EASIER? YEAH RIGHT...

So, SEPTA wants to capitalize on that goodwill generated by those strong ridership increases on the Regional Rail system. What better way to capitalize on said goodwill then by making it slightly more difficult to purchase tickets at Center City stations, Trenton, and the Airport.

Two weeks from today, the ticket vending machines from these stations will be removed and replaced with ... nothing. Granted, the ticket machines were obsolete about 10 years ago, but the inexcusable part about it is that SEPTA hasn't even bothered to consider purchasing replacement TVMs. After all, why be like NJ Transit, who has been using TVM's that (1) accept the newer generation $5, $10, and $20 bills, (2) print out reasonably sized tickets that are not prone to misplacement, (3) in some locations, allow for purchase of PATH tickets and even New York City MetroCards, and (4) accept credit/debit cards. Why bother being like many of the other mass transit agencies in the nation and upgrade the fare collection system?

Easy, because this is SEPTA, whose new motto might as well be "quality customer service through longer ticket lines".

SEPTA ... A MODEL OF CONVENIENCE

As other transit agencies across the country are upgrading and modernizing their fare systems, SEPTA, in it's zeal to be convenient to it's customers, is taking the following passenger-friendly step to improve service to it's Regional Rail riders...

On January 27, SEPTA will remove all ticket vending machines at the Center City stations, the Airport, and Trenton.

Terriffic. Now, you can expect even longer lines at the ticket offices as SEPTA continues to improve it's system for the benefit of its customers. Granted, the machines are obsolete, but wouldn't it make sense to buy new TVM's before replacing the old ones?

Of course it would ... which is why SEPTA is doing the exact opposite...

FIRST STABBING OF THE YEAR...

That didn't take too long...

At around 05:20, "Transit Police", UPenn Police, and PPD 18th District officers responded to what was initially reported as a robbery on the platform at University City Rail Station at South St/Convention Av. PPD later put a flash out on J-Band reporting that this was a founded stabbing committed by two black males, who fled on bike towards the area of 30 St. The victim was transported by UPenn Police to HUP with a laceration to the wrist.

Yup, another great way to start a "safe" day on the SEPTA system...

STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE...

According to an investigative report that aired Wednesday on CBS3, SEPTA's track record as it pertains to the safe operation of the system is under scrutiny. Imagine that...

In a CBS 3 I-Team Exclusive , how safe are you riding SEPTA's regional rail lines? It is a question that is being asked following an I-Team investigation into last summer's train crash.

Every day, 100,000 riders depend on SEPTA's regional rail to deliver them safely to their destination. But 30 people were injured on the Warminster line when two trains collided head-on.

Our exclusive investigation found that SEPTA’s safety system, designed to prevent just a crash, didn’t."Lots of broken noses, broken faces, horrible shock, massive confusion," said eyewitness, Judy Grove.

Those who were there the afternoon of Saturday, July 1st remember the frightening scene as two SEPTA trains collided head on."

Most were in total shock, they didn’t know what really happened," said Grove.

Two weeks after the crash, SEPTA fired the engineer of the southbound train, claiming he went through a red signal onto a single track, colliding head-on with a second train.

However, confidential documents obtained by the CBS 3 I-Team, indicate much deeper safety problems. In fact, testimony connected to SEPTA’s own crash investigation shows that the systems designed to prevent crashes did not work. A train breeching a red signal should have immediately set off three alarms inside SEPTA’s main control center including one with a loud shriek.

Yet at a closed door hearing into the crash - two different employees on duty that day testified they never saw or heard any warnings.

Union Official Question: "At the time it is alleged the engineer passed the signal did you witness an audible or visual alarm?"
SEPTA Employee Answer: "No"

Whether the alarms actually went off is in dispute. Another control room worker reported that ‘phantom alarms’ indicating trains are going through red signals when in fact they are not, are so common that controllers may ignore them.

Union Official Question: "Does this mean that you routinely click off, on, or ignore certain alerts because the system gives you phantom warnings?"
SEPTA Employee Answer: "Yes, we call them hiccups, burps or whatever."
Union Official Question: "Does this happen frequently?"
SEPTA Employee Answer: "In certain areas, yes mainly on a Main Line, Center City"

The Union is appealing the train engineer's dismissal. At the time, SEPTA said all of the train signals were working properly.

On Wednesday, SEPTA officials would not comment because the National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the crash. However, SEPTA reiterated that its regional rail system has an excellent safety record.

