February 2, 2006
Take a Piece of WMATA Home
In case you're looking for a new ride, know that for anywhere between $300 and $3,000 WMATA is selling your dream vehicle. No, they aren't selling old Red Line Metro cars, but Flexible buses circa 1986 and 1987.
Not one to be limited to buses, WMATA is also auctioning off other surplus goods like railroad ties and unused subway maps that, according to the website, are "suitable for framing." It's nice to see that old supplies aren't going to waste just sitting in a warehouse, but instead turning some sort of profit for the cash-strapped transit agency.
We're wondering what kind of magic MTV's Pimp My Ride could work on one of these gems. We're thinking plasma screens, disco balls, leather couches, and shag carpeting. And wouldn't it be fetch if the H2 limos on 18th Street during the weekend were replaced with a Flexible or two? We're also thinking that it might behoove the folks at Ragin' Metro Party Bus, owners of the striped zebra rides that go around town, to try and score a Flexible. Let the bidding begin!
Snaps to Metblogs for bringing this fine, fine auction to our attention.
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maybe wmata should just give them all to FEMA as they have demostrated a shortage of busses in the past?
And wouldn't it be fetch
Is this some new hipster slang or am I just a complete square?
-ing. Fixed.
I confess, 'fetch' was shamelessly taken from the movie Mean Girls.
fetch is slang from mean girls, as noted by nicole. if you haven't seen that movie, you need to remedy that asap.
Ok, I changed it back. It's clear that I don't know what the kids are saying these days.
Stop trying to make fetch happen!
Perhaps the WMATA Flexible is also a candidate for TLC's Overhaulin'.
(laughing at DCist Ryan)
it's not dcist ryan's fault. he's just an old man.
It's not Flexible, but Flxible. A manufacturer of transit coaches for years before they stopped manufacturing busses in 1995. At one point they were owned by Rohr, manufacturer of the 2000, 3000, and 4000 series of Metrorail cars.
http://www.flxibleowners.org/history.htm
...Rohr, manufacturer of the 2000, 3000, and 4000 series of Metrorail cars.
Actually, it was Breda who manufactured the 2000, 3000 and 4000 series of Metrorail cars. Rohr manufactured the 1000 series cars, which are still the most durable trains in the Metro fleet.
Duh! thanks for the correction. They also make the coolest sound when their dynamic brakes are activated.
That's some cold ass copytime there DCist!
While I appreciate the shout-out to Metblogs for the find, did ya need to copy the "Pimp My Ride" reference?
interesting comment, considering your cold ass literal plagiarism of dailycandy dc a few weeks back.
What's pictured is a bus from 1975 at latest. Later Flxible buses had big square windows like buses of today. Either Metro's description of the bus, or Metro's photo accompanying the description, is not right. Caveat emptor.
Wayan, don't you find it pretty natural for people to think "how can I pimp that ride?!" when a WMATA bus comes to mind?
That being said, I win with the Mean Girls reference.