Bay Area public transportation options often leave much to be desired. Mostly, our various agencies just leave us with the desire to take a different form of transportation. But still we wonder: is there a better way for a transit system to operate, or are we just prone to complaint? For some perspective, our urban studies correspondent from the Tenderloin Geographic Society paid a visit to our nation's capital to see how BART's closest cousin, the Washington Metro, stacks up against the rapid transit system we all know and loathe.

By: Tenderloin Geographic Society

We've known each other long enough that I can bring this up: you're addicted to transportation porn. Don't deny it, I've seen what you're like when you get into work, flushed, clammy-handed and wild-eyed. And you keep going back for more.

You like hearing about denial of service (textbook masochism), you love hearing about trains crashing (clinical sadists), and when you're not on the bus or train, you're online thinking it (NextMuni, Muni Diaries, The N-Judah Chronicles).

San Francisco, it doesn't have to be this way.

We can have a healthy transportation relationship that gets us where we're going and allows us to respect ourselves. I've been there, I've experienced what it's like when things go right. The Metro taught me to love again.