Unsuck DC Metro: You should have Chased the Bus!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

You should have Chased the Bus!

From Andrew:

On Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m., I was involved in a hit and run while driving on 16th Street, NW. The Metrobus, S1 number 2150, cut me off and clipped the side and front of my car, causing some minor damage, and kept driving!

I called the transit police, and they said it wasn't their jurisdiction.

I have filed a police report with the DC police, who couldn't be more friendly and cooperative. (This was totally different than what I expected.)

They told me Metro will not give them the name of the bus driver, even though I gave them the bus number and route number.

Less than two hours after filing the police report last week, the DC police told me Metro called them twice to try to get them to not file the report.

It has been a week since I talked to Metro's risk management office to file the claim. They keep saying someone will get back to me in a "day or two."

When I was able to reach someone there, they told me I should have chased the bus down and confronted the driver to find out why he cut me off and hit me!

The DC police told me that would not have been a very good idea.

I'm going to let my insurance fix my car and have them chase Metro down for damages. I cannot believe how uncooperative Metro has been. I can only imagine if this had been more serious.

Other items:
Is Metro too big? (Examiner Letter to Editor)
Sounds like a service cut (WMATA)
As with other weekends, prepare for delays (WMATA)
Give this driver a raise (City View blog)

Comments (36)

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+21 Vote up Vote down

anon · 754 weeks ago

"I cannot believe how uncooperative Metro has been."

New to the area, eh?

+24 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 754 weeks ago

It's a herculean task to make the DC police seem friendly and efficient, but WMATA makes it look so easy!

+7 Vote up Vote down

@perkinsms · 754 weeks ago

Or you could get yourself appointed to the board and then they'll be happy to pay to fix your car, even if there isn't much evidence:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/arti...

+7 Vote up Vote down

Sizzle · 754 weeks ago

More and more, it just seems like Metro's given up.

The sign problems have been hilarious, too. The other day at Navy Yard the sign said "Branch Ave. 30 min" (I was waiting on the opposite side for a train to Greenbelt).

About 4 trains came through in a 10 minute span. It was weird how quickly they were coming through. And still, according to the sign, that one Branch Ave. train was 30 minutes away, apparently.

Uh, ok...

-16 Vote up Vote down

Corresponding Toads · 754 weeks ago

Hey Andrew - maybe now you'll think twice about driving so close to a Metro bus. Lesson learned.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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@VeggieTart · 754 weeks ago

Blaming the victim, are you? You've sunk to a new low.

+6 Vote up Vote down

dan · 754 weeks ago

On the contrary Guest, in all of my interactions with the DC Police in my neighborhood they have been polite, responsive, and professional.

As to the content of the story itself... no regular reader of this blog should be surprised. Angry, yes. Surprised, no.

And finally, on a different note, I read a question in the Express this morning that asked if riders would be willing to pay higher fares for the right to eat on the Metro. Seriously? That's one of Metro's bold new ideas? By now we all know what happens when fares go up – service gets worse. I've really got to learn to ride my bike far enough every morning to avoid Metro completely.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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GlenmontGirl · 754 weeks ago

Dan,
I saw that Express thing too, and my reaction was very similar to yours. Not only that, but wouldn't the costs of cleaning up after lazy/selfish people who spilled/left their food and drink all over the trains and the stations offset any revenue gained by increasing the fares?

0 Vote up Vote down

MetroRider · 754 weeks ago

People already eat and drink on the metro and leave their garbage all over the place. Why pay more for something that's already happening?

+10 Vote up Vote down

Always Anon · 754 weeks ago

Are they all on drugs?! Is Metro a drug-ridden culture? Their members go to work cognizant? Sounds like they go to work spaced out to the max. DC is no longer the murder capitol. But Metro sure has become the transportation murder king.

+13 Vote up Vote down

@kara_h · 754 weeks ago

You mean you did not chase them down? Apparently you believe in slavery.

