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To people outside D.C., David Covucci‘s tattoo of the Metro map on the inside of his bicep probably looks like just another stupid tattoo, a colorful bunch of scraggly, directionless lines. To people familiar with D.C. transit, it might look even stranger.
But to Covucci, it’s a symbol of his success.
About two and a half years ago, Covucci, a longtime Arlington resident, got a girl’s number on the Metro. He subsequently launched a blog called Meeting Girls on Metro and blogged about his life—-which, as it turns out, has little to do with the Metro or meeting girls on the Metro. The blog took off and now Covucci is leaving his desk job at a trade association in Farragut to be an editor in New York City at Brobible.com, which describes itself as the “ultimate destination for Bros.”
The transit map, Covucci says, is reminder of where he got his start, both symbolically—-the blog—-and practically: He did ride the Metro every workday for three and a half years.
“It’s treated me fantastic,” Covucci says of the transit system, granting that it’s terrible on the weekends and a source of frequent frustration to many D.C.-area residents. “Something can be terrible and great at the same time.”
The new Metro map with the Silver Line came out last week, right after Covucci’s friend had already drawn out the design for the tattoo. “Great, Metro is going to fuck me one last time,” he jokes.
But Covucci opted not to include the Silver Line on his tattoo, because he prefers the look of the map without it, plus “no one gives a shit about the Silver Line, no one’s going to ride it.” (Metro expects about 17,000 new riders on any given weekday when the Silver Line opens.)
Covucci says he didn’t consider getting a tattoo of the more common D.C. flag as a tribute to his time in the region because he’s an Arlington man and everyone gets the flag. “I’m a contrarian at heart,” he says.
Now that Covucci is moving to the Big Apple, he’s going to have to get accustomed to a new transit system. But he’s says he’s excited to finally be able to eat in the Subway.
“I think Metro’s food and drink rules are absurd,” Covucci says. “I am thrilled that I get that opportunity.”
Photo courtesy David Covucci