Sunday, August 11, 1996
By Kristin Fiore
Summer Bruin Senior Staff
Tired of thumbing for rides or thumbing through papers to find a
day’s diversion?
Even without traffic, getting around in Los Angeles can be a
burden for those who are careless or clueless when it comes to the
continent known as The Greater Los Angeles Area. Visitors and even
we natives are all too often frustrated by the pathetic state of
public transit in Tinseltown and its outskirts.
With this in mind, longtime Los Angeles denizen Edward Simburger
offers a novel approach to Los Angeles’ meager, but growing, public
transit system. "A Complete Guide to the Los Angeles Metrolink
Commuter Train System" is everything its lengthy title aspires to
be, complete with time grids, easy-to-read maps, prices on tickets
and passes as well as discount information, tips on planning trips
and possible destinations. In addition to Los Angeles, it covers
Riverside, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange Counties.
For those who have suffered the indignities of being a bumbling
tourist on the subway systems of Paris or New York, Simburger’s
hints on how to get around on Metrolink and its connecting buses
and trains without making a fool of yourself are extra valuable.
These tips may keep you from taking "accidental" trips, holding up
ticket lines or spending an hour and a half staring blankly at bus
schedules, which Simburger heroically endured for us.
Most sites mentioned, such as Exposition Park, China Town and a
variety of museums and theatres, are accompanied by directions,
phone numbers and background information. Nearby hotels,
restaurants, and even some gift and costume shops are noted.
The book is also packed with photographs; some are of the system
itself and some are of proposed leisure spots. The clear, colorful
maps indicate where the chosen points of interest lie and which
lines (Blue, Red, trains and bus lines, etc.) can be used to access
them.
As is true for most city-dwellers, many Los Angelenos have been
to few of the city’s landmarks and interesting sites. Because
Metrolink does not run through Los Angeles’ main arteries downtown
and on the Westside, this is doubly true of the sites Simburger
mentions, all of which lie near Metrolink’s paths.
This is good for those who want a new experience (and for the
traffic-weary who would like to get rid of them for a day), but not
great for those who are too busy to spend time changing trains or
traveling for an hour. Although Metrolink is a huge step forward in
Los Angeles’ practically non-existent public transit system, it is
not comprehensive enough to be an integral part of the lives of
most who live in Hollywood, Venice, or anywhere in between.
This may change in coming years and future Simburger editions,
as Los Angeles transportation continues to step into the 20th
century. Despite this shortcoming, Metrolink and Simburger ease the
ride for many longer-range commuters and offer a less stressful,
more informed way to tour the Los Angeles area.
Metrolink does not pass anywhere near UCLA, unfortunately for
Simburger, who almost incurred the Bruin wrath for including two
pictures of USC and not a word about UCLA. But since the trains
pass right by Trojan headquarters, we’ll let Simburger skate by
unscathed. We will, however, be waiting patiently for the next
edition.
Book: "A Complete Guide to the Los Angeles Metrolink Commuter
Train System," written by Edward Simburger and published by Yerba
Secca Publications. $15.95 suggested retail. Simburger will be at
Barnes & Noble, 10850 W. Pico Blvd., at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug.
25. For more info., call B&N at (310) 475- 4144.