Unsuck DC Metro: See Something? Say Something. Just Not to these Two WMATA Winners

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

See Something? Say Something. Just Not to these Two WMATA Winners

It's starting to feel like you're completely on your own down there.

From Laura:

At around 9:40 p.m., Saturday, a few friends and I went the the McPherson Square station and were on the Vienna-bound platform.

We saw a large piece of luggage sitting on the other side of the tracks.

We didn't think anything of it at first, but about 10 minutes went by, and the bag still had no apparent owner.

I noted that it looked sketchy, and my friend L. suggested we say something to the station manager.

L. and I went up to the station manager and stood outside of the door for about 30 seconds before we knocked.

The two women inside were talking and saw us, but made no attempt to help us until we knocked.

I told the lady that a large bag had been sitting unattended and she barked "yeah okay!"

The other lady asked what color it was. As I told her it was red, she slammed the door in my face.

I knocked on the door again to let them know which side of the tracks the bag was located, she yelled "Yeah, I said okay!" and slammed the door again and continued to ignore us.

So much for the WMATA advertisements of "see something, say something."

A few minutes later it looked like somebody was standing close to the bag, so maybe he was the owner.

Regardless, we never saw any of the station managers or security people on any of the platforms.

Our train came, so we never found out what happened with the bag.

So much for doing my part!

Comments (38)

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+10 Vote up Vote down

Bilbo · 749 weeks ago

This is what happens when you spend all the payroll and maintenance money on managers and hire incompetent losers to be the face you show to the public.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

0 Vote up Vote down

Just a thought · 744 weeks ago

No, this is the problem with the district of colombia

-12 Vote up Vote down

Corresponding Toads · 749 weeks ago

The ladies tell me I have quite a suspicious package.

Seriously though, leave those poor station managers alone. You can't really expect them to do any work when they're being hassled by lowly riders.

The ladies tell me I am quite a lowly rider.

-12 Vote up Vote down

WTF · 749 weeks ago

Were you trying to have your station closed for a suspicious package?

Move along, there's nothing to see here.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

-1 Vote up Vote down

chgocutie · 749 weeks ago

And what IF that package turned out to be an explosive? Hmmm.......

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@kara_h · 749 weeks ago

Nah, he said before that it his computer that explodes.

0 Vote up Vote down

@kara_h · 749 weeks ago

I meant Toads said computers explode often in another comment. Sorry, I misread who had replied to who.

+4 Vote up Vote down

WTF · 749 weeks ago

Keep Fear Alive.

+5 Vote up Vote down

dan · 749 weeks ago

Doesn't shock me - but you should submit a formal complaint to WMATA. Yes, you'll get a ready-made response that reeks of pusillanimity, but I guarantee that those staion managers will get at least a rebuke. Or maybe some paid vacation...

At any rate, don't let them get away with it. While it's true that accountability is mostly an illusion at Metro, this is the kind of thing that should be brought to their 'attention.'

@ Toads:

Dude. The mania seems to be taking hold at last...

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+11 Vote up Vote down

John · 749 weeks ago

Well looks like some paid vacation is coming.

Seriously, what can we do to get this crap to stop? If I acted like that to my clients I would get fired. How can we make noise to WMATA to let them know that their employees can't act like fucking assholes to everyone, and that they should at least give off the impression that they give a shit about their job?

+1 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 749 weeks ago

John I know a woman @ Metro who is not AA and they treat her that way at work
I think if u were AA you would be treated better

+1 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 749 weeks ago

Dan-
You can file a formal complaint but do you get a follow up report after the employee was interviewed and the action taken?
I know you won't. You don't know if the complaint is even forwarded!
Then since "...you must believe in slavery" j.j.

+12 Vote up Vote down

Ever and Anon · 749 weeks ago

Ya know folks, some jokes just fall flat. Like ones relating to potential bombs on trains. The attendants were in error in so many ways here. Nothing funny about it.

+11 Vote up Vote down

@deafinthecity · 749 weeks ago

Curious... Let's say the bag exploded; how would Metro spin this?

Two people reported it to the station manager and they did nothing. tsk tsk.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

@kara_h · 749 weeks ago

Obviously that the bag was not reported using the proper procedure (even though they used the one we are told about) causing a delay. Then that metro was regrettably unable to do anything in time (ignoring the fact that the reason for that is not actually starting to react in the first place).

The big question is will they end the announcement by saying 'safety is our top priority' or saying they appreciate our dealing with the inconvenience. Or will they come up with a new phrase instead?

+4 Vote up Vote down

John · 749 weeks ago

How? They would put the employee under a paid suspension, because they don't give a shit about accountability.

People got injured on escalators, reports came out that escalator safety issues were swept under the rug. The people in charge of escalators and safety are still comfortably employed, stealing exhorbitant paycheck after paycheck. Metro summed this up as a communication issue.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Patrick · 749 weeks ago

YOU did the right thing. I would done the same thing to report someone when I see something is odd going on. It's sad that some workers have no manners to say thank you for letting me know and I will check it out as quick as I can. You should report to their boss what these two workes did to you. You know, these workers need to think twice what if there is a bomb that would kill so many people. So, workers need to work on their manners.

