It's rare to receive praise for Metro, but here's some--sorta. We heard a few tweets from this train. Do others agree with this assessment?From reader "yaknuts:"
Normally, when something goes wrong on my morning commute on the Orange Line (from Virginia) to Metro Center, it can result in me getting to work at least 30 minutes late. This morning, Metro actually did a great job handling what could have been a really nasty situation.
First, at Court House station, there was a sick customer on board, and we had to wait a while. I'm not sure how so many people get sick on Metro everyday, but I'll save that for another day.
Second, after the sick customer was "attended to," the doors wouldn't close. Again, I'll save most of this rant for another day.
Although the Metro operator seemed to express his frustration a bit with the passengers, I'm sure nobody was intentionally blocking the doors because we all know what happens.
All in all, this Metro operator was not nearly as angry at the passengers as most have been when the doors malfunction. My experience is that most of the time the train operator yells at the passengers to quit blocking the doors even when the doors close.
Anyway, this operator was nice and just told us to not block the doors. The train did ultimately offload and go out of service.
Although we had to wait around at Court House for what seemed like a long time, the next train took most of us up, and I was only about 15 minutes late to work.
The whole thing happened smoothly, and my only complaint was that it could have been smoother, because the train "directly behind" the offloaded one was idling at the start of Court House the whole time, so we could have made a quicker transition.
All in all, nice work Metro, and keep it up.
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18 comments:
If broken trains, and being late is well done then OK. I agree
I,too, had a pleasant experience this morning that is worth sharing. Yesterday I must have "tailgated" too closely going through the turnstile. My card didn't get read. This morning, while running to catch the red line at Friendship Heights, the reader read "SEE STATION MANAGER." I turned to the igloo and the station manager was there and saw what happened and the look on my face. He simpply programmed the turnstile to let me through and I was able to make the train that had just pulled into the station. Way to Go, station manager!!
I wouldn't say that was a good day on the metro or above and beyond for the conductor, but simply him doing his job.
I don't understand all these sick customers either. They had all better be having heart attacks because if I'm being delayed by some person throwing up or just feeling dizzy I'm going to be even madder about this. How do they even know when a passenger is sick? The sick passenger would just exit the train at a station and then it should go on its way.
If you're sick...don't get ON the Metro. You ruin everyone else's commute, and week if they end up getting your sickness.
I don't know what Metro's defination of "sick" is, but when I was on a train with a sick passenger EMS had to take the person off the train on a stretcher. Since I wasn't on that car I'm not sure of the persons problem, but it sure seemed pretty serious.
less suck is still suck
I agree that people who are sick should not ride the trains to begin with, but I'm pretty sure that when they say "sick passenger," they don't mean someone with the flu or another communicable disease who should have just stayed home that day. It is more likely someone collapsing from what might be a stroke or a heart attack.
Er, sarcasm, anyone?
I've almost been the sick passenger on the train a few times b/c of motion sickness or for nearly blacking out. When this happens I just get off the damn train.
Once I did see an actual sick passenger, the kind that stops a train. He was taken off the train on a gurney and had an oxygen mask on. I wasn't on the train, so I don't know what the problem was, but I was on the platform for a good 30 while the train was stopped BEFORE the sick passenger was removed.
I wonder what the protocol is for sick passengers.
From WMATA: If a sick customer is able to exit the train under their own power or with assistance they do so, otherwise, the train if [sic] offloaded and emergency medical is called to attend to the customer.
sick customer often = broken train. ask any wmata operator. it's SOP
come on, really? as often as i hear about different lines compromised because of sick passengers, i can't believe it's because of actual passengers that needed an ambulance to take them away. that would delay a train at a station for over 30 minutes, more likely an entire hour. I agree with the other commentors, 'sick passenger' is just code WMATA uses when they don't want to admit their trains are broken.
plus, how would a train operator even know what was going on in the cars when the squawkboxes don't work?
The farebox on my bus was broken this morning, so I got a free ride! Thanks Metro!
One morning at FedCenter SW, a poor soul started having seizures on the car of the train I was on. It was scary. Everyone was yelling for help. I got off the train and ran up to the kiosk and reported what was going on. You know what happened. Paramedics called in to remove the sick passenger. I left and took a taxi where i needed to go so i dont know how long it took to resolve that situation.
I don't understand how things could have gone smoother. I was there as well. The train idling behind pulled up as soon as the "broken" train left the station. Thankfully it was idling behind and not sitting at the platform at Clarendon filling up with people. It was rather empty for a morning rush hour train and most of us got on.
I was sick on a train one time. Honestly, I have absolutely no idea what happened. I was fine when I got on the train, then became all woozy and threw up (sorry to anyone in that car but it was not exactly something under my control). Luckily we were approaching a stop so I got up and got off the train. I was fine again after sitting down and getting some air. I still wonder how I could have gotten sick like that and then recovered when I was off the train. Maybe motion sickness, but I take the train all the time and had never had a problem before. I have epilepsy so some smells can have detrimental effects on me, maybe someone had a strong perfume?
sick passenger = sick passenger ( probably just throwing up due to how jerky the train is under manual control )
medical emergency = suicide
Once I knew that I was going to throw up and I was between Metro center and Farragut North (slightly longer distance) and I knew I wasn't going to make it so I took off my coat and threw up in my COAT.
It was awful, but I knew if I didn't, the train would be delayed for hours.
Also, I understand that some people are legitimately ill, but they do send in stretchers, etc just as a precaution, even if someone doesn't need them.
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