Stop me if you're shocked by these findings... This is on top of the lack of adequate security at SEPTA's rail yards, the decision by the SEPTA "Transit Police" to discontinue it's plainclothes patrols, and the Powelton Yard fiasco where a suspicious device (later found to be harmless) was stored in a locker at the rail yard for nearly a week.

Feel safer now?

DRILL AT STRAFFORD

Today's drill at the Strafford Rail Station was essentially nothing more than a major radio test to judge the inter-operability of the various county-wide radio systems along with SEPTA . Tredyffrin Twp Police, Amtrak Police, Radnor Fire Co., Berwyn Fire Co., and Narberth Ambulance were the agencies that were on scene along with Chester County's COMM-1 mobile command post and DelCo's Mobile 3 command post. For the most part, while there was a lot of radio traffic, this wasn't a traditional emergency drill that SEPTA has conducted in the past. R5 service through Strafford was largely unaffected.

DRILL TODAY ON THE R-5

According to an posting in a scanning related group that I belong to, a drill is scheduled sometime around 10:00 hours today at the Strafford Train Station on the R5 Paoli/Thorndale line. This is reported to be an communications interoperability drill involving Chester County, Delaware County, SEPTA, Amtrak, and the federal government in order to test the inter-op capabilities between the various communications systems. There's no word on what exactly the "incident" will be nor if it will have an direct impact on rail service.

RENDELL FUMBLES ON $CHUYLKILL VALLEY

Just in time for the electoral silly season, Gov. Edward G. Rendell (D-Pa./Comcast SportsNet) is pleased to offer the following gift for those who were seeking an extension of the R-6 Norristown line to Phoenixville, Pottstown and Reading...

"Schuylkill Valley Metro -- gone -- that isn’t going to happen."

This according to the Daily Local News in today's editions. While gracious enough to interrupt his very busy schedule as an Iggles commentator to play the role that the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania elected him to do - you know, that rather minor position known as Governor which requires the person to competently run the state government. Rendell told the editorial board of the Norristown Times-Herald (a sister paper to the Daily Local) that exact quote in describing the current status of the controversial project.

"We’ll never get the (necessary) funding."

The sad part is that anyone with half a brain (which automatically disqualifies 90 percent of teh Rotating Resumes at 1234 Market) could've figured that out.

The state’s share for the rail project is $300 million. The rest would have to come from the federal government or private investors. Rendell said cost-cutting measures had been discussed.

"In light of the new construction costs, it’s untenable," he said.The cost of highway construction has gotten so expensive the state is considering toll roads in the future to pay for building and maintaining the Commonwealth’s roadways, said the governor.

Obviously, Rendell seems to have bigger priorities in mind, such as, the Iggles pre-season and getting re-elected.

The Ink-waster reports in today's edition that the super-secret task force established by state Transportation czar Allen Biehler was in the process of pulling the plug on said task force, a group so secret, even SEPTA officials were left out of the loop (which, to an extent, may not have been such a bad idea at the time).

Biehler conceded yesterday that those discussions proved futile. No option that the group discussed, he said, would meet the stringent cost per passenger formulas needed to qualify for federal funding.

The task foce has not met since last fall, and Biehler said it will soon disband.

I think I speak for a majority of the riding public when I ask, "Who the hell knew you guys were meeting in the first place?"

Not surprsingly, many elected officals in the western suburbs, still recovering from the freshly placed wounds in their collective backs were less than thrilled with King Eddie's "no can do" addy-tude. Leading off, U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-6th/West Pikeland):

"It was unfortunate and premature for the governor to make that statement ... But there are still a lot of things to look at yet before someone says it's dead.

"Thirty million dollars, that’s a significant investment by taxpayers, which tells me that we still have a significant amount of work that should" be done to justify that expenditure...

"You can run with a diesel train, you can run with ground-level platforms, you can run with less frequent service ... you don't necessarily need the Cadilac version in order to reestablish service."

Next up, State Sen. James Refferty (R-44th/Collegeville):

"We’re all in agreement there’s a need for a line in the area."

Commissioner Thomas Jay Ellis (R-Montgomery County/Anger Management Class):

"The county’s definitely committed to this for a number of reasons." ... Ellis referenced the need for revitalizing local areas in cities like Pottstown and Reading where there is already development.

"We don’t want to see any more sprawl in this area," he said.

Barry Cassidy, executive director of Phoenixville’s Main Street program, said he was not sure of the status of the project.