+13 Vote up Vote down

Anonymous · 754 weeks ago

You think you can drive to work to avoid dealing with WMATA. Ha ha ha ha ha. They showed you.

+6 Vote up Vote down

@Rizzz · 754 weeks ago

I'm not shocked. Just last night., I was on a bus where the driver was speeding and swerving through traffic on 18th Street. Both Metro bus drivers and the risk management office are dangerously untrained and unhelpful.

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anon · 754 weeks ago

You guys are just a bunch of whiners! Metro is fundamentally good. Give em a break. Just look what they're doing for officer Ludwig. Nice, just misunderstood.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

Always Anon · 754 weeks ago

Would you still say that if it was your car that was hit requring you to contact your insurance company about a hit-and-run accident?

+7 Vote up Vote down

John · 754 weeks ago

The author, "Andrew" really should go to the press abou this one....

+4 Vote up Vote down

UnSuck Fan · 754 weeks ago

“…they told me I should have chased the bus down and confronted the driver to find out why he cut me off and hit me!”. Are they serious? And what happens if the bus driver is experiencing road rage? The suggestion is almost as bad as if it had happened with people and their vehicles. Too many people are inconsiderate and many of the “victims” have no idea what would happen if they confronted the other person.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+4 Vote up Vote down

Always Anon · 754 weeks ago

What if it was McGruff who was supposed to chase down that driver? What if it was a 70 year old person with arthritis?

So, now Metro is now offering suggestions that go against poilce safety recommendations.

+4 Vote up Vote down

@NoPants_McGee · 754 weeks ago

I've had drivers on the S1 kick us all off the bus because they'd hit a vehicle and needed to report it. Should be SOP. But then, it's metro.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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guest · 754 weeks ago

It is SOP. I'm surprised at this one. Metro doesn't have a problem going after operators for accidents that are their fault. It's the Union that's the problem. BTW, I'm retired from Metro and know the problems very well. I am not a fan of WMATA or 689, so this is not a defense of either.

+9 Vote up Vote down

Cate · 754 weeks ago

I'm pretty sure no-one at Metro cares about what the buses do. Co-workers have had their cars damaged and mirrors ripped off by metrobuses, I've nearly been hit three times while legally crossing the street at a green light by metro buses running their red lights, I've sat through more damn light cycles on 16th St than any human should have to put up with because of buses blocking the whole street... The list goes on and on and a lot of it, especially around the construction site in Silver Spring, is hugely dangerous.

There's obviously a total, 100% culture fail at WMATA. We can shout until we're blue in the face but even injury and death doesn't seem to make a dent.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

Ever and Anon · 754 weeks ago

It's bad on Glebe Road, too, Cate. There is a "right-turn on red after stop" which the buses take as "right-turn without stop and run em down on red!"

+4 Vote up Vote down

Jenny · 754 weeks ago

I was on a 96 about two weeks ago on my way home from work about 2 weeks ago, heading west on U St. At about 11th and U, we heard a loud scratch and a crunch and the people in the back of the bus looked at each other in disbelief that the bus wasn't stopping and someone said we'd hit a car. At 17th and U, the bus pulled over and we were told to get off the bus. There was a looooong scratch on the side of the bus. The bus driver had knocked the side view mirror off an unattended, parked car and smashed it, then continued to drive 6 more blocks before pulling over. I have no idea if the person whose car it was even knows it was a Metrobus that knocked off and smashed the mirror, because I was close enough to home that I just walked the rest of the way and didn't stick around to see what happened.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Robert · 754 weeks ago

Chasing down a metro driver is a bad idea. Alot of these bus drivers are crazy. Like one time this bus driver left me in a bad neighborhood and I asked him if I could just stay on the bus because I was sure he could just drop me off somewhere safer, but he just threw me off his bus basically. Alot of them are uneducated, underpaid losers who are angry because they messed up in life and ended up in the lowly position of being a bus driver. I'll bet the bus driver in the incident at the end of the day yucked it up with his other bus driver friends at some bar in gallery place. Metro bus drivers suck!

