Theft Problem on Metro Nothing New

The rise in crime on Metro came as no surprise to Unsuck readers. The trend was apparent back in January.

Thing is, the trend was also apparent a year ago, when robberies were up 54 percent and Metro made the above video and issued this press release about how they were going to combat theft.

Doesn't seem like those efforts, if they really even happened, helped at all.

From anonymous:

I thought I’d share my wife’s experience yesterday morning. She was on a Red Line train at about 9.30 a.m., when a youth gang perpetrated a brazen and well-planned attack on the Metro car while sitting at Takoma station.

To begin with, a simulated fight broke out as a distraction. Then, right before the doors closed, other gang members physically wrestled smart phones (Droids, iPhones) from people’s hands and fled.

One gentleman was thrown to the floor as he was robbed. My wife’s arms were grabbed by an assailant as he wrestled her iPhone from both her hands. My wife thought at least four people were robbed.

My wife took advantage of the car doors not closing first time and, along with a male victim, chased the after perpetrators along the platform, raising a hue and cry.

The station operator saw all this on the cameras and alerted the police, who responded fairly quickly.

But the gang jumped the barriers and escaped.

Be careful out there.

Other items:
Students' use of Metro may be restricted (WaPo)
Outgoing Board chair calls Metro a jewel of the U.S. (WMAL)
America's smart cities for transit not very smart (Fast Company)