"But if the Schuylkill Valley Metro is dead, then we will try to push for an (SEPTA) R-6 extension from Norristown," he said Wednesday.

Which is exactly what should've been done in the first place! DUH!

State Rep. Carole Rubley, R-157th, of Tredyffrin,called Rendell’s comments "discouraging." "It is discouraging to hear him say that because we will need his support to free up those funds," she said Wednesday, referring to the state’s $300 million share of the project. "It’s a terrific project. Whether its doable remains to be seen."

Rubley emphasized that there is still a lot of interest in the project and stakeholders were working to find creative solutions to pare down costs.

Whether or not the geniuses at 1234 Market get the message remains to be seen...

(NOTE: As of the time of this posting - 03:04 hours - the Inky had yet to update it's web site to accomodate posting of it's article.)

MULTIPLE PERSON v. VEHICLE INCIDENTS

Yesterday was one very busy day for EMS workers across the region, as far as SEPTA related incidents are concerned.

The mess started at around 07:00, when two teenage girls were struck by a SEPTA bus at 29-Allegheny in North Philadelphia. The injuries were non-life threatening.

Shortly after that incident, a 23 bus was involved in an accident involving 3 other vehicles on the 7500 block of Germantown Av in Chestnut Hill. At least two passengers on the bus were taken to local hospitals.

Later in the afternoon, police and EMS were dispatched at around 13:30 to Glenolden, where a tresspasser was struck and killed by a train along the NEC/R2 Marcus Hook line in the area of Ashland Av bridge. Service was delayed by about 20 minutes in both directions until around 17:00, when service slowly returned to normal (my R2 from Delaware - scheduled to depart Claymont at 16:51 - was delayed by less than 10 minutes; arrived in Chester only 7 minutes down, but missed my connection to the 118).

Two hours later, in Bucks County, a 24-year-old male was struck and killed by a train near Chalfont Station on the R5 Lansdale line. The victim was discovered at around 15:30 by a northbound train crew. It is believed that the victim may have been struck by an earlier train; the matter is still under investigation.

Finally, a 73-year-old woman was struck and seriously injured in South Philadelphia. The incident occured shortly before 21:00 last night on the 400 block of Oregon in South Philadelphia as the victim was struck by a 57 bus. The victim was taken to Jefferson Hospital with severe leg injuries.

That's 7 people confirmed to have been killed or injured on the SEPTA system in a nearly 14 hour period due to accidents. Yipes...

AFTER THE FACT

It's hard to believe (well, no really it isn't) that people are still flogging SEPTA over their half-a**ed operation during the Live 8 aftermath. In case you need a refresher, the entire system went into chaos as SEPTA seemed unprepared for the massive influx of riders trying to get home after the concert. Well, the Daily News (a fully-paid subsidiary of Michael Moore, Inc.) offered a couple of New Year's resolutions to SEPTA's Board Chairman Don Pasquale and SEPTA's Minister of Mis-information Richard Maloney in yesterday's editions:

SEPTA's chief spokesman resolves to remember that his agency's job is to move people. All of them. And his boss, Pat Deon, vows to consider leasing equipment from New Jersey Transit when facing a holiday crunch.

The crush of people heading home from the July 2 Live8 concert turned Suburban Station into a transit nightmare. Thousands waited for hours in stifling heat for trains because SEPTA didn't have enough cars to handle the load. "This was our best day in SEPTA rail history," Maloney declared in grand "Baghdad Bob" style. "It could not have gone better."

Now, if only Fearless Leader would resolve to resign as SEPTA boss, "Brooksie" would resolve to keep his yap shut for the next 4 years, and the SEPTA "Tranist Police" could resolve to operate like a real police department instead of as glorified rent-a-cops who can't get a job with the Philadelphia Police, then all will be well in SEPTA land...

TRESPASSER STRUCK BY AMTRAK TRAIN

A tresspasser was struck and killed along the NEC near Folcroft, Delaware County earlier today. At approximately 14:25, the victim was struck by a southbound Amtrak train in the area of the 1800 block of Baltimore Av near the Folcroft station; the train involved was either Acela Express 2159 or Acela Regional 171, both of which were scheduled to have left 30 St Station a few minutes prior to the incident (14:12 and 14:13, respectively). Folcroft PD requested DelCo Station 01 (Folcroft Fire Co) to assist in the removal of the victim. Service had been shut down for most of the mid-afternoon as police investigated.

