Tim Craig

When my mother would bring me to the District as a kid in the 1980s from our hometown near Pittsburgh, she would tell me it's one of best cities in the country because you see people from all over the world on the Metro.

Now, I ride the Metro every day and couldn't agree more with my mother. Not only do I live in one of the greatest cities in the world -- yes, mom, world, not nation, Washington has come a long way since the 1980s -- I get to write about the cast of characters who run the place.

Unfortunately, thanks to iPods and BlackBerries, the Metro is a far less friendly and talkative place than it used to be. So if you ever see me on Metro, let's talk politics, weather, weekend plans or about either of my former stomping grounds -- Pittsburgh, Erie, Pa., Charm City or Richmond.

When deciding what to write about, my general rule is if I find something interesting, others probably will also.