Unsuck DC Metro: More Senseless Violence

Friday, January 14, 2011

More Senseless Violence

Oddly familiar. From an anonymous reader:

Yesterday morning, I was sitting on a bench at Stadium Armory awaiting my Orange Line train. I was engrossed in some reading material and listening to music.

All of a sudden, out of NOWHERE, I was hit, hard, in the back of my head. It was very painful.

I turned around to see who did it, and I saw a young woman jumping off the end of the bench.

I said "excuse me" very loudly to get this person's attention.

Nothing.

A blank stare.

I said "excuse me" again, this time louder. (This person was also wearing headphones.) She then responded, leveling obscenities at me including "f*ck you white bitch. Maybe you were in my way. Don't act like you can just own this place and tell me what to do."

I was very stunned and tried not to get angry.

My train was arriving, so I calmly turned around and walked to it.

As I was doing so, this woman continued to yell at me, with quite a bit of vehemence and obscenity.

As I got on the Metro, she took her soda--which she shouldn't have had, according to Metro's rules--and threw it at me.

It narrowly missed me and landed on the floor between several other patrons on the car.

The entire time this was happening, this woman was yelling and swearing loudly, and making extremely racist remarks towards me.

I have NO idea what prompted this woman to behave in such a way.

Other items:
There's going to be a lot of rail work in 2011 (WMATA)
Metro unveils budget (WaPo)
Soft profile of interim GM Sarles (WaPo)
Metro will keep pay phones (WMATA)

Comments (114)

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+23 Vote up Vote down

alex · 741 weeks ago

Hate and racism, plain and simple...that's what prompted this woman to behave in such a way.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+4 Vote up Vote down

James · 741 weeks ago

I ride Metro all the time, I really wish something like this would happen to or around me.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+27 Vote up Vote down

@hurricanedc · 741 weeks ago

I really wish one of these pieces of crap would antagonize the wrong rider, and by wrong rider I mean a Bernard Goetz-type.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+28 Vote up Vote down

Tina Brewer · 741 weeks ago

This generation is a whole new breed! My grandmother would have knocked my teeth out and handed them to me, for disrespecting anyone (no matter their race)!!! Just plain ole disrepectful and rude!

+13 Vote up Vote down

Metrosucksbigtime · 741 weeks ago

That makes me so angry. I'm so sick of these nasty people. This woman has issues and she needs help!

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Javier · 741 weeks ago

Now that's change you can believe in!!!!

Coincidentally, I'm a light skinned Hispanic and I get called "cracker" on the Green Line all the time. Ignorant racists.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+11 Vote up Vote down

jray · 741 weeks ago

I would have responded to this woman with, "I DO own this place and I CAN tell you what to do because I'm not some low-life thug who incites violence on people for no reason!!" Of course, then you would have had to explain to her what "incite" meant....

+1 Vote up Vote down

anonymous · 741 weeks ago

This racism is illegal! When is Metro> the Union and the company going to address these issues? The station managers seem to turn their head the other way.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 741 weeks ago

People are assholes. Why is this news?

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

@deafinthecity · 741 weeks ago

*side eyeing hard*

So...which is it? Race issue or Cultural issue?

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Glad · 741 weeks ago

Ppl are just plain ignorant - see more of those types of ppl on certain lines of the Metro - more than I see on the red line

-17 Vote up Vote down

Matt · 741 weeks ago

People often act this way to get a rise out of others. The use of racist remarks is cathartic in response racism directed towards them. The "turn the other cheek" strategy is usually the most effective. Step outside the situation. They aren't directing the racial slurs at you personally, but rather to you as a representative of whatever race they assign you.

Rise above the violence. Peace is contagious too.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+24 Vote up Vote down

TFUNK · 741 weeks ago

Most miscreants are very careful about who they select to victimize. They tend to pick individuals that won't defend themselves. In order to win (display social dominance), they need to know they can win the conflict. If you can select the conflict, why select one you'd lose? It is human behavior at its most primitive level.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+23 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 741 weeks ago

Where are the police? In NYC, I often see officers walking the platforms. Never never never see that in DC. If the police saw her drinking a soda, they would approach. That would put the fear in her, and she would not act out. But by letting people get away with the small quality-of-life violations, they feel they can keep pushing boundaries and get crazier and crazier.