FATAL AT DEL VAL STATION

An R5 Doylestown train struck and killed a man near the Delaware Valley College station in Central Bucks. The incident occured at around 12:25, as the #535 (12:22 Doylestown to Malvern) pulled into Del Val; according to reports, the victim was struck by the southbound train and pronounced DOA. More details should be available tomorrow.

ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR SECURITY

NBC10 ran an investigative report (with video) on Tuesday night regarding security - or lack thereof - at SEPTA rail yards. As expected, and given SEPTA's track record, the results weren't pretty.

The apparent intent of the story was to expose lax security at SEPTA's regional rail yards on the heels of mass transit bombings in Madrid and London. Apparently, SEPTA learned nothing from the Powelton Yard fiasco last year.

The NBC 10 Investigators went to work when some SEPTA employees called them to tell them that they are worried about security.

The SEPTA trains you might be boarding tomorrow are sitting in an unsecured train parking lot tonight.

"We could have a picnic here, technically, and plant anything we want under one of these (trains)," said a SEPTA employee who did not want to be identified.

There are no cameras, no security guards and no fence to stop anyone from getting into the Warminster train yard. No one questioned the NBC 10 Investigators and the SEPTA whistleblower as they climbed onto the train. If The Investigators could get on board the train, anybody could -- even a terrorist.

Or, for that matter, vandals who happen to "accidentally" release brakes and send a train rolling unattended down the tracks.

"Anybody could easily plant something on this train all night and wait until it hits Center City," said the undercover SEPTA source.

"No signs telling you to stay off the property," the source said.

Perhaps at Warminster, that's the case, but at some stations, there are signs warning trespassers to stay off the property.

The SEPTA source took The Investigators to the Doylestown station where, once again, there was no one to see them or question what they were doing.

"You want to put a biochemical agent in that? Piece of cake," the source said.

The British found out how easy it was when terrorist bombs took a deadly toll on the London transit system last summer. SEPTA responded with pamphlets telling riders that security is tighter while you're on board and that employees are trained.

"That's a bold-faced lie. We're not trained in any kind of security for these trains as far as anything like 9/11 or the bombings in London or Spain," the SEPTA source said.

Surprise, surprise, surprise...

The Investigators and the SEPTA source went to Roberts Yard in Philadelphia and found one security camera, but nobody stopped them. The train doors were open. After about 45 minutes, The Investigators finally went into the office to alert security that they were on the premises.

"You're a supervisor?" (NBC 10's Lu Ann) Cahn asks.

"Yeah, stand by," the supervisor said.

While she stood by, Cahn talked to a SEPTA mechanic.

"What's your worst fear?" Cahn asked.

"Someone could come in here, put a bomb on the train, something like that," the mechanic said.

The supervisor makes calls to report the presence of The Investigators, but nothing happens.

Apparently, the "Transit Police" on duty were busy on other high priority calls, or were doing what they normally do - virtually nothing.

The Investigators showed Congressman Curt Weldon the video of their trip to the train yards. Weldon is the vice chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

"That's ridiculous. It's outrageous," Weldon said. "That's just waiting for a disaster to occur."

And if anyone is qualified to make such a statement, it's Congressman Weldon, the former chief of the Marcus Hook fire department.

The Investigators also showed the video to SEPTA.

"So, what are you suggesting?" asked Richard Maloney, SEPTA's spokesman.

How about firing the morons in charge of public safety, starting with Hack Extraordinare James B. Jordan, and "Transit Police Chief" Richard Evans?

"I'm not being sarcastic. I have never heard of any terrorists planning an attack on, essentially, a train parking lot."

One, the Minister of Mis-information probably is being sarcastic; two, I highly doubt the NYPD or FDNY had heard of terrorists hijacking planes and slamming them into buildings either.

"That's a cop out. If you're a terrorist, you're going to plant something separate from the passengers, and you're going to leave a device, especially if it's a remotely-activated device, like they used in London," Weldon said.

And more than likely not get caught doing so...

"Why are train doors just wide open?" Cahn asked Maloney.

"Because we have had no reports of it being a vulnerable area," Maloney said.

Well, a**hole, now you do...

Maloney said that SEPTA has spent $7.5 million federal dollars on beefing up security where passengers come and go. But SEPTA admitted it hasn't spend any money on securing the rail yards.

As far as training is concerned, Maloney said the company spends one day a year on emergency procedures -- some in mock exercises -- that prepares employees for all types of emergencies.

"If I had people in those positions telling me that they had not had the training?" Cahn asks.

