For the folks who want to see the "good", the "bad" and the "ugly" of what is right and wrong with LA transit these days for themselves, all Metro trains and buses will be free, including most municipal buses (Pasadena, Big Blue Bus, Culver City, etc.), and Metrolink trains will also be free, as well.

Langers, the home of the best pastrami sandwiches this side of Chicago is also open on weekdays, as well.

Despite some of the very real problems on Metro, I have not been harmed once in my recent travels on Metro, so for a pastrami, and a free trip somewhere on ML, I might just "chance it" again.

And in the last year, the visibility of "real" police officers, more MTA security, and the MTA's "Ambassadors", seems to have visibly reduced the sheer numbers of bums and criminals that were hanging out on the trains and in the stations, by quite a bit, with the recent "surge" in policing, to help restore order and to "take back" the MTA system from such folks. And the actual reported crime numbers do seem to be coming down quite a bit, as a result (go figure, that more "cops" means less folks committing crimes, what a concept, right?). This is despite several of the highly publicized incidents recently (like the recent Allen Station attacker, the bus murder and hijacking last week, or like on the ML train on Sunday), where all perps were apprehended and arrested by PD or Security personnel.

Unfortunately, for this "Free Transit Day" for "Transit Week' and "Clean Air Day" (Wednesday), there are a number of maintenance blitz closures and delays on MTA's rail system, and a closure of the D/Red Line to Korea town, beyond Vermont and Wilshire, for work connecting and testing the new extension for opening next year. So, check your planned routes for service advisories.

As the old picture of the billboard next to the congested highway used to say: "Next time, take the train..."