So That's Why It Was Slow

Sunday, January 15, 2006, at 05:03AM

By Eric Richardson

Yesterday afternoon I rode the Red Line up to North Hollywood to meet up with Kathy. The train was acting pretty funny: it showed up early, and then took multiple long stops at stations mid-route. Just before Universal we took the crossover to the southbound tracks and completed the trip on that side. 7th/Metro to North Hollywood, normally a 25 minute trip, took 40.

Turns out the slowdown was the result of an apparent suicide try.

A British woman was struck by a Metro Red Line train at the North Hollywood station Saturday afternoon when she stepped down onto the tracks in an apparent suicide attempt, authorities said.

The unidentified woman, in her 40s, suffered life-threatening injuries, officials said. Authorities said she left a suicide note in her backpack.

At North Hollywood half of the platform was taped off and there was a train stopped halfway into the station, so if I had to take a guess I'd say she jumped as the train was entering. Not all that great a way to take yourself out, though; the train's not moving that fast coming in.

Update (Just a few minutes later): The Daily News confirms my guess that the train was entering the station and slowing down.