Reader Making Documentary About Post-Metro Life

Chad's previous post is one of the most read in the blog's history.

My name is Chad Wallace, you may remember reading a guest post I wrote on this blog in September 2011.  I wrote about how frustrated I had become taking the Metro to work everyday and never knowing if the constant delays, escalator outages, and other problems would prevent me from arriving to work on time -- not to mention the round trip price of my commute was costing me over $10 a day.

The main point of my post though was that I had discovered a way to avoid taking the Metro altogether.  A friend showed me how I could ride my bike from my apartment in Alexandria to the school I work at in NW D.C.

This literally changed my life.  I am proud to say that I have not taken the Metro to work for nearly two years.  I ride my bike every day, even when the weather is poor, because my only alternative (taking the Metro) is something I simply will not do out of principle.

I have chosen to not support Metro because of what I consider mismanagement of funds, terrible customer service, and a lack of transparency in just about all aspects of their operations which has resulted in a betrayal of the public's trust.  Boycotting the Metro was an important decision in my life, but it turned out to be only the beginning of my story.  

I am writing to you today to ask for your help.

I want to share my story on an even larger scale. For this reason, I have created a project on the website Kickstarter.com. I am trying to raise a little bit of money to cover the costs of making a documentary. I hope to create a documentary that details how frustrating it was for me to commute to work by Metro, and how this motivated me to start cycling to work instead.

I believe I will be able to convey through this documentary the frustration I and many others have felt as they sit and wait on trains stopped for no apparent reason in between stations, discover an escalator or elevator is out of service, find out the price of their daily commute is yet again going to increase, and the countless variety of experiences with Metro personnel that are just too frustrating to convey through words alone.

My story, which I hope to share through this documentary, does progress from a story of frustration and disappointment to one of hope and perseverance.

When I cut the Metro out of my life and started biking to work, I started to get into better shape and became interested in cycling as a sport. This eventually led me to the sport of Triathlon, and I have now completed three Ironman Triathlons (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, 26.2 mile run, totaling 140.6 miles).

My documentary will consist of three parts: 1) How low my morale had sunk from enduring the frustrations of the Metro -- showing just how frustrating and problematic riding the Metro can be 2) How this frustration turned into a life-changing event which included developing an interest in the sports of cycling and Triathlon 3) Show my daily routine of training for Ironman Triathlons and even document my competition in my fourth Ironman Triathlon for the world to see.  As you can see, this story, which I am proud to share, all starts with what my life was like while I was riding the Metro to work. 

With your support, I can show the world exactly what it is like to ride the Metro day in and day out, and share my story of how I switched over to cycling as a means of transportation and how I became an endurance athlete. 

I believe my story is worth sharing, and I hope you will take just a few minutes to check out my project.  If you are able to support me, I promise you that no donation is too small.  There are rewards for donations of certain amounts, such as a copy of the finished documentary for $25, but even a donation of $1 will help me out tremendously.  Please do not hesitate to ask if you have questions about any aspect of this project or about my story.

Thank you for your time and support in helping me share a story that I know many of you can relate to.

Sincerely,

Chad Wallace

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