Another Anime Expo has concluded, and once again, everyone seems to be talking about LineCon.

(Should it be LineCon or Line Con?  I need the AP Stylebook to make a ruling.)

Now, to be honest, I avoided most of LineCon this year by attending on Sunday.   The fact that Anime Expo started mailing out badges ahead of time really helped as well.  Overall, I felt like it was a really good convention this year.

So, I can’t really comment very much on LineCon for this year. But, LineCon did manage to sneak up on me once – when it was time to leave.

When I arrived, I took the Metro Silver Line. It is a quick and easy ride from the South Bay to the convention center.  Before I returned home, I knew I wanted to visit Little Tokyo for dinner.

Typically, my trip from the convention center to Little Tokyo would involve the Metro Blue Line and the Red Line (if I want to walk from Civic Center Sta. to Little Tokyo) or Blue, Red and Gold lines (if I want to take a little extra time to get to Little Tokyo/ Arts District Sta.).

However, the Metro Blue Line has been undergoing improvements this summer – and so Pico Sta. near the convention center was closed.

Also, I wanted to try the Anime Expo shuttles.  Anime Expo provides free hotel shuttles for attendees, and I knew that the #3 shuttle went to Little Tokyo. (Metro offered a Little Tokyo shuttle during most of the convention, but not on Sunday.)

Getting to the shuttle stop was easy.  The route was marked off and a sign pointed the way.

The actual shuttle stop was a bit… chaotic?  Disorganized? Confusing?  All of the above?

Once I figured out where the line for shuttle #3 ended, it took almost an hour before I was able to get on a shuttle bus.

Luckily, I was ready for a little rest after walking around all day.  But it had to be frustrating for the cosplayers and other random convention attendees (many carrying heavy-looking bags) who watched #1, #2 and #4 shuttles arrive before the #3 shuttle came.

(To be fair, the waiting area was full of people who had rushed for the exits when the exhibit hall closed. But somebody should have anticipated that.)

The Metro Blue Line should be back soon.  And in a couple of years, there will be a subway line from the convention center to Little Tokyo.

But in the meantime,  Anime Expo needs more shuttle buses to meet the demand  – and perhaps some more volunteers to keep things organized.