Unsuck DC Metro: The New Openness

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The New Openness

A couple of weeks ago, Metro's new chief spokesman, Dan Stessel, guest blogged here. It seemed to usher in a new era of openness, and Stessel ended his post with a promising "let the conversation begin."

In a subsequent City Paper interview, Stessel said he'll try to make Metro employees available to reporters.

Amazing, right? Sounds great!

But is there any substance?

Take a look for yourself.

The below is a verbatim email exchange between Stessel and Unsuck. I was following up on an interview request with a Metro employee. Stessel initially replied that my questions could be handled "through Kubicek," (Metro's #2) which is usually flackspeak for "send me your questions, and we'll make sure to respond with platitudes," but we wanted to make sure.

Unsuck: Face to face? [With Kubicek]
Stessel: No.
Unsuck: Why not?
Stessel: Because he has a railroad to run. (This statement doesn't even rise to the level of "truthiness," as the Examiner appears to have been granted an interview with Kubicek, but I didn't know this.)
Unsuck: He's #2 at Metro. He testified before Congress, the NTSB, the Board etc. He should be available from time to time. The GM is made available from time to time.
Stessel: Not gonna debate.
Unsuck: So much for the new openness, I guess.
Stessel: I’m still on the fence on whether you’re trying to help or just love the attention.
Unsuck: Wow. Totally uncalled for.
Stessel: Openness.

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+26 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 720 weeks ago

Holy sh*t! Does this guy have ANY media training AT ALL? I guess I shouldn't be surprised Metro would hire someone who has no idea how to do the job.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+13 Vote up Vote down

James · 720 weeks ago

Yep...he seems to be as about as competent as his job as every other Metro employee!

+9 Vote up Vote down

Ever and Anon · 720 weeks ago

Oh but he DOES know the job. He sounds perfectly METRO – lie to the public, lie to Unsuck, insult, slander, dodge and evade. Bet he now gets a raise.

I regret I ever said welcome and hope he would be of help to us, the screwed-over public. I was blinded by desperate hope.

Hey Mr. Stessel. Want insults? I will now refer to you as Mr. Strudel. You show as much truthfulness as an inanimate dessert made of dough.

(I now await being called a racist against pastries.)

+14 Vote up Vote down

Gues · 720 weeks ago

He has been possessed by the ghost of Lisa Farbstein!

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

anon · 720 weeks ago

Why is Kubick still working at metro and why did he not get "booted"? He should have been the first to go!

+39 Vote up Vote down

ShartingExcellence · 720 weeks ago

Patronizing. Condescending. Dismissive.

It's clear when he says, "Let the conversation begin," he left off, "as long as we control the message, and our interlocutors are hand-picked softball-question-lobbers."

A huge number of riders come here for accurate information on Metro. It's usually not stories about sunshine and rainbows, because the system is a mess, and the organization possesses open contempt for its customers.

It's clear this guy thinks PR flackery is the same thing as real results. Unfortunately, this exchange indicates that nothing is going to change.

-14 Vote up Vote down

Anonny · 720 weeks ago

Honestly, I see where he's coming from.
I do believe that Unsuck's INTENT is good, but oftentimes the blog comes across more whiny and complainy, rather than trying to engage in substantive dialogue. Sressel obviously sees this too, and he's just calling you out on it.

5 replies · active 720 weeks ago

+28 Vote up Vote down

Jill S. · 720 weeks ago

Hi Dan,

This blog has "engaged in more substantive dialogue" in two years than Metro has over 40.

Do I agree with every opinion expressed here? No, but at the very least, the posts conversation starters, and we need to be talking.

Enjoy your new gig!

+3 Vote up Vote down

Anonny · 720 weeks ago

I'm not saying Unsuck *doesn't* do good work. This blog has broken more more stories about the seedy underbelly of Metro than all other media outlets combined, and that's FANTASTIC. Metro NEEDS to listen to the things Unsuck is saying, because apparently nobody else has the balls to say it. Massive kudos to Unsuck in this regard.

