Unsuck DC Metro: Catatonic Driver

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Catatonic Driver

From Michael:

My partner and I got on the S2 on April 7 (bus #6466) at about 6:25 p.m. in front of the Capitol Hilton (16th and L stop).

My partner swiped his card, and the machine beeped. Nothing. He swiped it again. Nothing.

He asked the bus driver if he needed to add money.

The driver mumbled something incoherent.

My partner and I looked at each other like, what the hell.

So he swiped a few more times, and then asked the driver for help in adding money.

The driver just stared off into space.

Finally, my partner put a $10 bill in the machine, which registered, but didn't get added to his card.

My partner asked the driver again for some help.

The driver continued to stare off in space.

He was wearing sunglasses, by the way.

We looked to the other people on the bus, who were also wondering what the hell was going on.

Some of them looked like they are blaming us, but the ones in the front and who could see the rear view mirror could see that the bus driver was catatonic.

Finally, we took seats, since he clearly was not responsive. At this point, I was unsure if he was going to be able to drive, but he did, and it was fine.

At the next stop, more people got on, and one more person needed to add money to their card. She tried to work the machine, to no avail, and asked the driver for help.

Again, no response. Just more staring off into space.

She finally asked someone for some coins, put in some money and sat down.

The people in the front of the bus were just looking at each other, wondering what was going on.

We took the bust to our stop, and there, at 16th and U, we saw a police car. We explained the story to the officer, told him the bus number and the driver's name. He immediately, turned on the lights and stormed up 16th St. Minutes later, 5 more squad cars tore up 16th.

It must have been about 6:40, and I would think the cops would have caught up to him around 16th and Euclid.

I don't know what happened after that, but would appreciate if anyone else knows what happened.

Metro had no report, they said.

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Comments (46)

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+1 Vote up Vote down

Matt G · 728 weeks ago

It's entirely possible that the lights and other police cars were unrelated to the bus incident. While I think that the uncooperative driver was clearly at fault for not doing his job, he didn't violate a law that would have all those police chase after him.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Ever and Anon · 728 weeks ago

Sounds like he was quite buzzed or drunk to me. (I would assume buzzed first as alcohol would have probably been smelled standing so near to him.)

If so, that's a violation. Even if nothing was wrong, he gave a distinct impression to many people that something was, indeed, wrong. In such case, is it safe to assume everyone is safe, inside and outside of the bus? What if he's diabetic and was having the beginning of a hypoglycemic episode?

-4 Vote up Vote down

Jack Wiley · 728 weeks ago

Many of Metro's fare machines do not work. the driver is in a pickle. If he tells you this, management gets mad at him for giving you a free ride. If he tells you to keep trying, you get frustrated and get made at him. So he ignores you, hoping you will get the message and have a seat and enjoy the ride.

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Corresponding Toads · 728 weeks ago

Oh man, I never quite understood the definition of catatonic, but it describes me perfectly!

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Ever and Anon · 728 weeks ago

Toads, oh Toads, you are anything but catatonic on this blog! And I for one, think you should stay jes' da way ye are. LOL! ;-D

+19 Vote up Vote down

John · 728 weeks ago

I was on the way to the cherry blossom this weekend and we had the best metro operator. He kept stressing the fact that there is more than one door on the train in many different funny ways. He'd say "when we get to the stop, HOPEFULLY all 18 doors on this train will open... please spread out to all doors, this will make boarding and offloading of the train easier" and "I'll let you guys in on a little secret... theres more than one door on this train, so spread out and it will make everyone's life easier"

He was a riot. Metro needs more people like him!

16 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+16 Vote up Vote down

Anonerly Ever · 728 weeks ago

I have had that operator many times. The one with the attempt at a deep throaty Vincent Price voice. "Moooore than onnnnne dooooor....."

Gets old after awhile. Then I see first-timers hear him. He can crack up the entire car. "If you all walk through different doors, you will still end up on the same platform... if your group goes through only one door you may find some still on the train...." I agree.. They do need more like him!

+4 Vote up Vote down

John · 728 weeks ago

YUP! Thats him all right! Its funny (and somewhat sad) that his announcements are kind of necessary....

