollywood, definitely runs underground.  It is definitely sub of the way.

At 20 minutes actual in subway car travel time, there is probably no faster way to get from downtown Los Angeles to the Hollywood/Highland area than the Red Line (except maybe by helicopter, blimp...where would you park them...or Scotty beaming you).

I enjoyed the three sets of stairs/escalators which are the way to street level and all the happenings of the Hollywood/Highland area.  I enjoyed descending these same three levels to take the red line back to downtown Los Angeles.  each level down made me feel more convinced that either I should find a really cool bat cave (ala Batman) or maybe a door to Lex Luthor's lair being so far down below sub street level.

I enjoyed, after my preconceived notion of subways from what one hears about New York's subway system, how clean and non-urine smelling the stations are and the subway cars too.

It may have something to do with the posted signs of all the things prohibited in the subway stations and on the subway cars for which non-compliance buys you a $250 fine AND 48 hours of community service.

I found helpful the computer-screen-like displays located in the stations which relay the current time and date, the times for the next train and let you know when your train is coming.  That way you don't need to keep straining to try to look down the track wondering when the train might show up next.  And those trains...they were right on time.

I found myself wondering about being so far underground and what if an earthquake hit.  It wouldn't be fun then, now would it?  Seems I was not the only one with this thought.  The tunnels were built to resist an earthquake of up to magnitude 7.5.  Good to know.

Compared to the bus, I found the subway cars enjoyable as they just seemed far more spacious and roomy to me.

Of course, there are always a few who don't follow the rules like the fellow on my ride back who not only was panhandling, but had a cup of coffee in his hand while doing so.  He stopped to drink the coffee.  Finished it.  Littered his Styrofoam cup on the floor of the subway car for someone else to pick up.  Then walked to another part of the subway car.  No one said a word.  Myself included.  I noticed subway cars did have posters with a phone number you may call to report such things.  My only other dislike was the panhandling.  Not that it was exceedingly prevalent, but just the same, I prefer a panhandling-free ride.

One of the beauties of riding the subway is not worrying about being as alcohol-imbibing responsible as one needs to be if they are getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.  It makes it easier to say "Yes" to that 10th bottle of Bud.  10!  Is that wrong?  Okay, truthfully, ten and I'd be passed out on the floor.  Knowing I was taking the subway made it easier for me to say "yes" to bottle of Bud number two, which I enjoyed with my dinner at Mel's.  It also had me seriously consider bottle number three, but I shake enough as it is when I film...  More about Mel's in my next blog post.

With all this talk about how much I enjoyed this adventure, you would think I would wish to make Metro Rail my new, best, go-to choice if I wish to go to Hollywood and Highland.  And if I lived downtown Los Angeles, it probably would be.  When you ride only one color (for instance, from downtown L.A. to Hollywood/Highland is all on the red line), a round-trip ticket is only $2.70.  Oh and before I go further, let me mention something about the Metro Rail line fares.

There is no one to buy your ticket from.  You put your money in a vending-type machine and your proof of fare is spit out from the machine for you to hold onto.  Why?  There is no one who will collect your ticket before you get onto your Metro Rail car.  Basically, you are on your honor.  Before you go getting any ideas, Metro Rail personnel conduct spot checks.  I experienced one.  And if you recall, the price if you are caught is a $250 fine AND 48 hours of community service.  

Anyway, if you ride only one color, round trip is a mere $2.70.  If you are like me, someone who needs to ride the green line, blue line and red line to get to Hollywood/Highland; you are better off buying a day pass for $5. (Hey!  I just realized you may not be able to find a $5 footlong, but you may find a $5 deal with the day pass.)  With 79.1 miles of rail in the system, who knows, one day I just may go nuts (more nuts?) and see if I can ride them all...really get my five bucks worth.

Even with the need for three different colors to reach my destination, I was pleasantly surprised to find it only took a little over an hour.  Still, as fun of an adventure as it was, I am able to reach Hollywood/Highland via La Brea Avenue in about 45 minutes or so for only a little more than $5 to cover the cost of my gas.  So you need to decide for yourself what works for you.  And if nothing else, it sure is nice to know the choice is available.

Did you notice?  Here's a little insight to local SoCal ways.  Distance is rarely measured in miles.  Distance is usually measured in estimated time to traverse the journey at hand.