Where are the police? Not walking the platforms.
Where are the police? Not watching the troublemakers.
Seriously, WHERE ARE THE POLICE?!?

12 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Guest · 741 weeks ago

I don't own an iPad and never listen to music with headphones. I like to read when I'm on the Metro, or waiting for my train in the station. Looks like now I'm going to have to be on the lookout for thugs while I read. These little thug bastards will NOT take my reading time away from me!

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

-10 Vote up Vote down

Ummm · 741 weeks ago

You could try living somewhere where white people are allowed.

Gentrification hurts ghettos.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+28 Vote up Vote down

One take · 741 weeks ago

Call it a racial issue, call it a cultural issue call it whatever you want. These violent youths have no home, no education, no future, no hope and will never have a productive life. In fact, most likely they will be incarcerated or worse before they are even in their 20s. They don’t know much, but that is one thing that they do know. This is why they act this way. Violence, intimidation, taunting, is the only method by which they can feel a sense of respect and acknowledgment from the world around them. And to do this they are going to assault members of society who appear to them to have come from a good home, and who have an education, a future, hope and a productive life; or anyone different from them, no matter what their race is.

And while it is wrong to assume that this was ‘just another Black kid acting violent again’; why is it that in each of these new attacks it is the assailant(s) who are justifying their violence with their reverse racism?

I am sorry that this terrible thing happened to you.

7 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+22 Vote up Vote down

Nunya Bidness · 740 weeks ago

I wish something like this would happen to me. I really do. I'm a mid-30s white woman with so much pent up anger, it's just waiting for the right moment to come on out. This would be an ideal situation.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Cyrus · 740 weeks ago

Soooooo...what? You gave her a look, and raised your voice at her. Then when she responded negatively and violently, you blanched and ran away? Who exactly did you think you were dealing with? An educated, civilized human being, who was well aware of what you take for granted as societal niceties?

Here's a thought: Next time someone on the metro disrespects you like that. Punch them. As hard as you can. Or insult them in anyway you can. Insult their more-than-likely awful and incoherent pronunciation of the English language, for instance. Or maybe you can Insult their probable lack of income. Maybe even call into question the (loose) sexual morals of their mother. In this case, you could have just simply called her fat and ugly. (Pro tip: it never matters if a female is fat and ugly, or not, this insult will always destroy their self confidence.)

News flash here: in these cases of violence and horrid manners we seem to see on the rise, you are dealing with individuals raised entirely on the street, with a street mentality. 'Amazingly' enough, there are a lot of people in this city that do not like Eastern Market, or Cosmo's, or whatever else you do that is yuppie, or perceived there as. They live in a rap song or a BET special because, get this, their lives actually suck. They are poor, pregnant (or on their merry way towards it), uneducated, possibly have HIV, and, most importantly, deal with awful, terrible things every day.

No one believes in them. At all. If they crack a book open to actually study, people make fun of them. 'Friends' harass them constantly about skipping school, doing drugs, drinking, having sex, and God knows what else from a Ludacris song. They live in neighborhoods where they can hear gunshots, or people screaming from being stabbed. I bet you most inner city youths know someone who has died violently, and at the hands of another human being. Why do most inner city people still wear dirty, crappy Obama 'Hope' hats and t-shirts? Because, sadly, heart-breakingly, they really have none.

Ok, soul-searching done with, how do you deal with these incidents? As if you were on the street and of the street. By beating that piece of filth in front of you down, either physically or verbally. By dominating that transgressor of your space and self. People, 'peace' has left the building. You are no Gandhi, so stop trying. Stop blanching in front of the 'scary, untamed, dark-skinned' youths and the stereotypes you have come to associate with them. They are people, too. They get scared, too, just as you were, when confronted, trust me.

