Stuck on MARC has more on this issue. Granted I don’t feel like I should even link to their blog anymore after her snotty little comment at the end of this post. A MARC blog that doesn’t even allow comments and who knows how little traffic they actually get over there and she has the nerve to say “You’re welcome” as if the confirmation of Biden delays would not be out if if weren’t for her. We had confirmation as ironclad as her before but since we never kiss up to MARC and toe the party line like she does (Michael Dresser is anti-MARC by comparison and he usually does a good job of calling it down the middle) we don’t have stationmasters emailing us right now.

I saw her work as building on our initial work actually, since before her blog even existed we were reporting on the fact that there were delays with law enforcement on the platform and how people waiting on trains were told by unnamed officials on the platform that it was Biden. This was way before MARC ever announced a “security hold” as a cause of delay.

I’m not trying to sound too nasty on this post, but we have linked to all the MARC blogs in the past going back to the time that I was a daily MARC commuter and posted things from my laptop/netbook on the train before anyone else was doing so. So then, when another new MARC blog comes along that we like, we started posting links to her posts and even added them to our blogroll, something we rarely do.

Maybe Stuck on MARC is trying to start a pissing contest to draw attention to their blog, but that ignores the old advice about getting more flies with honey if so. Even with this latest news, I am not removing the link on the sidebar yet.

To answer her snark about 10 minute delays being par for the course: When you add a 10 minute delay to a system already delayed by having mechanical problems, shortened trains, switch delays, etc., you end up with the domino effect that causes each train to be later and later getting to the terminus on the other end of the line. This results in those trains leaving the turnaround point even later.

MARC doesn’t have a great on-time record. The last time they actually reported it that I or another MARC blogger I talked to remember is back in late Summer of 2008 and then they just reported on how late it gets to the terminus and not to each stop.

As Michael Dresser had said multiple times before after our numerous MARC posts here that he linked to, the major problem MARC has is in communicating to their passengers. A few minor delays aren’t as big of a deal as how they react to them or how they were calling every long delay a “minor” one until this blog and Michael Dresser’s called them out on it.

I welcome comments or responses on this post and all posts here. Anyone needing to email us for comments or responses not in the post comments should send email to mail@insidecharmcity.com.

UPDATE: For a couple of people who thought this was a bit obtuse and couldn’t follow the situation. This post is a response to the snarky post at Stuck on MARC linked at the top. A post in the related links (that I’m linking to now here) is the original post where we gave full credit to Stuck on MARC for original reporting on this issue. No, you’re welcome Julia for all the links we’ve given you including the original one on this topic. Aside from MARC/Amtrak passenger inconvenience in that post I also mentioned legitimate security concerns.

Related posts:

1. Major delays on MARC Brunswick Line this afternoon
2. Monday Morning MARC Mess
3. Major MARC Penn Line Disruptions Earlier today
4. Confirmed: Bidens responsible for rush hour delays at Union Station
5. Biden holding up Friday rush hour commuters at Union Station?