6 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

Megan · 749 weeks ago

One of the workers was probably the boss of the other worker!

+2 Vote up Vote down

Anon Everly · 749 weeks ago

I find it amazing that they don't even think about the simple fact that if it was a bomb... they are dead. No Christmas... no unexpected vacation time via suspension... dead.

+2 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday13 · 749 weeks ago

Cuz they're f*ckin morons. I'm pretty sure they crap themselves insdie those little boxes and don't think anything of it.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 749 weeks ago

Usually the one is assisting the other Station Manager. Both are on the payroll though.

+3 Vote up Vote down

betty · 749 weeks ago

Now you can call 211 also for police assistance.
I think it is a good idea to notify an authority outside of Metro!

+1 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 749 weeks ago

Pat I know someone who was treated that way by Metro employees and I think she was the wrong type if you know what i mean!@!

+5 Vote up Vote down

Lexxie · 749 weeks ago

Thats when I would have called the police and told them. Go over their heads.

-3 Vote up Vote down

Doc · 749 weeks ago

I"m sure the two employees were watching the left bag on there monitors.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday13 · 749 weeks ago

If it takes two to watch a monitor, then why are those booths almost always empty?

+2 Vote up Vote down

Bet · 749 weeks ago

The monitors are small and metro depends on riders to report. Clearly these employees don't follow safety procedures and need to go to another job.

+1 Vote up Vote down

GlenmontGirl · 749 weeks ago

I'm happy to say that I was at Rosslyn once a few months ago when the fire department and the police showed up to check out a suspicious package sitting at the bottom of the escalators. I don't know if the station managers called them; the person who reported it could have just called 911 directly.

But it was nice to see the potential threat being taken seriously by someone.

+5 Vote up Vote down

bet · 749 weeks ago

I like your photo Unsuck!

LoL!!!

It is interesting Metro's Marketing Department would choose a Caucasian woman to push this idea of reporting when you don't see any Caucasian women driving trains.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

@kara_h · 749 weeks ago

You would think they would try to downplay something everyone can see. That if you are one skin colour at metro you are management and another you are doing manual labour. Very rarely you will see a caucasian male with a metro uniform in a metro station: odds are he is an escalator mechanic or some other skilled trade.

Gee, they ... oh, her quote is *WAY* too obvious.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 749 weeks ago

"Two WMATA Winners" I am assuming the two pictured in the photo.

(Although we know they are truly not employees at WMATA.)

Who do are these two winners work for I wonder?

+7 Vote up Vote down

betty · 749 weeks ago

Where at Metro does a blue eyed white woman work as a Station Manager or Train Driver?
This woman clearly must have been hired from a Marketing Company outside of WMATA!

Metro sham on you to advertise a facade/fake about the face of your operations workforce!

+1 Vote up Vote down

Kat · 749 weeks ago

Um, FYI on the “see something” poster...it’s from Amtrak, not WMATA and I’m pretty sure it’s a message to riders, depicting riders, not people who are driving trains or managing stations. Or is there some other picture in this post that I’m not seeing?

4 replies · active 749 weeks ago

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unsuckdcmetro 92p · 749 weeks ago

am aware. couldn't find a wmata sign though it's a slogan being pushed by wmata as well as many other transportation modes. you have have heard the announcements on metro by janet napolitano.

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Anon · 749 weeks ago

Yea, "Is that your bag?" is the only film employees have watched for the emergency training for train and bus drivers! Is that sufficient? I don't think so. So as you heard from others, "Every man to himself".
Good luck!

+2 Vote up Vote down

Bet · 749 weeks ago

Kat; this is "tongue in cheek"

"Unsuck" identifed the photo as WMATA not Amtrack.
J
ust look around and find out on your own there are no white women.
I was told only one white woman station manager only a couple of white men and only 2 white female train drivers, EEO at metro is all black , no whites training instructors bus or rail no white clerks, no whites in quality assurance, they are not hired and not promoted the grooming is only for blacks and a couple of Hispanics due to a law suit.

0 Vote up Vote down

Kat · 749 weeks ago

I’m not blind, but when you and the other previous commenter are going on and on about WMATA’s marketing in reference to that sign, I simply felt the need to point out that it’s from Amtrak not WMATA. So don’t blame them for white people on a poster they have nothing to do with.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 749 weeks ago

Good grief, people! Why do you waste your time with these grunts in the station manager's booth anymore? We've learned by now that they don't care, don't actually do anything resembling "management" of a station, and can't be bothered with anything unless you're a fetching young lady - they might be bothered enough to strike up a conversation and ask for your phone number. Next time something criminal or suspicious catches your attention, you should do either one of two things: (1) Call Metro Transit police at 202-962-2121 (program it in your phone, fer crying out loud); or (2) start taking pictures of WMATA property and equipment in order to draw their attention and get them to detain you in order to capture their undivided attention.