Beggin', part II; WMATA to extend Yellow Line

Earlier, Aaron described a beggar on a Metrorail train, which is an unusual sight. Rarely am I approached for money while aboard Metrorail. Lately though I have encountered some people with a new tactic. One of them will board a train and immediately begin distributing 4x6-inch cards printed on glossy photo paper. The card has a small photo of a family, along with some blocky text in broken English about the family's journey from Eastern Europe that has left them penniless. Perhaps lending credibility to the story, I have seen a man, a woman, and a late-teenaged girl distributing these cards, though each was working alone when I saw them.

They'll start at one end of the car and hand the cards to people, without speaking a word. Then they'll walk back through the car, collecting the cards and (hopefully for them) some money.

I don't think I'm the only one who has spotted this family more than once. I saw each of them on different occasions riding the Red Line in the late afternoon between New York Avenue and Silver Spring. The first time I saw this, many people (including me) accepted the cards and gave them a look. One woman made a comment to me about the unorthodoxy of the technique. "Yeah, these aren't cheap either," I said of the leaflets that had been printed with an inkjet on photo paper. Now, I have noticed that the rate of card uptake has dropped dramatically. Maybe the family will try a new Metrorail segment--if they haven't already.

Maybe they'll start riding the Yellow Line when it gets extended. Apparently the Metro board has approved an extension of the Yellow Line, though only during off-peak hours. This will give extra service to several mid-city Green Line stations, without requiring any additional rolling stock. Of course signage and maps will need to be changed, and some signal upgrades will be needed at Fort Totten. Operating the higher-frequency service will cost a few million dollars a year.

D.C. councilmember and Metro board member Jim Graham pushed the idea. Graham has been good at securing Metro benefits for his ward--he's also been a big proponent of Metrorail's extended weekend hours, which are great for the bars and nighclubs in his ward. Where are my Maryland board members? More offpeak service on the Red Line would be nice too...

EDIT: a few minutes later I saw this Post story; there will also be more Red service on the western leg of the line...

Today at the library I spotted Zachary Schrag's book, The Great Society Subway. As I read it I'll post notes here.