What's Up With the Green Line: Weekend Forecast

What's up with the Green Line you ask. Well first, the same thing that's up with all the lines: Metro is getting ready for the forecasted arrival of Hurricane Irene.

Crews have placed more than 2,000 sandbags around escalators at Metro stations, particularly those that tend to have flooding issues.

And, get this, Metro announced, "Chainsaws are being deployed." No, I'm not making this up.

TheFreeDictionary.com defines deployed as, "To position (troops) in readiness for combat, as along a front or line."

Oh the mental pictures!

I guess I'm not the only one who scrunched her face up at those words, because Metro had to print a clarification on that one.

Now, in glaring red letters across the top of its hurricane news release, it has announced, "Clarification: Metro is deploying chainsaws on supervisor motor vehicles (e.g. SUVs) to respond to downed trees." It assures customers that they are not being placed on rail vehicles. Whew, global sigh of relief.

I don't know about you, but before the red letters set me straight, something about the idea of trains headed by drivers with chainsaws made me antsy. Wait, it's my phone. Hmmm, call's coming from, really? Hollywood?!

OK, you guessed it... for the movie rights.

Good golly, I'm a messy tamale, don't let me write late at night again.

But as there is really not much of a work schedule announced for this weekend, as in none, the chainsaw was really the most interesting thing to tell you about.

So is anything else up with the Green Line? Nope. Same for the red, orange, blue and yellow. You heard right. Read my lips, no new track work. (Okay I warned you, it's late.)

I suppose when a hurricane's coming 'tis not the ideal time to be repairing the floating slabs beneath the rails, eh?

If you're wondering who the guy is playing his sax in front of Greenbelt Metro. Well, that's Zach.

Now on the serious side. Though its words have greatly entertained me, that does not stop me from appreciating the significant steps that Metro has announced it will take to prepare for Hurricane Irene.

You can also follow Metro on Twitter for updates, which is not a bad idea given what's headed our way.

 This is a summary of Metro's announcements for the weekend. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority lists further details.