However, oftentimes there's a tone of superiority and stubbornness running in the background. Whether intentional or not, this comes across as an attitude of I'm-right-you're-wrong-and-that's-the-way-it-will-always-be. We all know people with this attitude (*cough*JackieJeter*cough*), and we all know how well it works for them (i.e. not at all).

+10 Vote up Vote down

Ever and Anon · 720 weeks ago

I see no superiority or attitude in the above conversation by Unsuck. I see honest, direct questions and answers that deliberately avoid and provoke. "Still on the fence?" When did he post he was on the fence to begin with? A real PR guru expert knows how to handle direct questions without becoming defensive. His comments above are over the top defensive and didn't need to be. That is very telling. Unsuck did not ask incorrect or rude questions. But sure did get rudeness back. We got us a beginner PR guy here.

-42 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 720 weeks ago

Is he a democrat? This reminds me of the Obama administration's new "transparency." (and hope and change and unicorns and all of that great stuff.)

9 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+32 Vote up Vote down

Soylent Green Line · 720 weeks ago

This is a local Washington, DC blog about WMATA. Go to Drudge Report to dazzle the blogosphere with your brilliance analysis of the President, please.

-40 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 720 weeks ago

Truth hurts, don't it?!!

-4 Vote up Vote down

Mariterri · 720 weeks ago

NO. But see above re "tone of superiority" and snarkiness. You just proved Anonny's point without even making a valid point of your own.

-5 Vote up Vote down

horseydeucey · 720 weeks ago

http://youtu.be/UXoNE14U_zM

+10 Vote up Vote down

anon · 720 weeks ago

Dear Person with Obvious Loss of Memory,

You might be unaware, but for about eight years another guy attended virtually no public forum without being asked preselected/prevetted questions, and anyone who wasn't a card-carrying fan of said guy wasn't even allowed to attend.

-6 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 720 weeks ago

Yup, everything is Bush's fault! (or is it Bush and Cheney's?)

+5 Vote up Vote down

soylent green line · 720 weeks ago

Look, I'll even give you a link to leave:
http://www.drudgereport.com/

As an added bonus, there's a special message from Glenn Beck scrolling at the top of the site RIGHT NOW! Hurry, before he erases the chalkboard!

-3 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 720 weeks ago

Ever heard of the saying 'the buck stops here'?

Obviously not everything in the world is the result of the president's actions. Some things they can not do much about, or if they do will only make the situation worse ('foreign interference' claims and such). For things that they are involved with (like who can ask them questions), yes, it is their responsibility.

-2 Vote up Vote down

VeggieTart · 719 weeks ago

Nobody here is saying it's all Bush and Cheney's fault, which is a discussion for another time. But let's not snark at Obama's transparency issues when Bush/Cheney could barely handle softball questions and refused to listen to anyone who wouldn't confirm his preconceived notions.

Metro is pretty much acting the same way: Whatshisface media flack may claim to want to have a "conversation", but he's dodging as well.

+43 Vote up Vote down

a-non · 720 weeks ago

It's obvious Unsuck is doing this for the attention. Anonymous transit bloggins is a chick magnet--everyone knows that.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+10 Vote up Vote down

F'n JD · 720 weeks ago

Unsuck does this because he believes Metro employees are slaves.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Matt G · 720 weeks ago

Just ask Toads, he's always bragging about the ladies.

-3 Vote up Vote down

soylent green line · 720 weeks ago

That's a good point - where are the Corresponding Toads of yesteryear?

+4 Vote up Vote down

John · 720 weeks ago

Was he going to grant you an interview, just not face to face? Hard to tell the context of this conversation when it starts off "face to face?"

Either way, its looking like more of the same... shocker...

+5 Vote up Vote down

F'n JD · 720 weeks ago

Dan = Sarles lackey. Fire them both and have the GM elected by the public at large.

If this is a public transit system, let the public elect the GM and the Board members.

What does Dan have to say about real democracy?

