Enhance the commute with haikus

TransitBy Matt Johnson (Editorial Board Alum) October 28, 2011

Yesterday, Marc Tomik (@marctomik) adapted an idea from King County, Washington and the Washington (state) DOT to write haikus about transportation on Twitter.

Because Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct is being torn down, @wsdot started a contest to write some “vaikus” about the viaduct.

  1. Viaduct Haiku or #vaiku · wsdot · Storify
    Vaiku format: 5 syllables, 7, 5. Do not #vaiku while driving. Someone could die-ku. Be nice. We are a family twitterfeed. #viadoom Drivin…
    wsdot
  2. Marc decided to call for some road haikus.
  3. “
    @CCTgirl @RideLikeCharlie @ajfroggie Roads really need Haikus. http://t.co/o7vr73te cc @wsdot
    Marc Tomik
    October 27, 2011 4:44:12 PM EDT
  4. And Adam Froehlig and others jumped right in:

  1. “
    @marctomik @cctgirl @ridelikecharlie @wsdot Along the highway | Do I see the sights and sounds | Of America
    Adam Froehlig
    October 27, 2011 4:56:19 PM EDT
  2. “
    @ajfroggie @marctomik @CCTgirl @RideLikeCharlie @Tracktwentynine Highways get money | Transit is just as awesome | Can we get some too?
    Aimee Custis
    October 27, 2011 5:06:21 PM EDT
  3. I decided to try and thread the tweets by introducing the #transpohaiku hashtag. And it kind of took off from there.

  4. “
    One hundred seven | years of moving the city | The New York Subway @AimeeCustis @CCTgirl @marctomik @RideLikeCharlie #transpohaiku
    Matt’ Johnson
    October 27, 2011 5:19:59 PM EDT
  5. “
    Number 9 Perry | Gone with the last transit cuts | Wish I could ride again #transpohaiku
    Stuart Strickland
    October 27, 2011 5:47:09 PM EDT
  6. “
    Even in the cold | #Metro trains go everywhere | Except with 6 inches snow #transpohaiku
    Aimee Custis
    October 27, 2011 5:44:09 PM EDT
  7. “
    Do not hold the doors | you’ll be sure to cause a jam | and offload us all. #transpohaiku #wmata
    Matt’ Johnson
    October 27, 2011 5:58:11 PM EDT
  8. “
    You let me travel / when I am drunk or tired / enabling vice #transpohaiku
    Michael Perkins
    October 27, 2011 6:20:07 PM EDT
  9. “
    America’s Trucks | Bring Life’s Essentials Safely | Efficiently Everyday #transpohaiku (cc @AdamKSnider)
    American Trucking
    October 27, 2011 7:29:17 PM EDT
  10. Some of the tweets echoed debates we often have on Greater Greater Washington.
  11. “
    Cars are free market / aren’t there externalities? / debate without end #transpohaiku
    Michael Perkins
    October 27, 2011 6:39:11 PM EDT
  12. “
    The right price to park / not too high but not too low / goldilocks pricing #shoup #transpohaiku
    Michael Perkins
    October 27, 2011 6:40:43 PM EDT
  13. “
    New York Avenue | Florida Ave - Galludet | U. Soon: More long names. #transpohaiku #wmata #ShortenTheFreakingStationNames
    Matt’ Johnson
    October 27, 2011 8:03:00 PM EDT
  14. “
    Bicycles are great | I confess: sometimes I ride | without a helmet. #transpohaiku #needafolduphelmetformybag
    Aimee Custis
    October 27, 2011 8:49:22 PM EDT
  15. Metro was a common subject, of course.
  16. “
    Metro can frustrate | Traffic is worse. Perspective. | Transit for all. #transpohaiku #wmata
    Marc Tomik
    October 27, 2011 7:00:34 PM EDT
  17. “
    Mournfully crying | the Metro escalator | moans, groans as it climbs: | #transpohaiku #wmata
    Matt’ Johnson
    October 28, 2011 9:58:49 AM EDT
  18. “
    Metrobus riders | Keep moving to the back please | It’s crowded up front #transpohaiku #wmata
    Jamie Scott
    October 28, 2011 10:09:58 AM EDT
  19. “
    i ride the green line | still waiting for cell signal | south of chinatown #transpohaiku #wmata
    pronounced EyeEmGoph
    October 28, 2011 10:57:07 AM EDT
  20. “
    Angry tweets and posts | Metro delay may raise ire | Interaction soothes #transpohaiku #wmata
    Marc Tomik
    October 28, 2011 11:28:03 AM EDT
  21. “
    Did you see something? | Say ‘hey there, is that your bag?’ | Keeping metro safe #transpohaiku #wmata
    Chad Bolt
    October 28, 2011 11:19:47 AM EDT
  22. The idea spread to other cities, too.
  23. “
    With cuts and fare hikes / in the City by the Bay / Muni is puny. #transpohaiku #munihaiku
    California Streets
    4 hours ago
  24. “
    Shuttles shall replace | Red Line Kenmore to Broadway | this snowy weekend #mbta #transpohaiku
    Laurie
    4 hours ago
  25. “
    Mapping Fixed Guideway | Use as a quick ‘burgh guide | This is Still a draft #TranspoHaiku @PGHtransit @bus15237 http://t.co/ydhvq8bK
    Michael Sypolt
    3 hours ago
  26. We were even joined by the venerable Ray LaHood, Secretary of Transportation, Montgomery council member Roger Berliner, and @wmata.

  27. “
    Stopping texts stops wrecks/ @AdCouncil and @NHTSAgov/ say in PSA #transpohaiku http://t.co/4tGRDBCy #dwd
    Ray LaHood
    4 hours ago
  28. “
    People have to climb | Hope escalators fixed soon | At #Bethesda stop #transpohaiku #wmata
    Roger Berliner
    4 hours ago
  29. “
    Our first stab… Today’s Noon Event | Leaders, Mascots And Conga | Celebrate Farragut Crossing #transpohaiku #wmata ^BA
    @wmata
    4 hours ago
  30. Tweets are still coming in, too.
  31. “
    Public transit saves | keeps our environment green | a win-win for all #transpohaiku
    Go Green. Go Public.
    4 hours ago
  32. “
    Traffic makes me sad | Reading on metro is nice | I like orange vinyl #transpohaiku #wmata
    goDCgo
    3 hours ago
  33. “
    Towards Zero Deaths now : guardrail, signs, lines, cones, rumbles : Safer roads save lives #transpohaiku #TZD
    Nate Smith
    2 hours ago

If you’re on Twitter, join the conversation. If not, leave your haikus in the comments.