"Mistaken," Maloney said.

Does anyone else see Maloney's nose growing with each passing lie?

"I'm going to today ask for SEPTA's homeland security plan," Weldon said.

Good luck, Congressman. You'll have an easier time finding Jimmy Hoffa...

Riders want answers, too.

"It's terrible. It's a disgrace," one rider said.

"I'm shocked. You can walk right in," another rider said.

"This is America. We're supposed to have a free society and people aren't supposed to just wander in where they're not supposed to be on private property. There's a basic honor system here," Maloney said.

Honor, huh? Now there's a foreign concept at 1234 Market...

"If you really want to show these passengers you care about them, protect the yards because I don't think they're very safe," NBC 10's source said.

Local rail systems in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles all told the NBC 10 Investigators that they have taken measures to secure their rail yards. Weldon has fired off a letter to SEPTA demanding to know what the transit system in Philadelphia is going to do to secure their rail yards.

Probably what SEPTA always does... virtually nothing...

In an alternate universe, however, SEPTA should at least reach out to the townships and boroughs that host rail layover yards at terminal points. This would include Warminster and Doylestown Boro in Bucks, Norristown (ha ha ha) and Lansdale boroughs in MontCo, Media (or Nether Providence) in DelCo, and Ewing Twp, New Jersey (for West Trenton station). It might not hurt to have East Whiteland do some supplemental patrols at Frazer Yard, nor for Philadelphia Police to check out the two Chestnut Hill stations and Fox Chase as well.

I remember one semi-regular contributor to the pre-blog site who was a Philadelphia Police officer who occasionally did patrols through SEPTA facilities to supplement any "security" that SEPTA may have. Don't know if SEPTA took too kindly to it, but hey, every extra set of eyes and ears helps. Right?

Meanwhile, rail yards aren't the only facilities that have security issues...

Some of SEPTA's bus facilities are also as vulnerable. In the past, I've personally seen, among other things, buses at Comly Depot parked along a side street adjacent to Bustleton Av. Additionally, one could just as easily walk onto the Frontier bus yard in Plymouth and either tamper with vehicles or even drive a bus off the property without anyone noticing.

In fact, over the past several years, there have been a few buses stolen from the Red Arrow bus yard in Upper Darby, the most recent being October 26, 2000 - five years ago today, as a matter of fact - the account from the pre-blog archives:

Two teens simply walked onto the Red Arrow bus lot in Upper Darby at around 23:30 on Thursday, October 26, and took off with 8859, which was in the fueling lane following that day's runs. Red Arrow operator Julius Major followed the stolen bus down Market St to 63 St, where he flagged down a Philadelphia Police officer. The chase ended at the corner of 62-Walton Sts in West Philadelphia, when 8859 crashed into a PPD cruiser and eventually struck a building. One Philadelphia Police officer was taken to the Hospital of the Univ. of Pennsylvania for minor injuries. 8859 suffered damage to the left windshield, front bumper, side panel, and frame.

This incident brings back memories of a similar incident [in 1997 - ed.] when Allegheny (at the time) #5267 was hijacked on Lehigh Av during a 54 trip early one weekday morning. 5267 - the only NABI to be officially listed as scrapped on the SEPTA roster [at the time - ed.] - crashed into the El structure at Kensington and Lehigh, and is now stored at Berridge, awaiting disposition.

... Maloney said that this was the third SEPTA bus to be stolen [in 2000 - ed.] (the other two buses were taken from Callowhill and Midvale), and that 8859 would be out of service temporarily, however may be scrapped, as a few 8800s have been retired recently. Maloney also told the Philadelphia Inquirer, "If neccesary, we could add more security, but it would come at the expense of ease of operations."

Nearly five years later, the lax mentality of SEPTA as is pertains to security still exists... God help the passengers...

NIBMY-ISM IN LOWER BUCKS

You just can't please some people...

Residents in the Trevose district of Bensalem Township were complaining about R3 commuters using residential streets near the Trevose station are now complaining about SEPTA's proposal to solve the problem:

Bill Kennedy, whose house sits near the bottom of a nearby hill, worried about drainage. "If they blacktop that field up the hill, where's all that water going to go?" he asked.

Charles Brinkerhoff, 71, said exchanging a glade of tall trees for a parking lot across the street would ruin the value of his house. Brinkerhoff also objected to building the project with tax money, diverted from federal highway funds by Gov. Ed Rendell (D-Pa./Comcast SportsNet)to bail out mass transit.

