Wednesday, November 10, 2010

If you Received the "Two Suspicious Guys" Memo

Several Unsuck readers received a memo about two suspicious looking men filming in the Metro. Below is part of the memo:
The subjects were observed at the L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station, Orange Line platform videotaping features of the station and operations of the train. Once aboard an Orange Line train to Vienna they videotaped how patrons oriented themselves within the metro rail car.
The subjects were attempting to videotape inconspicuously, by holding the camera at their side, between their chest and waist. If you come into contact with these individuals, please stop and identify, and call the Metro Transit Police Department Communications Division at (202) 962-2121
Here's what Metro has to say about it:
The Metro Transit Police are following up on a report of suspicious behavior reported by a Metro rider last week. As part of the routine follow-up, Transit Police issued a notice to all of its officers to be on the lookout for two individuals who were observed videotaping in Metrorail stations and on trains.

The rider observed the men filming portions of the stations and trains, as well as riders at the L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail station platform and on an Orange Line train to Vienna last week. The men, according to the citizen report, were trying to be inconspicuous, holding the cameras at their sides. The rider was able to photograph the men who were videotaping and sent the photo to the Transit Police.

Based on the photograph and the information received by the citizen, the Transit Police have no reason to suspect the individuals in question about anything specific. The Metro Transit Police did, however, issue the “be on the lookout for” notice, a standard tactic used by police departments to share information with their officers. The notice advises officers to call the Metro Transit Police Communications or Criminal Investigation divisions if they see the individuals.

The Transit Police notice was meant for an internal audience only and was not intended to be a public notice. The incident was not meant to be elevated to a public alert level and was not meant to alarm anyone.

We applaud our customer’s efforts in bringing this matter to our attention and we encourage all customers to report anything suspicious to the Metro Transit Police Department.

Comments (17)

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If Metro doesn't want to alarm people, perhaps they should think of a better way to communicate other than email, whcih will eventually escape their control.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
UnSuck Fan's avatar

UnSuck Fan · 753 weeks ago

No, if they wanted to alarm people, they will continue not to tell riders anything until Unsuck breaks the story as well as other news outlets. ;-)
Also, wouldn't the Orange line train to Vienna be heading in the same direction as many of the same stations in N. VA that the suspect accused in the Metro bomb plot was planning to target?
Ever and Anon's avatar

Ever and Anon · 753 weeks ago

If there is no reason to suspect anything, why be on the look out for them?
Video taping and taking photos in public places is completely legal. Quit panicking.
2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
No one is saying that it's illegal. There is a difference between suspicious and illegal. Video taping is completely legal; video taping how trains go down a tunnel and how passengers situate themselves in a train car while keeping the camera hidden is suspicious.
horseydeucey's avatar

horseydeucey · 753 weeks ago

No, you're suspicious. There, you see how ridiculous arbitrary, armchair homeland securitizing is?

I wonder how many "I'm gonna call the police" posters here have actually called the police when they've witnessed illegal behavior on the metro (like eating, for example).
Ever Anon's avatar

Ever Anon · 753 weeks ago

Now folks, we know they cannot do all these alerts. They are too busy fixin' escalator brakes! :D
GlenmontGirl's avatar

GlenmontGirl · 753 weeks ago

Video-taping "how passengers orient themselves inside the train car" could actually be used for harmless and useful purposes, like designing the new 7000 series car.

However, I can't think of too many good reasons for the men to be attempting to conceal the fact that they were filming.

If I happen to run into these guys, I will definitely call Metro PD, though I'm not sure it will do any good.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
this is a hot potato. you played it well. better than other sites. well done
I saw a guy wearing a face mask and gloves inconspicuously palming a cell phone at L'Enfant Plaza on Thursday of last week. He caught me looking at him and stared for a second. He stood on the platform to board an orange line train to Vienna, but I didn't actually see him get on the train. He kinda freaked me out, but I figured he was just a harmless crazy person. (And even if I reported him to a station attendant, it's not as if they'd do anything about it.)
another metro f up
The Good Doctor's avatar

The Good Doctor · 753 weeks ago

NBC4 ran a photo of the two guys in the memo during last night's broadcast. On their website, however, they only provide a link to Unsuckdcmetro! See, http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Metr....
I emailed, and heard nothing. He's just another Catoe.

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