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Definitely unique. I've never lived in DC but visited a few times for work and was flabbergasted when I heard about slug lines (I still am). It's a bad drivin

Definitely unique. I've never lived in DC but visited a few times for work and was flabbergasted when I heard about slug lines (I still am). It's a bad driving situation when you'll voluntarily get into a stranger's car, and drivers will just let random strangers in their car. That doesn't happen in any of the cities I've lived in.

rdtsc 9y ago
An acquaintance I know has been going to work via a slug line for more than 10 years. It's impressive that it is reliable enough for getting to a day job. There are even unwritten rules you're supposed to follow and so on when in someone else's car. Now I guess with Lyft and Uber it might seem less strange being in someone else's car these days. But before I can see how it would look totally weird for someone from out of town.
cobbzilla 9y ago
They do this in the SF Bay area, it's called casual carpool. Very popular in the East Bay. I used to do it for many years, both as a driver and passenger. It's all about getting past the Bay Bridge toll plaza, and the carpool lane goes way faster than the (sometimes horribly) backed up traffic. The FastTrac lanes aren't any good when it gets so backed up. Yes there are myriad unspoken rules, and hilarious stories about when they are flagrantly violated. But over the years I've had some great rides, met some wonderful people, discovered some new music, and generally enjoyed the experience of intermixing with fellow humanity in a random but mutually beneficial way.
- JetSpiegel 9y ago
  Can't you have that experience every day using BART?
  - cobbzilla 9y ago
    Walking to the nearest casual carpool pickup spot is closer & faster to city for most people vs walk/walk+bus to BART. Regarding the mixing with humanity point, I think you'd agree sharing a car is a tad more intimate than sharing a sardine-packed train car.
sitkack 9y ago
At Microsoft in the 90s people would swoop by the bus stops to pick up bodies on Fridays for the HOV lanes home.

rdtsc 9y ago

An acquaintance I know has been going to work via a slug line for more than 10 years. It's impressive that it is reliable enough for getting to a day job. There are even unwritten rules you're supposed to follow and so on when in someone else's car. Now I guess with Lyft and Uber it might seem less strange being in someone else's car these days. But before I can see how it would look totally weird for someone from out of town.

cobbzilla 9y ago

They do this in the SF Bay area, it's called casual carpool. Very popular in the East Bay. I used to do it for many years, both as a driver and passenger. It's all about getting past the Bay Bridge toll plaza, and the carpool lane goes way faster than the (sometimes horribly) backed up traffic. The FastTrac lanes aren't any good when it gets so backed up. Yes there are myriad unspoken rules, and hilarious stories about when they are flagrantly violated. But over the years I've had some great rides, met some wonderful people, discovered some new music, and generally enjoyed the experience of intermixing with fellow humanity in a random but mutually beneficial way.

JetSpiegel 9y ago
Can't you have that experience every day using BART?
- cobbzilla 9y ago
  Walking to the nearest casual carpool pickup spot is closer & faster to city for most people vs walk/walk+bus to BART. Regarding the mixing with humanity point, I think you'd agree sharing a car is a tad more intimate than sharing a sardine-packed train car.

sitkack 9y ago

At Microsoft in the 90s people would swoop by the bus stops to pick up bodies on Fridays for the HOV lanes home.