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

Matt G · 720 weeks ago

Mr. JD, no one wants the GM job, which is why Sarles is in it. Constantly calling for firing the GM solves nothing. Let's call Catoe and see if he wants to come back. ::sarcasm::

+3 Vote up Vote down

F'n JD · 720 weeks ago

As a JD who is extremely interested in transit, I'll do it for current GM salary and I won't ask for a housing allowance.

+2 Vote up Vote down

facts · 719 weeks ago

he does not receive a housing allowance.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Ugh · 720 weeks ago

They already ruled out democracy. Too messy.

+11 Vote up Vote down

adfds · 720 weeks ago

What a jerk.

+24 Vote up Vote down

Radner · 720 weeks ago

It appears that Stessel is not regarding Unsuck (or blogs of any sort) as an actual media outlet. This is a common perception of those that deal with media on a regular basis. Major media outlets are bridging the gap between amateur bloggers and professional journalist by having their own journalists author blogs and allow comments on their online media.

Those in control of information for agencies, corporations, government, etc etc are a little slow to keep up. The major players are using this to their advantage by granting blogger interviews, sending them press releases, and taking advantage of the fact that blogs are slowly becoming more credible and more accessible to the public.

Stessel seems to have had this notion down, and perhaps it was squashed by the higher ups. He has someone to answer to, someone with a long history of hiding the truth, downright lying, and deceiving the public. He is just a mouthpiece for Metro. My prediction is that he's not going to last long at Metro, and if he has any morals or integrity is probably already looking for another job.

+20 Vote up Vote down

soylent green line · 720 weeks ago

I wonder if Stessel got his hand bit for attempting to communicate with the riding public without a union spokesman approving his message beforehand? It must have been nice for him to start his tenure at WMATA with a flood of angry emails from WMATA union representatives for attempting to communicate with what I'm sure they consider "the enemy" (i.e. the people that pay their overtime-stuffed salaries).

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+4 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 720 weeks ago

watching too many conspiracy movies there soylent? as a metro employee i welcome anyone in management who is willing to step up and try to make a difference. however i called this one the day it was posted here with dan's initial statement. he is only going to talk the company talk.
now i will get down from my overtime stuffed soap box.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Anon and Ever · 720 weeks ago

There is no one in Metro management willing to step up, let alone try to make a difference.

+8 Vote up Vote down

PRMAN · 720 weeks ago

I was really surprised at how many (on Twitter) seemed to think this guy was going to change things. The best PR pro in the world can't fix trains, fix tracks, fix the budget, and bring accountability. in fact, the flaks job is to avoid accountability.

I don't know if he's a nice guy or not though it would appear he's not, but the change he can effect at metro is minimal

+6 Vote up Vote down

redline hostage · 720 weeks ago

Metro Senior Manager's Career Checklist

Pick up big paycheck from Metro for a couple of years. Check.
Pad agenda for being number 2 man at Metro for a couple of years. Check.
Gloss over the problems at Metro while never fixing a damn thing. Check.
Proclaim that lack of funding is the issue. Check
Raise fares. Check
Sucker some other transit agency in the country into hiring me. Check

+5 Vote up Vote down

Metro Ryder · 720 weeks ago

Apparently openness=jackass. Nice to know.

+29 Vote up Vote down

Eric · 720 weeks ago

What's "uncalled for" about Stessel's comment is that Unsuck's motivations are entirely irrelevant. Some news organizations are operated for profit (e.g. WaPo, CBS, Fox News). Some are not-for-profit (e.g. ProPublica, the Christian Science Monitor). Some journalists working for them are motivated by the public interest. Some are motivated by a desire for muckraking fame. Others by a desire to be close to power. Guess what? None of it matters. Unsuck has assembled a large, diverse, community of interest, published a tremendous amount of original news, and portrayed WMATA in both positive and negative lights. If Stessel's job is to coordinate Metro's relationship with the public, he has to engage with the journalists and media outlets covering Metro extensively. Period. Whatever their motivations. Unsuck does it for the babes? Entirely irrelevant, unless Metro and Stessel's are going to hunker down in a "nothing wrong here, people are out to get us" mentality. In which case, why hire Stessel at all?

