Welcome To Atlanta, Where The Players Play

This weekend I went to the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta to watch my UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels play the Louisiana State University Tigers.

Even though we lost 24-30, I learned something from my trip to the ATL.

I learned how to ride on an underground rail.

As I wondered around Centennial Olympic Park and visited World of Coca-Cola with my friend Kirsten, my legs began to get stiff. On top of that, we realized how far away we were from our hotel, and we needed to find a cheap and fast way back.

We asked security officers around us where the bus stops were. They looked at us funny and told us to hop on the MARTA rail. They said it was the fastest way to travel around downtown Atlanta.

With the assistance of the station attendant, we bought a one-day pass for just $8.

We swiped our pass at the entrance, walked through the entrance gate, went down the escalator to go underground to the rail and looked for the Red Line to take us back to the Peachtree Center.

The Red Line was one of four Lines, or routes, that the rail offered. The routes of the Lines are easy to follow, as each travels in one cardinal direction (North, South, East or West) throughout Atlanta.

We waited less than two minutes for the rail to arrive. The station was busy because it was the day of the Kickoff game. We boarded the rail, among a sea of Carolina blue and the purple and gold of LSU.

We held onto a metal bar to maintain our balance before the train took off. Kirsten and I had to lock arms so we wouldn’t lose each other. After a few “Tar…Heels!” and “Tiger Bait” chants by opposing fans aboard the rail (myself included), we arrived at our hotel. It had taken us 15 minutes to get to our destination by walking. It only took us three minutes to do the same via rail.

Although the rail was super-crowded the day I rode it, the attendant told me that wasn’t normally the case.

Fast, cheap and convenient, the MARTA rail met all the requirements of good public transit. Next time I travel to Atlanta, or any other city with a rail system, I will use it to get from point A to point B.

Advertisement