Mary,

How many times do these celebs ride Metro, and pay?

Say, why not have a spot where our famous pigeon flies through an open door, taps his Q, and sets down.  I jest hate to be on the cleaning crew of the BOF the bus comes from....

I do agree with Don G.  If these guys/gals ride regularly, great.  If not, why not use some regular riders?  Like from this blog?

And I think such ads should not exclude:

1.  Carpoolers.

2.  Bicycle riders.

3.  Walkers.

4.  Those who telecomute/work out of a home.

All are part of the solution.

Dominic, you are close to copyright© infringement on my pigeon ideas.

And Dan C, America's fascination with celebrity and what they eat, drink, drive, and their favorite hemroid creme is what Metro is counting on to draw attention to mass transit.  I doubt any of the celebs in the commercials have ridden Metro since they got famous.  That is not the point, which is to draw attention to Metro and the benefits of riding.

I would like to see a commercial with a line of riders boarding the bus, with each one saying "I ride Metro because..." and then each one give a different answer.  The last one could be a celeb holding up a Q-Card, tapping it on the reader and walking down the isle.

If Mary Sit likes my idea and uses it, I will accept a Q-Card with unlimited rides for a year like Metro employees get.

I ride Metro because...

it is cheaper than driving myself,

it is cheaper than parking downtown,

it goes where I want to go,

the drivers are friendly and helpful,

I don't have to drive with Houston's idiot drivers,

it is less stressful than driving,

I can read my paper,

I can plan my next pigeon idea,

I can sleep an extra 20 minutes on the bus,

I can tell the rider next to me how they should have transferred balances to their Q-Card,

I can flirt with the pretty women,

I can talk the whole time on my cell phone,

I can work on my laptop PC,

I can put on my makeup,

I can pay my bills,

... and many more.

Let's say, Mr. Foreman did allow himself to be herded like "sheeple" onto the tram one day.

I'd like to see the MPD try and take his hamburger, one he likely personally cooked on his signature grill.

Royko,

     I seriously hope that what you said was a joke.

P&R Rider said:  "Dominic, you are close to copyright© infringement on my pigeon ideas."

LMAO!!  Easy, bub.  If anybody wants to know why I ride METRO, it's:

1.  It goes where I want to go.

2.  I can sleep an extra 20 minutes on the bus.

3.  I can flirt with the pretty women---(good luck on that---you'll need it=>LOL!!!!!)

4.  I can talk the whole time on my cell phone.  DON'T!  You may want to talk loud about things that shouldn't be said in public.

My two cents on this matter.

To expand on my Metro Commercial Idea:  

Everyone knows sex sells in advertising, thus all the Viagra and Cialis ads.  So we get the Houston Texan Cheerleaders all decked out in their cleavage popping best.  Then we have them line up and board a bus with each one saying "I ride Metro because.." and each one give a different reason then shake their pom-poms and run on board tapping their Q-Cards.

I ride Metro because...

I get to listen to the loud rap music coming from the guy two seats away at 7 in the morning.

I get to see how many people can fit on a train.

All the strange characters make me feel normal.

The Q Card is the most high tech thing I own.

Metro in full force once every month and a half giving tickets to people that had no idea they had to pay to ride the train.

The Q card machines are out of order about once a month at the train stations.

Taking the train home from the bar and being scared for my life.

The time when a rail operator yelled at some guy for holding the doors open for a passenger in a wheelchair.(the operator apologized to the guy at the next stop)

I get to see riders that bring their bikes on during the rush hour period making things extremely uncomfortable.

It teaches me never to use drugs.

I now know what it is like to ride next to someone that pooped his pants.

I got to listen to the woman's conversation across from me yesterday on her cellphone. I think she was talking to her online boyfriend because it seemed really weird. She invited him to "H-town".

One last one...I got to see two people hook up. A girl gave a guy her phone number on the rail. There is hope for us all!!!

Royko, er, Tom, my friend...

There comes a time when you just need to stop being so bitter. With all of the sniping sarcasm you throw out, there will quickly come a time when no one takes you seriously.

Oh, wait! Too late.

Have a great day.

I like this idea. I ride because...

...I don't have a driver's license.

...I can't afford a car.

...the car we do have is half-dead.

...I live in fear of other drivers.