"Now, they're going to use this money to ruin my neighborhood," he said.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has obtained a series of special zoning variances for the 120-car lot. SEPTA needs further approvals from the (Bensalem) township council and zoning hearing board. AP

People, get a grip...

SEPTA SAFE? UM, OKAY... (AND A LITTLE BACKLOG CLEARING)

In Friday's editions of the Philadelphia Inquirer (a fully-paid subsidiary of the Democratic National Committee), columnist John Grogan - who rarely has anything intelligent to say - offered a follow-up to a previous column in which he absolutely slammed SEPTA's horrible performance on the Regional Rail during the Live 8 event. Here's Grogan's initial take on the Live 8 fiasco from July 11:

Did you know that our regional train-and-bus system, that beloved model of crack public-sector efficiency, operated "flawlessly" during the Live 8 concert?

Not "pretty good." Not "about as well as could be expected." Not even "beyond our expectations." Flawlessly. As in without flaw; perfect; incapable of being improved upon.
SEPTA. Flawless. No kidding.

That would be the same SEPTA that left thousands of tired and frustrated concertgoers waiting for interminable periods. The one that seemed caught off guard by the crush of humanity, as if no one had mentioned the fact that there was going to be a little gathering of, oh, about 700,000 people on the Ben Franklin Parkway July 2 and that city officials were urging everyone to leave their cars behind and take public transit.

Not to mention the same system that routinely botches subway-surface service after the 4th of July fireworks on the Parkway...

Who gave this A-plus assessment? Why, none other than the transit agency's top dog himself, Pasquale T. "Pat" Deon Sr., chairman of SEPTA's board.

He was so thrilled with his system's performance, he wrote a testimonial, which appeared in Wednesday's Inquirer. In it, Deon described a finely tuned people-moving machine rising to the challenge of transporting "people by the tens of thousands."

And who exactly tuned this machine, William Hung?

He praised the "dozens of yellow-vested SEPTA employees" who filled the stations, pleasantly helping tired concertgoers find their way.

Then thecoup de grace: "The rail system operated at its absolute physical capacity and it worked flawlessly."

Only one problem: Many passengers offered a starkly different version of reality. And they did it through gnashing teeth, so disgusted were they with SEPTA's performance during the concert rush.

They obviously have never riden the system during the week...

Chairman Deon, meet satisfied customer Lewis Ostrander, 30, a software engineer, who decided to ride SEPTA to Live 8.

Take it away, Lewis: "We were waiting for the R6 in Manayunk around 9 a.m. We were waiting and waiting for the train." When none arrived, Ostrander and about 50 other commuters walked to a nearby bus station.

"There was a woman at the bus station, whom we all assumed was in charge. She had her uniform on along with her walkie-talkie," he wrote. "The woman had no idea what was going on and why there were so many people waiting for a bus... . There were two buses in the lot behind the transfer station. Both drivers were sitting in the front seat reading the paper."

Finally, another bus pulled up. "Everyone is relieved that we are finally going to get to the event. It is now 10:30 a.m. We have been waiting for a train or bus for 1 1/2 hours," Ostrander recounted. "The bus driver pulls up to the entrance and flips on his 'Out of Service' light. About 50 people were about to go 'postal' on SEPTA. The bus driver refused to take anyone anywhere."

It's called rush hour deluxe...

The return trip was even worse.

"At the end of the day we took the R6 train from Suburban Station," he wrote. "It was jungle hot, no information and mass chaos. I think I saw about three SEPTA employees in the entire station. People were running around like chickens without heads."

...and it worked flawlessly.

Then there was Jan Waldauer, 36, of Media, who kept a minute-by-minute journal of her ill-fated commute home, which began at 11:15 p.m. at the Market Street East station and did not end until 2:30 a.m.

"We could have walked faster," she wrote. "Nice job, SEPTA; you actually made US Airways look good."

Anyone who has ever flown can probably agree with that assessment...

She described waiting with her fellow passengers for more than an hour just to make the hop to Suburban Station, where she continued to wait.

My favorite of her entries: "Suburban Station, 1:40am: Train pulls in going our direction, but doors do not open. Conductor walks through the train, ignoring people as they knock on the doors. Good God, are they going to leave us here?"

Of course they are. It's SEPTA...

Meanwhile, on Friday, Grogan wrote a follow-up column which in effect suggests that anyone who thought SEPTA was so "flawless" should be committed to Norristown State Hospital for a psych eval...

