Unsuck DC Metro: Hot Cars are Repaired Before Returning to Service. Really?

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Hot Cars are Repaired Before Returning to Service. Really?

Photo courtesy of @metro_man who runs the wtfmetro blog.

So, Metro told the DC Paratransit blog that cars with broken air conditioning are "removed from service where they are inspected, tested, and repaired before returning to service."

Wonder what happened to ol' sweatbox #1030?

A tweet from July 9: @Lliannanshe #wmata #hotcar on the red line. Car1030

A tweet from July 14: @rye_observer @metroopensdoors red line car 1030 has zero a/c #wmata

And the picture above, which was snapped on July 14, was accompanied by the following tweet: @metro_man #wmata HOT CAR. (2nd day in a row) http://twitpic.com/25avau

Maybe WMATA just missed this one. Or maybe WMATA should come up with a "repair" that lasts more than a few days. Or maybe WMATA should just be a little more honest with riders.

Remember when a corpse was left to ride the rails despite WMATA's claim that they inspect the cars before sending them out?

Again, we urge you continue tweeting "#hotcar car number @metroopensdoors."

Other items:
NTSB to meet July 27 to present Red Line crash findings (NTSB)
Funding approved for new Rosslyn entrance (ARLnow)
Search on for MetroAccess driver accused of rape (WJLA)
Greenbelt votes on controversial bus changes (Gazette)

Comments (8)

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Anonymous · 766 weeks ago

Nice. Metro is so full of it. It amazes me. If they lie about these little things, I wonder what else they're not coming clean with?

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@poptdc · 766 weeks ago

Can I shamelessly self-promote the #hotcar List?

POPTDC.com (also backs up what you've said here)

I try to catch all of them people report and several have appeared on the list twice.

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ReggaBurner · 766 weeks ago

Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a refrigerant leak on a Metro car? How about telling them that they still have a problem. They will take it out of service to reinspect it when another train set becomes available.

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nothanks · 766 weeks ago

Was on 1030 yesterday as well. I can confirm no AC.

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JGutin · 766 weeks ago

To be fair, they only said "to be repaired" but didn't say they repaired the A/C. Maybe they fixed one of the ripped seats or something.

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PRWIS · 766 weeks ago

Honestly, I wish they'd just run the hot cars and let people decide if they wanted to ride in them or not. Why not just come clean about it? Try this:

"Dear customers,

We regret that some of our cars have broken air conditioning. We are working to solve the issues, but it is a big task. We will continue to run these cars so as to minimize crowding.

If you're elderly or infirmed, we urge you to move to another car should you find yourself in a car with broken AC.

Thank you for riding Metro, and we appreciate your patience."

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SoBar · 766 weeks ago

Didn't get the car number, but my ride from Union Station to Metro Center this morning was AC-free. As an added plus, the car smelled like a toilet. Not sure if the mad urinator had struck again or if it was just the regular Eau de Metro.