I’ve written before about Metro’s Trip Planner program that’s available on its Web site (www.wmata.com). I’ve found it to be one of the best such programs available for finding out how to get around. All you do is input your starting point and where you want to go, and tell it which mode of transit you prefer, what time of day you’re traveling and whether you want to minimize things like transfers. It will give you a dead-on trip itinerary, including walking distances and times to get to bus stops and train stations. It’s incredible already, and now it’s getting even better.
Metro has made the Trip Planner mobile by allowing the information to be sent to your Web-enabled phone or PDA. All you have to do is direct your hand-held Web browser to www.wmata.com/
mobile to get access to the site. You will be asked to input the information just as you would on your desktop computer, but now the information is formatted to fit the screen on your portable. Imagine coming out of a meeting in some office building downtown and wondering how to get back to the office without paying for a cab. This system will take you right to where you need to be in the most efficient manner. This is truly a case where perfection has been improved on. Kudos to the IT folks at Metro for realizing the benefits of making this information accessible in a more mobile way.
Airports Praise
Congratulations to our good friend Leo Schefer, president of the Washington Airports Task Force, for being named Boss of the Year by the Top-Side Aviation Club. Leo is one of the major players in local aviation, and his group serves as an advocate for both Reagan National and Dulles airports. If you don’t think this award is a big deal, then consider some of the previous recipients: former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Virginia Sen. John Warner. Leo is one of the unsung heroes around here, and I know that he’s even well-respected by the folks at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland who wish that they had somebody like Leo working on their behalf. Top-Side Aviation Club was formed in 1954 by a group of professional women in key administrative positions supporting top-level executives within aviation/aerospace companies in order to provide opportunities for personal development and networking at a time when these opportunities for women were limited. Congratulations again, Leo.
Lining up to your space
Susan writes in response to a recent letter I posted from a reader who got a parking ticket in a Metro garage: “I’m writing in regard to Rita receiving a $50 ticket for straddling the white line of a parking space. When I was learning to drive some eons ago, among some of the driving skills my father was adamant about was keeping the car lined up in your lane and making ‘square’ but gentle turns so that you didn’t cut across other lanes of traffic. So with parking, he would point out those cars not parked in the middle of the parking space.”
Have questions, comments or random musings? Write to [email protected].
