About

About Above the Crowd
The Experiment
In 2025, I made a decision most people thought was crazy.
I left a higher-paying, higher-stress job for a lower-paying, lower-stress public sector role — and I stopped driving to work. Instead, I started riding the Metrolink Ventura County Line into Union Station every single day, transferring to Metro rail, and documenting every mile of it on camera. This channel is that experiment, playing out in real time. No guru takes. No "quit your job" hype. Just honest, ride-by-ride footage of what it actually looks like totrade salary for sanity in Los Angeles.

Why LA Transit?
LA has a reputation. People say the transit doesn't work, the trains aren't safe, and nobody rides unless they have to. I wanted to find out if that was actually true — or just the story we tell ourselves to justify sitting in traffic for two hours a day. So far? It's complicated. And that's exactly why it's worth documenting.

What You'll Find Here

Real commute footage — POV from the Ventura County Line to Union Station and beyond
Honest trade-off breakdowns — salary, stress, time, safety, and lifestyle
Monthly check-ins — stress scores, budget updates, and whether this is actually sustainable
Commuter gear — practical products tested on real LA transit, not picked from a trend list

The Store
Every product in this shop is designed for real transit life — not random merch. Practical gear, clean
designs, and the Above the Crowd metro map graphic built from the actual LA rail network.

When you buy something here, you're directly supporting new episodes, better production, and more honest content from the Ventura County Line.

Who's Behind It
A 6'5" LA commuter who got tired of the freeway, the stress, and the Sunday scaries — and decided to run a real-life experiment instead of just thinking about it.
Still riding. Still documenting. Still figuring it out.
— Above the Crowd