Unsuck DC Metro: Metro Worker won't Take No for an Answer

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Metro Worker won't Take No for an Answer

From Meredith:

Last night, I was at the CVS on Columbia Pike in Arlington near the Drafthouse at about 7:30.

While I was there, I noticed a WMATA employee wearing one of those bright yellow/orange vests staring at the woman in the checkout line in front of me.

I didn't pay much attention at the time.

After I checked out, I walked out to the parking lot, and saw his WMATA vehicle was parked next to her car.

My car was parked right behind the WMATA vehicle, so I had to walk past them to get to it.

I heard a snippet of their conversation. It went something like this:

Him: "Yeah, but can I get your number and call you sometime?"
Her: (trying to be polite) "I'm sorry, no."
Him: "Come on girl, you like like you need a man."
Her: "Actually, I have one." (Shows him her wedding band)
Him: "Oh. Well, if you ever want a man on the side, you know who to call."

The whole time, he was standing so close to her car that she couldn't close her door without hitting him with it.

He finally stepped back, and she closed her door, but her window was cracked open, and he kept trying to talk to her even as she drove off.

She handled it well, but looked a bit flustered.

I wish I'd stepped in and said something, but I admittedly didn't want him to turn his attention to me.

I did manage to get the numbers off his car, though and will be reporting it to Metro Transit Police. Here's hoping they do something about it, but I won't get my hopes up.

Comments (45)

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+18 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 717 weeks ago

The neon vests are like Axe--women just can't resist.

Seriously though, how in appropriate for one to do this in the first place and how dumb to do it with your uniform on in a company car...

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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mike · 717 weeks ago

"appropriate for one to do this in the first place and how dumb to do it with your uniform on in a company car"
Appropriate- No But what do you expect from a Metro employee?
"how dumb to do it "- Requirement to be a Metro employee ;-)

+14 Vote up Vote down

John · 717 weeks ago

Well now we know what "roadwest" is up to when he isn't trolling this blog.....

+3 Vote up Vote down

@AccessTheDMV · 717 weeks ago

Good luck with that. I do not think Wmata/Metro cares about something like that. I wouldn't consider it minor, but, they'll, most likely present it to him and ask him to write up a counter statement, which will probably come in the form of 5 sentences. If you were the woman in question and stated that you felt threatened and he persisted with his advances then MAYBE something would come of this.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 717 weeks ago

Of course the sentences will be full of misspellings and grammatical errors.

+16 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 717 weeks ago

Wait for it. Wait for it. I am sure the response will go something like, "We do not keep records of who drives what vehicle. We apologize." FAIL

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+9 Vote up Vote down

Sam · 717 weeks ago

Right? You can report the license plate and time and they'll reply "Well, did you get the VIN? That's the only way we can track it."

+2 Vote up Vote down

Another guest · 717 weeks ago

Agreed. Need to report to Metro main website as well and Arlington police. Without a name, badge# and/or photo, Metro's response will be weak, unless you can prove he works at Rosslyn or Courthouse station.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 717 weeks ago

Sure they will. Several of us have ran into that before with busses and trains. No matter how much information you give they always say they do not know who the person was. Would any employee like to answer .... do you actually hand out the keys to metro vehicles without keeping logs of who signed them out? Or driving a particular route?

+4 Vote up Vote down

RedLineROFL · 717 weeks ago

So many of these types of "bad metro behavior" posts lately, but not a single camera shot. Come on folks, cellphone camera, use it! Not saying I don't believe, but what can Metro honestly do without some proof? This isn't uniquely a Metro problem either, it's a problem all over.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Ever and Anon · 717 weeks ago

Some of us do not own cell phones with cameras. Care to buy me one? I will definitely use it well on Metro if you do.

0 Vote up Vote down

Sam · 717 weeks ago

Like Ever and Anon, count me in if you're buying. I don't have a camera phone either.

0 Vote up Vote down

VeggieTart · 717 weeks ago

Not everyone has a cellphone camera or iPod. I do, but I understand that some don't.

0 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 717 weeks ago

Ummm .... they can look in a log to see who had the vehicle at that time maybe? Even without proof, they can still then ask the employee his side of the story.

-11 Vote up Vote down

roadwest · 717 weeks ago

Hey if its ok for Bill Clinton, its OK for a METRO Employee.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 717 weeks ago

You mean John Ensign. Right?

+2 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 717 weeks ago

I'll see your "John Ensign" and raise you a "John Edwards".

+2 Vote up Vote down

roadwest · 717 weeks ago

Oh yeah and Prince Charles

+5 Vote up Vote down

governmentbasement 70p · 717 weeks ago

I'll see your Edwards, and raise you a Weiner!

+4 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 717 weeks ago

Good point on the camera-necessity. If someone contacted me with this type of info about one of my employees, even if I believed it, I wouldn't be able to take action on it. And my employees aren't even union.

5 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Ever and Anon · 717 weeks ago

So much for an equal America then. If you do not have the cash for the latest technology you cannot get a fair shake?