"But I don't want to stoop to their level!" You all say. Well, get the f*** out then. The more you spineless clowns take the bulls*** these people are slinging, the more it will happen. I was with a friend one night at the Gallery Place metro. I heard the word faggot. Was it directed at me? No clue, and probably not. But I heard it come from a group of three youths, I was drunk, and I decided I wasn't going to let them get away with a God damn thing. Needless to say, after a lot of horrible things were said about not only their skin color (may seem racist, but here's the thing: only if you really believe and discriminate based on skin color and race are you actually racist. In this context, you are trying to fluster them with well heeled stereotypes) and their (probably , sorta, falsely fabricated by myself) sexual orientation, but also their mothers, their lack of educations, and their lack of money, they were only all too happy to skulk away, shamed in front of an entire metro audience.

Seemingly irrelevant, but not, pop quiz: Why does North Korea not care about what it does to South Korea? Because they know in a war that featured just themselves, the North Koreans would savage the South Koreans. Utterly. The South Koreans aren't tough enough to fight back against the entirely brutal tactics the North would use against them. They would cry about fairness, rules, and whatever else to assuage their delicate feelings. Now, how does this relate to this situation and violence on the metro in general? In this case, this lady was South Korea, and the North just effing waffle-stomped your face. You were hit, harassed mercilessly, and you even had a projectile thrown at you. You cried about it. Guess what! You still got waffle-stomped. So have fun crying about it on Unsuck and other (entirely cool) blogs.

To all of you who are begging for police intervention: I HATE YOU. Stop whining and do it your God damn selves. Does it hurt to get punched? Yep. Particularly in the face. Or the ovaries. However, sometimes, you have to take a beating in order to make some headway. These people are bullying you because they can. So stop begging for your teacher (ie police) to protect you from the schoolyard bully. Stand up for yourself, and I guarantee that this will stop.

6 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Tsugua · 740 weeks ago

What makes me especially angry is the reverse racism in this case. Yes it's violence, ignorance, lack of education, whatever you want to call it but if this was vice versa, it would get much more attention and it would be a hate crime. Double standard. Pisses me off beyond anything else.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Todd · 740 weeks ago

Where are the police? either hanging around talking to their friends, flirting with cute passengers, or setting up a checkpoint to search your bag.

+9 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 740 weeks ago

We shouldn't waste our time trying to analyze why these people are doing what they're doing. They're worthless thugs and it's only a matter of time until they harrass the wrong rider...someone who won't take their crap and who won't turn the other cheek.

And again, where's the police? There are only 86 stations in the Metro system. Why can't they at least have one officer per station?? What is the Metro Transit Police doing all day???

-43 Vote up Vote down

WoW · 740 weeks ago

To the maintainers of Unsuckdcmetro: why is the blog turning into a white power let's beat up black riders place? You're supposed to be a watchdog for Metro and yet everytime there's story like this, you do not offer solutions and approved racists ignorant comments.

Where is the hard hitting breaking stories this site is known for?

To all those crying reverse racism: I hear Stormfront is looking for more angry white people. It is so hard to white.

10 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

bet · 740 weeks ago

Transit in that area are probably non white and there have been issues internally when non minority police get nailed by minority claims.

That may be a great FOI request. In the past 7 years what are the number and findings of eeo claims filed by minorities against non-minority males at Metro by department.

+4 Vote up Vote down

WashDC · 740 weeks ago

People need to start fighting back. MPD & Metro won't help.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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John · 740 weeks ago

Why didn't the station manager yell at the girl for having the soda? That seems to be the only aspect of their job they seem to pay attention to....

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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MoM · 740 weeks ago

There is no such thing as reverse racism. You hurt discriminate/hurt based on someone being of a different race is racism.

