Skip to content

Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture Today at 10:18 a.m.

The Great ShakeOut is coming to a Metro train near you at approximately 10:18 a.m.
9:21 AM PDT on October 18, 2012

The Great ShakeOut is coming to a Metro train near you at approximately 10:18 a.m.

Should you be in the East Portal at Union Station or on a train and notice it slowing down around that time, fear not: it is just a safety drill.

In the event of a serious earthquake, trains would slow down in order to be able to stop quickly to avoid damaged tracks or other hazards. The drill will take about 15 minutes.

Want to know more about what to do if a quake hits during your commute? The Source invites you to stop by the Emergency Preparedness Fair in the East Portal of Union Station between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. At 11 a.m., you can observe a train evacuation and the procedures that would be used in the event that the systems were to become disabled. The demonstrations will take place north of the Union Station Gold Line platform.

Although the recommended actions are that you “drop, cover, and hold on,” I can’t imagine that hiding under a shopping cart next to cartons of bleach is exactly what the safety gurus have in mind. But many thanks to the L.A. Times for the morning giggle:

Photo of Sahra Sulaiman
Sahra is Communities Editor for Streetsblog L.A., covering the intersection of mobility with race, class, history, representation, policing, housing, health, culture, community, and access to the public space in Boyle Heights and South Central Los Angeles.

Read More:

Comments Are Temporarily Disabled

Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.

Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

L.A. Bus Lane Enforcement Camera Citations Generated Nearly $20 Million Last Year

April 10, 2026

Friday’s Headlines

April 10, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines

April 9, 2026

La Verne Approves Protected Bike Lanes to Pomona North Metro Station

April 8, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines

April 8, 2026
See all posts