Adam Tuss, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – WTOP’s Commuter Idle winner arrived at work in style Tuesday.
With her three young children along for the ride, Brenda Wells ditched her normal car, three trains and a bus commute from Sparrows Point, Md., and took a limo instead.
It was part of her reward for being crowned WTOP’s first ever Commuter Idle. Listeners voted and chose Wells’ commuting story as the worst in the Washington area. She also received $1,000 in gas money.
“I woke up with a lot more excitement,” Wells said as she stepped out of the limo with 9-year-old Daniel, 7-year-old Sophia and 3-year-old Anna.
“The piece of mind was the best thing [about the limo ride.] I didn’t have to worry about what my next thing was. I didn’t have to worry about ‘I’m going to miss my bus, I’m going to miss my connecting piece.'”
Wells’ normal commute is rough. She drives to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, crossing two bridges and paying $3 in tolls.
Then, she takes the 4:48 a.m. MARC train to D.C.’s Union Station and waits another 10 to 15 minutes for the Metro. Once there, she’ll take the Red Line to the Blue Line at Foggy Bottom. The last leg of her journey to the office is on a bus.
Her roundtrip commute runs five hours or more, provided everything else is on schedule.
But Tuesday, there were no worries at all. She got to work without a hitch and will take the same limo home Tuesday evening.
The highlight for Wells’ children was measured in time.
“I got to sleep,” said 9-year-old Daniel.
Even if the morning starts with a limo ride, it is still an early commute.
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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