...it's less per month than the average driver's car insurance.

...if I get in an accident, I know the bus will win.

...I never have to pay for Downtown parking.

...I will have a valid excuse if I'm ever late for work.

I ride Metro because:

1.  I'm one of those bozos who chooses to live on the west side of town and works in the Medical Center.  Driving every day would give me a stroke, or two, or three.

2.  Saves on gas.

3.  Saves on wear and tear on my car.

4.  Saves on my sanity, what little I have left.

5.  I get to watch the pigeons at the Wheeler station.

6.  I've actually met some nice people through the years.

7.  Houston drivers are nuts.

8.  Reminds me that a cell phone is best left for emergencies in public places.

9.  Also reminds me that not everyone thinks showers are important.

10. I get to read, daydream, and ponder who actually shops on Harwin any more during my hour-long commute.

11.  Have I mentioned that Houston drivers are nuts?

P&R:

Sad, but your comments concerning cheerleaders, are so ture in today's word.

Elizabeth:

Main St. Square SB Station has PLENTY of avian activity...

Everybody:  

A packed bus or tram is better than trying to survive the airlines.

The CHRONICLE had an ed page cartoon with a herd of cattle.  One bull saids, "I wish they would quit treating us like the airlines treat passengers."

Royko's #1 Fan,

Gee, my purpose is not to tell the lemmings what they want to hear about their glorious Utopian tram.

Time will tell if I have been credible.  If so, you will be able to enjoy the increase in rubber-tired mobility.

And hopefully, there will be significantly less taxpayer money squandered on boondoggle urban rail.

Royko's #1 Fan,

              You took the words right of my mouth.  I couldn't of said it better myself!  BRAVO!

(claps hands)

I say---STOP BEING BITTER ABOUT METRO---PERIOD!

That can be my dying wish but it'll never happen but---oh well.  It'll come true---one day because believe you me---METRO IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE NOR ARE THEY GOING TO STOP PROGRESSING WITH WHAT THEY WANT TO DO BECAUSE OF CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO JUST HATE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IN ORDER TO PLEASE PEOPLE LIKE ME!

Mr. Collins,

I am not the only citizen who believes METREAUX has lied to the voters, and is abusing the bus transit dependent, and short-changing all taxpayers.

As things stand today, METRO does not have permisiion to decimate five additional thoroughfare corridors, there is an active lawsuit seeking to force METREAUX to comply with the 2003 "Solutions" scheme, and the FTA ordered METREAUX not to start two of the extensions.

Costs escalate daily, quikly pushing the proposed project costs into the stratospere.  And Houstonians are realizing that the urban rail robber barons playing Monopoly with our precious tax money are not solving the mobility problem in Houston.

I, and several others have filed Civil Rights violation complaints against METREAUX, and based on the findings, it is my hope that METREAUX will be ordered to restore the critical bus service it slashed, abusing the poor, minority, elderly, and handicapped bus transit dependent riders throughout the service area.

It sure looks like METRO may soon be derailed.

I ride METRO:

Because I get to met some really caring ops...like those on this blog!

...and the whining and _________ continues for Mr. Roykeaux.  Please give him a round of applau...no...BOO!!

"I, and several others have filed Civil Rights violation complaints against METREAUX, and based on the findings, it is my hope that METREAUX will be ordered to restore the critical bus service it slashed, abusing the poor, minority, elderly, and handicapped bus transit dependent riders throughout the service area."

Do you realize how CORNY that sounds?  You and your "followers" have no control over METRO and how they're trying to please people like me.  You may think you do because they'll need your precious tax money---which I still think it's no good here---but you have NO final say in decisions that's best for this transit agency.

Also, how many doggone times must I tell you why METRO is getting rid of routes in certain areas?  I know but I'm not telling you that.  Figure that out because I'm in NO _______ mood for repeating it.

What you're trying to do is to ruin mass transit in Houston---BIG TIME---and I seriously hope that METRO doesn't stand for it.  You know you are so PLEASE don't deny it.

Whatever you're trying to do, I hope you LOSE!

Mr. Collins,

I could not be any more effective at disrupting the critical bus service throughout the service area, decimating businesses along a once thriving thoroughfare in the 4th largest city in America, and squandering the precious taxpayer resources on boondoggles than METREAUX has already.