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Anon · 754 weeks ago

Yes, the bus driver just threw you off the bus left you somewhere because he is a loser or crazy. Not because you did anything whatsoever to prompt being removed from the bus. I must say, I like how you added "basically" after the part where he threw you off the bus. That is a dead giveaway that there is more to the story.

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Jenifer · 746 weeks ago

You got it right, Anon. You know that passenger was a jerk of some sort and the rest of the passengers were glad the driver didn't let him back on. I'm sick of angry, noisy, coffee mug carrying, chip munching, cigarette smelling passengers, especially the ones who won't move to the back of the bus when it's crowded becuase they want to stand near the door way.

-9 Vote up Vote down

anon · 754 weeks ago

How dare you bitchers complain about a steadfast WMATA bus driver hurrying to keep schedule. The damage was minor. Get over it! In your eyes, WMATA can never do anything right! SHAME!

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Jenifer · 746 weeks ago

I agree. Keep you stupid little car away from the big bus and stop messing up the bus schedule for us passengers.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Anonymous Rider · 754 weeks ago

Wow. This is stunning. You should notify local tv stations about this - they would have a field day! I love how Metro has gone from "I don't want to hide problems. That's the worst thing you can do." to actively attempting to hide the problem, with the DC police, no less!! AMAZING. *sigh*

+3 Vote up Vote down

JBB · 754 weeks ago

Andrew get News 7 On Your Side to deal with Metro. If your insurance fights with them your rate might go up. Good luck.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Andrew · 754 weeks ago

Interesting comments!! Thanks for posting my story. I can't believe how many people have stories... and how many stories I have heard since my incident last week. Is it so difficult to just fix what was done and be done with it? It would be great to get a news station to report on the behavior of metro buses!! How do we do that?!?!?!?

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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John · 754 weeks ago

You could contact Dr. Gridlock at the washington Post, he reports in transportation issues. I'm sure you can look up some of the local news channels websites, they might have a number you can call. Your story is DEFINITELY newsworthy, especially if there are corroborating police reports to back it up.
Good luck!

+4 Vote up Vote down

Chris · 754 weeks ago

I was on my bus ride home on 395 yesterday and the driver was actually READING while driving. We nearly went through one red light and missed a turn-off once we got off the expressway because she had a 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper in the middle of the steering wheel she was so engrossed in she couldn't be bothered by needing to drive the bus. So it is no wonder they hit stuff.

And the service cuts really suck. So much for those of us who rely on transit. I guess we just need to take vacation time for all of the holidays since we cannot get to work. Canceling a whole group of buses for an entire week around the holidays completely BLOWS!

+4 Vote up Vote down

M-Z · 754 weeks ago

You were told by Metro that you “should have chased the bus down and confronted the driver” as to why he hit you? Ha. Chasing after a bus does jack. I should know. If I’m running to catch a bus or a driver outright SKIPS my stop, I’m SOL. Years ago, an 80 Bus driver skipped my stop when I was trying to go out to buy groceries, and I ran across the street to catch him since he got caught in traffic. I was furious that he had skipped my stop…at which he then refused to open the doors and had the gall to tell me he wouldn’t let me on his bus because I was as angry as I was. (“Well, of course I’m angry asshole; you wouldn’t stop in the first place.”) Eventually, I just gave up as there was no way I could get on that damn bus thanks to that driver and ended up walking the mile to the food store.
Metro quality!

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Jenifer · 746 weeks ago

I don't think they are allowed to open the bus doors when they are in traffic. And I sure don't want to be on a bus with an angry rider. It's bad enough with people carrying coffee cups, eating potato chips and stuff. Don't you reallize what a mess you make? Besides there's always another bus.

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Jenifer · 746 weeks ago

Basically I think you should steer clear and keep a wide berth from all metro buses when driving. Not only are sometimes the passengers doing things to distract the drivers, but you have to admit that dc drivers can be insane. Personally I find the DC bus drivers to be very helpful.