+11 Vote up Vote down

Richard · 720 weeks ago

He is naturally afraid of you.
I think I've read this blog long enough to say that Unsuck DC Metro is a blog that seeks to expose the inadequacies of Metro by revealing the truth.
If you could get the message across to Mr. Stessel that you would quote him verbatim and that your mission is truth based with the intention of eventually improving Metro (correct me if I am wrong) he would have a harder time saying no to you--although, of course, no matter what he doesn't want to talk to you, he doesn't want you exist.
He should know that his silence and/or non engagement speaks far louder than anything he might say, and not in a good way.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Richard · 720 weeks ago

Trying to help or just love the attention.
Are these now mutually exclusive?
Why don't we put this question to our elected officials?
I think this guy Stessel is a jerk.
No matter what he "thinks" he has to know that what he says is going to appear in the media.
He might as well tweet a naked picture of himself to Unsuck.
Jerk. (Stessel, that is)

+3 Vote up Vote down

B.O. · 720 weeks ago

As to PR and openness, note how WMATA's "Yesterday's Service" summaries stopped being updated in February of this year: http://www.wmata.com/rail/disruption_reports/yest...

Strangely enough just after this analysis was published on GGW using the "Yesterday's Service" data: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9032/met...

+16 Vote up Vote down

dcn8v · 720 weeks ago

Openness: the new F--- You.

+10 Vote up Vote down

ANON · 720 weeks ago

C'mon. Someone needs to step up and acknowledge this guy. He went Metro at a world record pace.

Sick org.

+21 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 720 weeks ago

Pretty soon Stessel is going to start putting duct tape over his name tag, give you an annoyed look when you stand outside his office cubicle to ask simple questions, and eventually ignore you completely. He's perfect for Metro.

+13 Vote up Vote down

John · 720 weeks ago

I guess only Dr. Gridlock aka Dr. Metro Ass Kisser can get interviews with Metro Officials, huh?

+4 Vote up Vote down

DanSnyder · 720 weeks ago

Dano-a-Dano

Take it from me. The mainstream media will do your bidding. Take a look: http://deadspin.com/5806301/dan-snyders-latest-me...

+11 Vote up Vote down

@Rizzz · 720 weeks ago

It's pretty damn cocky to say something like that in an email and apparently give no fuck about the paper trail.

So much for the new regime. Sigh.

+16 Vote up Vote down

GWU Student · 720 weeks ago

What an idiot. I'm getting a master's degrees in PR and Dan's alma mater, and I'm pretty sure any professor would hold this up as an example of "what NOT to do." (Actually, I likely will bring this up in class.) Unsuck is a blog, yes, and sometimes bloggers are just out to cause problems and bend the truth, but how many Unsuck stories have been picked up by other mainstream organizations bc they were scooped by a blogger? A lot. I can't tell you how many times I've heard Adam Tuss say "first reported by Unsuck DC Metro" on WTOP.

This is a stupid attitude to take with ALL bloggers before evaluating what they're doing. It's a stupid decision to put that kind of snarkiness and superiority in writing. It's a stupid first move to promise something you're unwilling or unable to deliver. And in general, his comments just make him look like an asshole.

Dan, you're embarrassing to the PR profession, and it's pretty hard to lower the bar in this town.

8 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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GDopplerXT · 720 weeks ago

How many Unsuck stories have NOT been picked up by anyone? The vast majority of them. Why? Because most of them are not newsworthy or even legitimate issues. The ones that have been picked up are exceptions, so let's not overstate this; besides, local news outlets getting scooped by local blogs is not exactly a big deal anymore.

As far as Stessel's comments, I think he's spot on to question the intentions of Unsuck. While I don't think it's for the attention, as a long time reader I'm not convinced that Unsuck is trying to be helpful to anyone except stressed-out commuters who need a place to vent their frustrations. Which is fine, but also not something that Metro's official PR guy needs to get into. (I think his guest blog post last week was a bigger mistake than the email exchange with Unsuck.)

+8 Vote up Vote down

John · 720 weeks ago

What department of Metro do you work in?

-7 Vote up Vote down

GDopplerXT · 720 weeks ago

Yes, very clever. That one never gets old.