And WoW - a female was assaulted only because she was reading and waiting for a train and you say its not "hard hitting?" People like you allow people like the depicted kicker to get by. Way to elevate yourself by using race as a tool. Thanks for your contribution to society. Cheap.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Kat · 740 weeks ago

From a self-defense standpoint, the poster did the right thing by getting away. I hope that you will consider putting in a report to Metro. Even if they don't respond to this particular incident, if people keep reporting and reporting, eventually the paper trail will hit a level that can't be ignored. Blogs like this help too. When I first started riding the metro 10 years ago, there was no way to publicize incidents like this, and Metro was able to gloss over the safety stats.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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dan · 740 weeks ago

A lot of people are advocating that those who are attacked inside the system should fight back against their assailants.

The problem is that the individuals that are behind these attacks (as has been frequently pointed out) are purposefully targeting those they know they can hurt, humiliate, or both. For the victims, fighting back can be a risky option. If you fight back, you will in all likelihood get beaten down even worse. The people behind these attacks aren’t alone.

There’s another issue – let’s say you’re an adult that gets attacked by teenagers. You fight back and, in the process, let's say you injure one of them. You knock him (or her) to the ground and kick that person in the face, breaking bones or something. The cops arrive. Your assailant turns out to be a minor. You and your assailant are both arrested. Even if you’re not convicted of anything, you’d better believe the charge itself will stick (even in the absence of a conviction).

Of course, you can’t count on police assistance at the time of the attack itself. There will never be cops around when this stuff happens – by design, not accident.

+4 Vote up Vote down

GlenmontGirl · 740 weeks ago

Posting this here, even though it's slightly off-topic, because this is the latest blog post:

Congrats, Mr. Unsuck, for getting featured in the Express! It's nice to see you getting some recognition. You provide a great public service on this blog.

+4 Vote up Vote down

ANON · 740 weeks ago

How about spraying mace in the face of the violent aggressor?

+3 Vote up Vote down

@Mykeru · 740 weeks ago

A easy solution exists:

When someone goes off like that, obviously escalating in their rage and violence (which in this case lead to throwing things), before they amp it up to the point where they hurt you, take out your pepper spray, which you are carrying on you at all times and come in a variety of sizes and styles, and spray them in the fucking face. Not a lot. Not enough to contaminate the station, but just enough that they will be even more pissed off, but now unable to do anything about it.

Then walk away. Like you were going to do anyway, but without the person beaning/hitting/knifing you in the back.

This solution is especially socially acceptable for women.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 740 weeks ago

How about a police sting? -- An older, white woman reading a book.

Or, a silent, non-violent protest -- stations full of people carrying/reading books.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Kat · 740 weeks ago

I am an EMT and have seen first hand the damage that mace sprays can do to bystanders in a closed environment like Metro. If anyone nearby has athsma or an allergy, they will have a life-threatening reaction with no first aid supplies nearby. There is also the risk of blowback onto you. Not to mention that DC requires that anyone carrying mace register it with the police.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Blacklaw · 740 weeks ago

Wow there are a lot of angry White People on the Metro. I am going back to driving.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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anon · 740 weeks ago

99% of the racist bile I've heard spewed in Metro stations have been from African Americans under the age of 30. Just passing along my observation for whatever it's worth.

+2 Vote up Vote down

blame · 740 weeks ago

Yes, but how can we blame WMATA?

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Dalia · 739 weeks ago

Just so we are clear, "reverse racism" = not being racist.

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Laura · 739 weeks ago

She sounds like the ringleader in the pack of feral teens who attacked my brother earlier this month. I wonder where her homies with their cellphone videocams were this time.

To the victim: I'm so sorry this happened to you.

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Jay · 739 weeks ago

I am really tired of all this racial crap. Coming from a black teen from DC I know they only do this for attention. No this wasn't a race thing, because I have seen it happen where the victim was an old black person, and no the teens fighting are not from bad homes where they are missing a parent or their mother is a crack head or whatever. Some of their families are quite wealthy, though not in every case.
I just wish you all would stop trying to speak about a group of people No.1 as they are animals and No. 2 like you understand their mindset. Now I am by no means trying to say what this person did was right, but I wish we can all get passed the who race thing because it happens to everyone. Not just whit people.