The Long Beach Depressed-Line

Last Friday I  visited Connie Glickman at the Cedars Sinai Hospital. She had survived the knife wounds and was ready to get back to her Beverly Wood residence. I left after four o'clock -- too late for the Metro-link - but not for the Long Beach Blue Line. 
   It cost me thirty five cents to take the Purple Metro Line out of Western towards the Union Station. I threw the dice and opted to exit at the Seventh Street Station. Mistake. What seemed like a million people waited for the Long Beach Blue Line. An overhead screen said it would arrive in one minute. 
An announcement  was made. 
   "There is only one line working towards Long Beach. They other track is being worked on, so you will be delayed!" This was typical for the Long Beach line, since muggings,  killings and bad tracks keep patrons railing at the bit. 
   Pushing and shoving ensued but I found a corner to stand on. At least I made it aboard. More people boarded at each long stop. The sun hit me on my bleached head and I tried to get into my bag for sun screen but could move my hands. 
   At each stop, bikes, boards, the homeless piled on with radios playing rap music. The handlebars hit me on my side but I didn't complain since the owner probably had been let out of prison early due to some Obama mandate. 
    And where were the conductors. Hell-if-I know?  I have never seen a conductor on any of these cars, since it is too scary. At the Compton Station half of the boarders spilled out. A man stood up and I grabbed his seat, and of course thanked God for this interchange. 
    My stop was the Fifth Street Station where I was in luck. The 91 bus had just arrived off and I boarded for the nominal 60 cent fare. It took me to the Veterans Hospital on Seventh where I boarded a #60 bus on my way to Beach and Surf City. 
     I hopped on the 29 bus on my way back to civilization and a warm couch at the Five Points Senior Apartments. 
    I picked up a bit of good news from my mail box. The new 560 train out of Long Beach could now only take me to Beach, but all the way, yes all the way to the Amtrak and the Metro Link Station in Santa Ana. No longer do I have to depend on the 29 since the 560 runs frequently out of Long Beach. 

And by and by, a good way to get to the Del Mar Fair or the beginning of the Del Mar Thoroughbred meet is by taking this bus to the Santa Ana Station...Only a fool drives to Del MAR. and it delivers you right at the Solano Beach Station where a big two story red bus delivers you to the track. July fifteenth id opening day .