-9 Vote up Vote down

GDopplerXT · 720 weeks ago

Also, ask your professors what they think about Unsuck's post. From a PR person's point of view, I would think that this is exactly the kind of person that you want to be real careful opening up channels of communication with. (I'm in a totally different business so I really don't know.)

+14 Vote up Vote down

GWU Student · 720 weeks ago

Actually what any PR person worth their salt would tell you is that you don't piss off people who can make an impact. The importance of local news organizations picking up Unsuck stories is that local news organizations monitor Unsuck's website. Suddenly Stressel's obnoxious comments aren't between him and Unsuck, but between him, Unsuck, the blog readers, and the news directors at all the local news outlets. Now you have mainstream media people who are reading comments from Stressel saying that he's not interested in giving out interviews, that he thinks information should be given on a tiered system, and that he's an asshole. What impetus do they now have to want to cooperate with him?

From a PR point of view, you never put something down in writing that you don't want to see on the front page of the NY Times, and this would probably not be something he'd want showing up on front page of the NYT (not that it will, but that's the principle). Funny enough, it's the same thing my grandmother used to tell me.

-3 Vote up Vote down

BCT · 720 weeks ago

I concur with this. I repeat, though, all indications (that Unsuck has not filtered out) are that Stessel consented to an interview, just not face-to-face. He was under no obligation to give a reason for not giving Unsuck a face-to-face interview with Kubicek. When Unsuck asked for one, it should have been clear to him (Stessel) that things were about to go downhill fast, and he should not have responded at all, much less responded the way he did.

I see no evidence that Stessel made some categorical decision to dismiss all bloggers though; he declined to give a *face-to-face* interview to *this blog." To the best of my ability to tell from what Unsuck didn't filter out, the [admittedly inappropriate, unprofessional] dismissiveness didn't come in until UnSuck went Sulaimon Brown on him.

-4 Vote up Vote down

GDopplerXT · 720 weeks ago

Yeah, fair enough. Your point about not putting down in writing what you wouldn't want to see on the front page makes sense. Also a variation of what my mother taught me growing up.

I guess I just disagree with how you're reading (figuratively) the email exchange between Unsuck and Stessel. I don't think it's all that scandalous and I don't think it suggests that he's not interested in giving out interviews. I also don't think it suggests he's an asshole, I think it suggests he's a PR guy with a PR job to do.

I also don't think that this blog carries as much weight in relation to "mainstream media" as you suggest it does. Maybe it does, but I would be surprised. (Like I say I'm not in the business so I'm just best-guessing.)

+2 Vote up Vote down

PR Pro · 720 weeks ago

@GDfghf

They're not a PR pro, but they play one in blog comments. Or was it that you stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night?

+7 Vote up Vote down

Dezlboy · 720 weeks ago

The smartest move Metro could make would be to grant an interview with their strongest critic. Step up to the plate!

-5 Vote up Vote down

BCT · 720 weeks ago

In all fairness to Stessel, there clearly is important context that you are declining to supply here, and you (UnSuck) don't score any credibility points by taking this out of context. It would appear from the first couple of lines that he was ready to grant you an interview with Kubicek, but not face to face. I'm only guessing, though, as again, you have not provided this context.

Generally speaking, when a legitimate reporter requests and interview and doesn't get it, they write that XX declined to be interviewed (which itself speaks volumes) and they move on. I have never even heard of a legitimate reporter coming back with a "why not?" And what was up with that comparison to Congress and NTSB, are you channeling Sulaimon Brown here or something? Do you seriously think the #2 guy at any organization is going to treat a blog called UnSuck_Anything_, whose representatives approach them in this manner, as the equal of the NTSB or Congress. It looks like he took about a zillion cues that you already gave him and decided, "ok, I'm not dealing with a professional here, I'm dealing with a child, so I'll climb into the sandbox with you and play."

7 replies · active 719 weeks ago

-7 Vote up Vote down

BCT · 720 weeks ago

His response, to you, in writing, was also not the most professional maneuver I've ever seen--that was seriously a bad move. Nonetheless, my point is that you had already thrown your chance at the interview out the window and were being childish about the whole thing.

