Hello all,
I wanted to share with you my experience with LYNX on Saturday. We are from the Winston-Salem area and came down to Charlotte with the kids...
Saturday about 4 p.m. we went to the I-485/South Blvd. station. I noticed the parking deck was PACKED. On the platform only 1 of the ticket machines worked and there was a big line of about 10 people in front of me. A CATS worker was there helping people figure out the machine. A guy in front of me was getting really nervous as he feared he might miss the train. He did. He was upset. He eventually had to wait about 35-40 minutes for the next train to leave. He told his wife, "We could have drove uptown and already been there." Apparently he was going to an RV show of some kind. He said they're going to miss the whole thing. I kind of felt bad for him as the train drove off and he was still waiting in line to get a ticket.
Finally, I get to the machine. Now, I've bought tickets in Atlanta (MARTA) and Washington (METRO) and the Las Vegas monorail with no trouble at all and I have to say the ticket machine was kind of confusing! It was slow too. After I was paid up and all done, it took about 25 seconds for the tickets to print off.
The train itself? Super cool! I loved it. The kids thought it was the coolest thing in the universe. I saw a CATS employee counting riders. We got off at the East/West Blvd. station and had an outstanding dinner at Pikes Old Fashioned Soda Shop. Great place!
Later, we got back on and went all the way downtown. The train was absolutely packed! We were like sardines in a can. This older couple got on at the next stop: she was mentally retarded and in a wheel chair and her husband didn't smell so good. My wife got stuck next to them and the woman (carrying a bag of stuffed animals and dolls) kept wanting to touch my kids. The black lady beside me was making soulful stares at my wife who nodded right back at her with a smile. I guy with a bike was right behind me and by the time I got off downtown there was black all over my legs. The kids loved downtown with the buildings and all. We could see thousands of people checking in at the Bobcat Arena for the game. Exciting place.
The trip back to I-485/South Blvd. was a lot lighter but every seat was just about full. The kids loved it and this kid (me) loved it too. I love Charlotte. I love LYNX.
Two suggestions: 1) new ticket machines and 2) trains need to come more often on weekends. I noticed once we got back to I-485/SB that the northbound train was overflowing. The people were stuffed in there pretty tight!