-4 Vote up Vote down

Matt G · 728 weeks ago

Yeah that guy is funny, but he begins to lecture at every stop and it gets irritating fast. I just like it when he says "More than one door." That hits the message home. His rants about camera flashes are really irritating when trying to have a conversation or read something.

+7 Vote up Vote down

Emily · 728 weeks ago

Are you kidding??? "Gets old after a while"????? This guy is the highlight of my orange line commute, he makes me giggle EVERY morning I'm lucky enough to step on his train!!! I have been lucky enough to have him as the operator twice in one day, he's the best!!!

-4 Vote up Vote down

kittycatbob · 727 weeks ago

I wish this guy would shut-up. It's bad enough being on the Metro, crammed into a car with a bazillion other people, but to listen to someone who talks just for the sake of talking...very irritating! Give us some peace and quiet!

+4 Vote up Vote down

Emily · 727 weeks ago

I'd rather have him driving than some of the drivers that incoherently grunt the stops. I guess some people have no sense of humor.

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OLR · 728 weeks ago

I used to have a guy on the Orange Line going home in the evenings towards Vienna that would SING what stops we were arriving at. I haven't heard his tunes in awhile; I hope Metro didn't get rid of him.

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Steph · 728 weeks ago

Are you referring to this fine gentleman?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2MDyWcLvBI

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tengoalyrunr30 80p · 728 weeks ago

I had a guy tell us one time in the middle of summer to be careful when exiting the train at the end of the line because we might slip on the ice. It happened during the middle of the morning commute, so definitely added some humor

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Sam · 728 weeks ago

I never get those types. I seem to have two blue/yellow line operators every day: a lady that over-annunciates and sounds like a robot and a guy that sounds like Homestar Runner.

+1 Vote up Vote down

John · 728 weeks ago

"The next sta-tion is Pen-T-a-gon... Yel-low Line train to Hun-T-in-g-Don!"

That lady?

+1 Vote up Vote down

HurricaneDC 76p · 727 weeks ago

I've definitely had that lady before, never Homestar though.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Steph · 728 weeks ago

This guy makes my day when I get on his train!

+3 Vote up Vote down

HurricaneDC 76p · 727 weeks ago

I think you're talking about this guy:
http://unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com/2010/08/operato...

+3 Vote up Vote down

@bgriffler · 727 weeks ago

This guy also announced, "folks, just a reminder, please do not play on the platform in front of an approaching train. You have a better chance playing in the middle of I-495 during rush hour."

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JoeSchmoe · 727 weeks ago

Completely agree. I even wrote in on wmata's comment page commending him for his helpful announcements -- in the (probably vain) hope that he would get recognized for it. (Plus, I figured there were probably some obnoxious people out there who would complain that he was talking too much, and I wanted to offset that.)

-1 Vote up Vote down

Quest · 728 weeks ago

Hey Unsuck, are Metro drivers required to bring in their driving records every year?

I know you have to show your Metro ID but not your license to get your bus I was told.

+15 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

This Bus Driver wears his sun glasses at night; so he can, so he can watch you weave then breathe your story lines!

+11 Vote up Vote down

dan · 728 weeks ago

I would encourage the poster to file a formal complaint (if he or she has not already done so) and follow up on this incident.

I'm very curious to know whether it was apathy or some form of impairment.

-20 Vote up Vote down

Sizzle · 728 weeks ago

I find it hard to believe that the cops would chase down a Metro Bus driver simply because he was being rude.

I also find it a tad strange that whoever sent this story in felt that they NEEDED to tell the police simply because their Metro Bus driver was rude to them...just sayin'

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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vanceastro 111p · 728 weeks ago

The driver wasn't reported for being rude, Sizzle. He was reported for suspicion of driving while impaired.

+7 Vote up Vote down

Kat · 728 weeks ago

I would have entertained the possibility of a medical problem, except for the fact that he was wearing sunglasses. I don't see a lot of the drivers wearing sunglasses, possibly because they have good tinting on the windows. Better to report it in case he really was on something.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Guest · 728 weeks ago

Maybe he was blind.

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lawl · 728 weeks ago

A common problem among WMATA employees.

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thedofc · 728 weeks ago

blindness is a disability, not a "problem"

+7 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

Lacking a sense of humor is a problem, not a disability.