SEPTA is sticking with its story.

It operated "flawlessly" during the July 2 Live 8 concert, and that's all there is to it. No ifs, ands or buts.

I know this because SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney told me so the other day. I had called to ask him, in light of numerous complaints from concertgoers, some of whom waited at stations for hours to get home, whether he thought his description had been just a tad over the top.

And of course, anything that comes out of the mouth of SEPTA's Minister of Mis-Information has to be true. That's just the way it is...

Not at all, Maloney said. "We were able to move a historic number of people in a very short period of time. I am not the least bit apologetic."

Nor, sir, are you sane...

I wondered aloud if perhaps it was that word flawless that rankled so many. Not only had Maloney used it, but so had SEPTA board chairman Pat Deon. A poor choice, perhaps?

"No, it's not, because it was," Maloney said. Flawless, that is.

I am desparately trying to stifle laughter at that statement...

If you were one of the thousands of concertgoers crammed into Suburban Station on July 2, you might wonder from which planet Maloney just arrived.

It sure as hell isn't Earth...

He concedes that many had to wait in hot, crowded conditions, but argues that SEPTA rose to the challenge. "We had every single piece of equipment out there operating, and operating at ultimate capacity," he said. "We couldn't have possibly done more."

I have heard from dozens who asked why SEPTA did not, for example, organize park-and-ride lots with express buses. Or borrow extra trains from New Jersey Transit. Or abandon its normal Saturday schedule. Or spread patrons out among stations.

Because that would've made sense. And, as we all know, common sense doesn't exactly prevail in the alternative universe that is 1234 Market.

Maloney said some of those suggestions are impractical. Traffic was banned in a quarter of Center City, and train capacity is limited by the four-track tunnel running out of 30th Street Station. After the concert, SEPTA dispatchers ran trains as frequently as every six minutes, he said, adding, "We ran it like a subway."

Isn't that the normal mentality of those who run the Regional Rail Division at SEPTA?

Brian Gralnick, 26, of Elkins Park, was typical of the disgruntled commuters I heard from. He said he began his trip out of Center City at 11:15 p.m., was directed to the wrong train by a conductor, and got waylaid at the Fern Rock station in North Philadelphia, where he waited in vain for a train until 1 a.m. He finally gave up and called his parents for a ride.

"And SEPTA says it performed remarkably?" he asked.

No, Brian, they never said that. Flawlessly. That's even better!

Similarly, after spending 3 1/2 hours in SEPTA's clutches, Deborah Ebbert, 35, of North Wales, was forced to call her mother to rescue her, "like a 15-year-old stranded at the mall."

"They have some pretty skewed definitions if that was 'flawless,' " she wrote.

That's not the only skewed definition SEPTA has in it's book, Deb...

Robert Ciervo, director of academic strategies at Drexel University, complained: "Pat Deon is in fantasy land. They were totally unprepared on Saturday morning. Then they had to adjust on the fly and the only thing they did was add more cars to each train."

We haven't confirmed that Don Pasquale was in fact in "fantasy land" as Mr. Civero reports, but there are similarities to "fantasy land" and Lower Bucks. Perhaps Don Pasquale was day dreaming about his annual hack-o-rama fishing trip to Alaska. I'm sure there are more than a few people who wouldn't mind if his ticket to Alaska this year was one-way...

Meanwhile, as Maloney and I talked, I began to realize how he and his SEPTA bosses define flawless. Not as perfect, but rather as, "It sure could have been a whole lot worse."

Maloney pointed out that no trains broke down, no lines went out of service, no tracks had to be closed. That's a little like a brain surgeon bragging that he remembered to wash his hands before operating.

It all raises questions about SEPTA's grounding in reality. And its credibility - not just regarding its Live 8 performance, but its preparation for far more serious contingencies.

Credibility is apparently not in the dictionaries at 1234 Market...

In the wake of the London transit bombings, SEPTA officials have assured the public they are taking all steps possible to protect the public while keeping the system freely running. I want to believe. And yet...

When SEPTA tells lawmakers it has done everything in its power to cut costs and maximize efficiency - and still needs more money, I want to believe. But again...

Leaving people waiting during a post-concert crush is one thing. Preparing for the unthinkable is something else again. On that front, I pray SEPTA and the police who guard it do perform in the truest sense of that much-abused word: flawlessly.

So why do I tie the Live 8 complaints with the safety of the system?

