I don't understand how people don't like the light rail. It's a good form of public transportation, something that the valley is seriously lacking. My only complaint is that we should have spent the extra cash to make it a monorail. That way it wouldn't have to stop for lights and it would keep the bad drivers from trying to make an illegal u-turn and getting hit by a train. For those of you who point out that the system is losing money, the problem is it's in its infancy and needs to be expanded before it can be fully utilized.
It's a cheap ride. I personally use it by leaving my car at my office downtown whenever I go to the airport. The fee to take it there and back is a lot less than parking, and a lot easier than pestering a friend for a ride. The only argument against that is that it turns a 15 minute ride to airport into a 30 to 40 minute ride (that includes the bus that takes you to the terminals).
Yes, like all public transportation you're going to encounter some odd characters on the train. As in most cases, if you keep to yourself, all should be good. The riders that actually bug me the most are the people who take their bikes on the train during busy hours. There are bike racks in part of the cars, but I'm always left wondering... If you have a bike, why don't you ride it?