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Ray · 728 weeks ago

This could have been a "work to rule" situation where the union had instructed drivers to do only the bare minimum that is required.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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dan · 728 weeks ago

Believe it or not, I am pretty sure that adherence to a basic level of civility and customer service is actually written into their job descriptions.

Anyone know for sure?

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jkuchen · 728 weeks ago

I'm pretty sure that driver interaction is required for a customer to add fare to their card. Considering that a person who rides only the bus (and not Metrorail) can add fare only while on a bus, I'd consider that interaction to be part of the "bare minimum."

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GDopplerXT · 728 weeks ago

According to the instructions on wmata.com, no action is necessary from the driver for a customer to add fare to a SmarTrip card on the bus. http://www.wmata.com/fares/smartrip/smartrip_qand...

Also, this is admittedly slight nitpicking but your second statement is not quite true. I always add fare to my card at a Metrorail station even though I only ride the bus.

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James · 728 weeks ago

Sounds like the driver was on Lithium or Seroquel.

+3 Vote up Vote down

@kara_h · 728 weeks ago

It definately sounds like some sort of impairment, or at least enough to make an officer think it warranted investigation. Whether that impairment is medical, drug-related, sleep deprivation, or something else is unclear though. No matter what the reason it is cause for getting a ticket for driving under impairment as surely as if you were drunk.

I do not know of anywhere that driving impaired is even close to legal, although the exact restrictions vary by jurisdiction. For example, if you have epilepsy you are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle for a period of time. That time period varies from state to state: a year or more since the last seizure, that period of time since stopping all anti-convulsants without problems, and so on. Some restrictions are complete, even if my seizures go away totally I would never ever be allowed to fly a plane (that rule really hit a friend who wanted to fly jets all his life).

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Newt · 728 weeks ago

I would think ability to communicate, either through speaking or gesticulating, would be among the top qualifications for being a bus driver.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Guest · 728 weeks ago

You must believe in slavery!

+2 Vote up Vote down

Ruby Tuesday · 728 weeks ago

Based on the description, it does seem that the driver was in a state leaving him unable to communicate effectively and possibly not drive in a safe manner. However, if you as a rider are that concerned about your safety, why would you ride to your stop? Why wouldn't you immediately get out? In all honesty, it sounds like another rude driver rather than someone under the influence and that the rider was probably aware that he was just a rude driver or else would have gotten off sooner.

Or did I miss something?

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Anon · 728 weeks ago

There is a guy who continually tries to impersonate WAMATA employees including police and bus drivers. At one point he did actually steal and drive a bus for a while. I know that MTPD has been trying to catch this guy for some time now; maybe it was him.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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dan · 728 weeks ago

I really don't know how to respond to this... you're suggesting that a Metrobus Operator 'imposter' stole a bus, then drove the route of that bus while picking up and dropping off passengers???

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metroopensdoors · 728 weeks ago

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleas...

William Jackson faces multiple charges
The Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) arrested William Jackson, 19, of Washington, D.C., and charged him with unauthorized use of a vehicle and fleeing an accident, today, July 9.

Jackson was driving a Metrobus when it struck a tree at 17th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, SE, around 4:15 p.m. He continued to drive the bus to 14th Street and Potomac Avenue, SE, where the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a traffic stop on the bus after receiving a 911 call from a witness who observed the accident. The suspect fled the bus and was apprehended by MPD at 16th and Potomac Avenue, SE.

There were no injuries reported as a result of the accident. A preliminary police report indicates that the suspect is not a Metro employee, however he entered Metro’s Bladensburg bus facility wearing a bus operator’s uniform, boarded a bus and drove it out of the lot. MTPD continues to investigate the incident.

News release issued at 11:51 pm, July 9, 2010.

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dan · 728 weeks ago

Many long-time readers of this blog will remember that story.

My objection to your comment is that the thief in the story you cited wasn't stopping to allow passengers to get on and off the bus, he was joyriding in a stolen vehicle.

Matt's complaint isn't about a joyriding Metrobus thief; his complaint is about a non-responsive Metrobus Operator that may have been in some way impaired while driving a huge freaking bus with lots of passengers on board. If true, that is scarier to me than a stolen Metrobus.

Obfuscate and misdirect; the WMATA way.

Maybe what REALLY happened is that a customer's glove got stuck in the fare meter, causing it and the driver's communcation skills to fail?