-4 Vote up Vote down

GDopplerXT · 720 weeks ago

I agree with a lot of this. Putting myself in Stessel's shoes, I can see why he might not think he'd get a fair shake granting an interview to Unsuck. I mean openness is one thing, but no good PR guy is going to grant an interview knowing that they'll be portrayed in a bad light.

+1 Vote up Vote down

anon · 719 weeks ago

Given that he had already had contact with Unsuck and - in an unprecedented move, I think - wrote a guest blog entry... I'm not sure why he would automatically assume the worst. Sounded like they had a good relationship to me.

No, the more likely explanation is that someone higher up put the kibosh on it.

+9 Vote up Vote down

Fry · 720 weeks ago

When journalists don't ask "why not" any more, we're fucked. Most journalists don't because they want access. Look how that's working out.

+3 Vote up Vote down

what? · 719 weeks ago

Wait, so you think that if someone declines an interview, reporters gracefully step back and say "I understand", and go on their merry way?

-1 Vote up Vote down

BCT · 719 weeks ago

No, I'm not.

From the best of my ability to tell, he did not decline an interview. With Unsuck obviously cherrypicking the juiciest part of the email exchange, it is impossible for us to know what was said previously, but it is fairly evident that Stessel agreed to an interview, just not face to face. I am suggesting that if Unsuck is legitimately interested in conducting an interview rather than just looking for something to pick a fight about, they should have taken the interview in whatever capacity it was offered without bickering about the mode of the interview.

Even if they did want to push for face-to-face, retorting "why not?" is how a kindergartener argues with his mom about not buying him a toy, not how a professional goes about trying to persuade a professional to take time out of his schedule to meet him face to face.

Look, the Examiner gets interviews with Stessel and Kubicek all the time. Most of those are not altogether flattering for Metro, but they somehow keep getting interviews anyway. I'm going to take a wild guess that the Examiner's people know how to act like professionals.

+3 Vote up Vote down

unsuckdcmetro 92p · 719 weeks ago

Not cherry picked. The first email in the exchange is summarized merely not to tip off others about stories I'm working on. What you see up there is the totality of the subsequent emails.

Thanks for running up the comment count!

+6 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 720 weeks ago

Basking in the glow of the New Era of Openness (tm) ...

+8 Vote up Vote down

Guestern · 720 weeks ago

It's pretty clear that Unsuck's intentions are to bring sharia law to metro.

+18 Vote up Vote down

PR Pro · 720 weeks ago

A seasoned PR professional would have co-opted this blog as an incredibly powerful tool for helping turn the tide. Yes, most of the news on here is negative, but there are certainly positive stories which display a willingness to tell both sides of the story.

If this had been me, I would started offering exclusive, good stories about Metro to the blog. Your dailies, etc would probably not run them, but here you get attention nonetheless.

Instead, Stessel has probably breathed new life into the blog with his dismissive and childish attitude.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

-3 Vote up Vote down

GDopplerXT · 719 weeks ago

"A seasoned PR professional would have co-opted this blog as an incredibly powerful tool for helping turn the tide."

Only if they had the time (resources) and believed the blog to be sufficiently influential.

"Yes, most of the news on here is negative, but there are certainly positive stories which display a willingness to tell both sides of the story."

As a regular reader I disagree somewhat with this statement. There are some positive stories, but the blog posts and comments as a whole are most definitely biased towards the negative. Go back and read my comments in the past and you'll see that there are many readers (commenters) who are not receptive to a less negative viewpoint.

"If this had been me, I would started offering exclusive, good stories about Metro to the blog."

You're kidding right? If he did this, he would be slammed by the blog's readers as trying to spread pro-metro propaganda and not facing up to the serious problems that Metro has.

"Instead, Stessel has probably breathed new life into the blog with his dismissive and childish attitude."

This blog has its own momentum and will continue on as it has thus far; I doubt Stessel's words have any real impact on this blog just as his words have to real impact on the operational state of Metro.