+5 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 717 weeks ago

You really consider a cell phone with a camera on it "the latest technology"? Do you know anyone who out of financial need either doesn't have a cell phone or has a cell phone that doesn't have a camera included? Pretty sure the visitors to Miriam's Kitchen were using them two years ago when Michelle Obama volunteered there.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 717 weeks ago

No kidding. Ever and Anon, do you believe that since not everyone has the cash for the latest technology, a computer, that Unsuck is a forum for only the privileged? Or since the original post deals with only one of the "haves" in America (those with access to a car, either owning, leasing, renting, or via ZipCar), it is not relevant for a forum such as this?

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Red Line · 717 weeks ago

Well, hopefully they at least confront him about the incident and he realizes people are watching and/or that this type of behavior is inappropriate even if Metro management cannot actually pin it on him. OP, thanks for bringing this up and for noticing this woman's discomfort. I trust you would have stepped in or contacted the police had she been in real danger- it's so important for people to watch out for one another! Look into http://www.ihollaback.org/.

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Kat · 717 weeks ago

Of course, you as a manager could always put out a general reminder about certain actions can be perceived, as a part of talking with your staff. But that's what a good manager would do.

+13 Vote up Vote down

Justin · 717 weeks ago

Representative Chris Lee takes a shirtless picture of himself and emails it to a random person on Craigslist. He is gone within a week. Representative Anthony Weiner sexts pictures of himself to various women. He is gone in three weeks. These guys never even got physically close to their female "friends." Yet this Metro employee gets away with such borderline illegal behavior. These sleazy Congressmen need a union and Jackie Jeter to represent them.

+1 Vote up Vote down

dcn8v · 717 weeks ago

I'm not sure what Metro can do about a boor's manners while he's off-duty. Maybe they can ask him to take off his vest before he makes sleazy, unwanted advances?

You can also post this to HollabackDC.
http://hollabackdc.wordpress.com/

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

anon · 717 weeks ago

Uh... what makes you think he was off duty? He was wearing the vest and had pulled up in the company car.

+1 Vote up Vote down

roadwest · 717 weeks ago

That is probably the most correct thing I have read, When a metro worker is off duty the vest comes off first, and would "NOT" have a company vehicle.. one of the biggest abuses of metro vehicles is 689 employees using the vehicles for personal purposes.

0 Vote up Vote down

dcn8v · 717 weeks ago

So if using the company vehicle for personal purposes is one of the biggest abuses... What's to say this guy wasn't on his personal time?

-10 Vote up Vote down

Richard · 717 weeks ago

Nice story but what does it have to do with Metro?
Men are pigs. Male Metro employees are pigs.
Is this interesting?
Now, if a point is being made about wearing the Metro uniform and conduct unbecoming a Metro employee, let's hear it.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

Annoyed · 717 weeks ago

Thats an ignorant generalization

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Kipp · 717 weeks ago

Agreed, generalizations should not be used when responding to a specific incident like this involving one individual. This story is interesting because it highlights behavior by a metro employee that does reflect on other employees because he was in uniform and using a company vehicle.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 717 weeks ago

Hate to say it, but being an a**hole like this guy isn't a crime. A complaint is probably best made somewhere other than through MTPD or Arlington PD as I am sure both would send you away empty handed as there is no police action that could be taken.

Good luck! Hope something is done to combat this type of behavior...

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

RGG · 717 weeks ago

Yup......If being a jerk was illegal, no one would be left in D.C. Best to get the vehicle ID number, date and time, location and send it off to Metro for his supervisor to look into.

+3 Vote up Vote down

VeggieTart · 717 weeks ago

Maybe the OP should also send it to Hollaback DC, the anti-street harassment group.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Kat · 717 weeks ago

Agreed, that would be a good place to post this info.

+7 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 717 weeks ago

Hmmm ... hasn't metro in the past been critiqued in the past for employees taking home company cars? In which case, that means they do one of the following:

1) Admit the practice still goes on.

2) Say the person was on duty.

3) Claim the car was stolen

4) Call the witness a liar, say they do not know who had the car that night anyways, then drop the matter.

Any bets which one they will pick?

7 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

roadwest · 717 weeks ago

Employees have been fired for "unauthorized " use of company vehicles. 689 employees ( those in uniform) do not have permission to use the vehicle for personal reasons. Some of the terminations have been recent. The public is not informed of those terminations and probably never will be. Most were due to reports from neighbors, witnesses, it was then investigated. They did not get there jobs back.

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Kara · 717 weeks ago

So there are ANY metro employees who have permission to use company vehicles for personal reasons?

Ok, MAYBE in the most extreme circumstances I could buy it. But that would only be a few cases beyond the 689 people/vehicles. I am guessing the metro fleet is more than 700-750 vehicles!

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roadwest · 717 weeks ago

Metro vehicles are issued to supervisors, mostly non-rep. Those people can take there vehicle home. Local 2 and 689 for the most part leave there vehicle at a metro facility after work. Occasionally they take it home for some special purpose like going to a different city or facility for business reasons.