Three days after Grogan's second column bashing SEPTA's Live 8 service (or lack thereof), a serious crime takes place on the Broad-Ridge Spur (from the Inquirer):

Drifting in and out of consciousness, a woman who was beaten and apparently sexually assaulted under a Center City SEPTA platform this morning told police officers around her hospital bed that she was certain of one thing about her attacker: "He tried to kill me."

The victim, whose identity was still unknown, was in stable condition at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital this afternoon, said Sgt. Dan Bagnell of the Special Victims Unit.

The woman was attacked about 6:30 a.m. in the Chinatown station at Eighth and Race Streets. The station is diagonally across the street from Philadelphia Police Headquarters.

A train operator told officers that he thought he saw two mannequins under the platform as he was pulling into the station and that he tapped his brakes to slow down.

That squeal may have alerted the assailant. Witnesses saw him stand up, pull up his pants, and run, shirtless, from the station. He was later seen running southbound on Seventh Street.

Police will try to interview the woman again this afternoon, Bagnell said. She was passing in and out of consciousness when investigators spoke to her earlier, he said, but she did repeat, "He tried to kill me."

The suspect is described as a thin male about 5-feet-8.

It is unclear why the victim was in the station this morning. Investigators pulled paper bags filled with possible evidence from the area under the platform this morning and afternoon. The victim had also undergone tests to determine if she had been sexually assaulted.

The Broad-Ridge orange line spur was closed during the morning as police searched the crime scene. Service resumed about 1 p.m. SEPTA spokesman Jim Whitaker said commuters had been diverted to parallel buses that run along the same route.

Nicole Whitney, 23, said she usually uses the station to get to her job at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, which is across the street from the station. Instead, she was rerouted and had to walk from City Hall.

"It just made me late," she shrugged.

She was not worried about increased danger at the station, noting that such a thing could have happened anywhere. But, she said, there are rarely SEPTA workers in the station. One day, she said, she got off the train and found one set of station doors locked.

The logic apparently is that since the Broad-Ridge Spur is lightly used, why bother making access easy?

The station is also across the street from the new Metroclub Condominiums. Resident Ellen Reese, 26, said she and her boyfriend moved from Rittenhouse Square to the luxury condo last month.

Despite the proximity to police headquarters, she said, "This area needs heightened security," such as more foot patrols and better lighting.

"At night, I'm scared to walk alone out here," Reese said. "You don't see the actual police presence."

One can assume Ms. Reese is referring to Philadelphia Police, but you could also make the same arguement for SEPTA Police to be more visible systemwide.

Meanwhile, there's word that Juan Covington, the 43 year old disgruntled former SEPTA driver accused of killing a Montgomery County woman in Center City after getting off a 33 bus, is reportedly the triggerman in the shooting of Odies Bosket at Logan Station on the Broad Street Line, according to the Philadelphia Daily News (a fully paid subsidiary of Moveon-dot-org):

A father of four described by family members as friendly and jovial is expected to be added to the list of people allegedly slain by Juan Covington, a source said yesterday.

Covington, charged last week with fatally shooting hospital worker Trish McDermott and his cousin, the Rev. Thomas Lee Devlin, recently confessed to killing Odies Bosket four months ago at a North Philadelphia SEPTA subway stop, the source said.

Philadelphia police spokesman Cpl. Jim Pauley last night declined to verify Covington's confession and said only that he had not been charged with another murder.

Bosket, 36, was shot once in the head and twice on his side March 7 at about 2 p.m. near the entrance of the Logan Station subway stop on the Broad Street Line. Bosket was on his way to pick up his 4-year-old daughter from preschool, his widow recalled yesterday.

"That was his routine," said Audra Bosket, Odies' wife of 15 years. "He'd drop her off at Broad and Olney in the morning, go to work, then head back up there on the subway in the afternoon."

Covington's alleged motive for killing Bosket, a clerk in the city's Revenue Department for the past three years, remains a mystery to the victim's family.

"It just didn't seem to make sense at all. Odies was a funny guy. Everyone knew him," said Audra Bosket, 34. "I had to walk around looking behind my back, worrying that someone was after our family."

A neighbor familiar with Covington, whom family members said has a history of mental illness, said that a funny facial expression could have set him off. He had been off medication for his illness for more than a decade.

Previous articles in the past few days indicated that Covington had worked for SEPTA as a bus operator out of Allegheny Depot. One article noted that he wasn't particularly well liked by his fellow operators and that his termination was as a result of an alleged assault of a co-worker.