DRIVERS STRIKE

The whole idea is a farce. Attempting to take something that has worked for a long time and twist it around to suit your needs is very self centered. Take your tips and I'll make sure you file your 1099's. It is taxable income. I rarely slug but I do pick up slugs 2 days a week. I have a large gas guzzling sedan and I fill up twice a week at 50.00 a pop. I could move in closer to the city but I like living in Stafford. So I pay the price. Way it is.

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Originally posted by AveMaria
[br]I am departing from Dale City with a destination to Ballston but am willing to Metro to work from Pentagon.

Thanks for the flyer suggestion, btw.

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I also slug from Dale City with a final destination to Ballston. I cannot speak to the other's issues but I was forced to use the main lanes for about a year or so due to the location of my son's previous daycare, which was located near Ft. Belvior. Last May we switched him to a location near my office and he and I pick up slugs every day.

I hate to sound like an infomercial or testimonial, but picking up slugs has truly made a difference to me. Since it's me and a 21 month old, I can pick up 1 or 2 slugs. If there are a lot of riders and hardly any cars I take 2. If there's a long line of drivers I take 1 and I'm off. Those getting into the car seem to be very receptive to my little one. They're nice and friendly. My boy dozes off by Lorton and (when there's no back up) I'm at the Pentagon in no time. I can then drop him off and I'm in the office between 8:40 and 9 am. I'm less stressed and actually have time to eat a little breakfast before starting work.

I'll admit I'm not overjoyed with the gas prices, but that's not going to stop me from picking up slugs. I like coming into work relaxed and my days are much less stressful now. I would be open to a car pool but I'm forced to drive.

"I'm Charlotte Taylor Wilson. I'm with the People's Independence Committee".
"Don Diego Vega. I'm with the greedy bloodsuckers." ~Zorro

With all the emotion surrounding this issue and the fact that you can reply anonymously makes this topic very amuzing. Are we missing the most basic point in all of this? The slug system has existed successfully for a long time and its based on a very simple principal. Supply and demand. There is an equilibrium that exists. That equilibrium may be altered for the worse if gas prices don't come down soon. Gas has doubled in the last week. Who knows how much more it will go up. Many of us who drive out of convenience can no longer drive because of the cost. With the wear and tear on my vehicle, I estimate it now would cost me $35/day to drive. I could take a bus for $10/day and get $200 a month to help pay for it or I could slug like most and pay nothing with the exception of a few hours of my time per week.

Its not so much that you should be worried about a strike, it should be the fear that one of the most successful grass roots system ever conceived by the metro DC area workers could be in jeopardy.

the cost differential in carpooling versus slugging is the price paid for flexibility and guarantee that you are the one driving your car when you need to. the system is elastic enough to support as many or as few riders as is physically possible given space constraints in automobiles. yes all the slugs one day could decide to take the bus and screw all the drivers, but everybody gets to work slower, is unhappy etc... and yes, one day all the drivers could set up carpools with each other and drop the slugs like a bad habit, but lets be honest neither of those two things is going to happen. the only thing that will happen if a norm of tipping/fee develops is the guarantee that many slugs will take the bus and ultimately decrease supply of riders, which decreases number of HOV rides possible, which in turn screws drivers. nobody wins.

So if I read you correctly, Rosebud, you are pro-tipping? What do you look like? I'll keep an eye out if you're from Rt 3.