+13 Vote up Vote down

John · 720 weeks ago

Stessel says that Mr. Unsuck only wants attention? Does he realize that Mr. Unsuck has remained anonymous?

-21 Vote up Vote down

Glenn · 720 weeks ago

@ ShartingExperience:
"Patronizing. Condescending. Dismissive."

That is a perfect description of this site. I applaud Stessel for calling Unsuck out for being the attention whore that it is.

Let's face it: Unsuck DC Metro has No Interest in working to improve Metro's service. If Unsuck actually did play a constructive role, Metro would "suck" less - Unsuck would be putting itself out of business!

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Radner · 720 weeks ago

So you propose that Mr. Unsuck do the work - for free - the Metro employees are being paid public money to do? If Mr. Unsuck is a tax payer, his money is going to them. If he's a rider, more of his money is going to them. Is it so "Patronizing. Condescending. Dismissive." to ask for services that you're paying for be up to basic standards? Standards set, and frequently lowered, by Metro themselves. Pointing out the shortcomings of something you've paid for is the only action you can take when you are being required by law to pay for something so sucky.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Quest · 720 weeks ago

Amen!

I'd use the adjectives informative, funny and patronizing. patronizing because metro is run by a bunch of idiots who deserve to be mocked.

+5 Vote up Vote down

crucible · 720 weeks ago

Unsuck would not exist without the blatent inability that the Metro has become.

Unsuck has, like it or not, become a hub that has allowed users of the Metro to formally express thier daily experiences, and this gives them collectively more power and exposure than they would have individually. Often, these experiences are displeasure no doubt , but in absense of normal, regular superior experiences permeating through the Metro system, much of it is going to be detracting in nature by default.

+10 Vote up Vote down

11th · 720 weeks ago

it seems like stessel was willing to set up an over the phone interview, but reacted in a very condescending manner when unsuck dreamed to ask for a face-to-face talk. the "he's got a railroad to run" line is over-the-top and self-important, as if speaking to unsuck face-to-face would be beneath his otherwise pressing and serious work. i wonder if the same thinking lies behind the metro board's decision to grant riders so little time at public hearings. the "i wonder what your intentions are" line is unprofessional and silly.

truth is no one cares about the PR bs. this stessel guy can tweet and press release all he wants, but the substantive issues raised by this blog and others are what really matter. metro is not losing the PR battle, it's losing the battle to not run itself into the ground. if i were stessel, knowing that it's going to be a hard row to hoe to get metro's failures to not blow up into PR nightmares, i'd be trying to get everyone on my side as much as possible. fixing a system is hard; being polite (even when you feel someone is being unreasonable) is easy. you've got to do the easy things.

+6 Vote up Vote down

youknow · 720 weeks ago

Mass transit corrupts massively

+2 Vote up Vote down

GUEST · 720 weeks ago

"Hello NJ Transit can I have my job back?"

+7 Vote up Vote down

Jennifer Conger · 720 weeks ago

Did not take Metro long to assimilate him into its Borg.

+6 Vote up Vote down

no one · 720 weeks ago

I used to hate Metro with the intensity of 1000 suns, but this makes me hate them with the intensity of 1 million.

FU Metro

+5 Vote up Vote down

Casey Jones · 720 weeks ago

He calls this a railroad? heh

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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Corresponding Toads · 719 weeks ago

hey Casey do you play hockey by any chance??

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drown · 720 weeks ago

What kind of F%$#ing attitude is that? New open-ess my ass. More like new corporate Douchebag. If he can't see that this site is not about getting attention for ourselves but rather to the constant poor service, low standards, poorly managed system the organisation he works for is subjecting us too then it is business as usual.

People that ride metro on a regular basis are not in denial about the sad state of affairs and come here to vent, to commiserate and to educate themselves. It's not about attention for ourselves, it's a coping mechanism, a struggle for our sanity and a desperate attempt to shame Metro into getting their act together.

Shame on you Dan Stessel for trying to blame the messenger. You should know better.

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Corresponding Toads · 719 weeks ago

I'm sure someone at Metro has warned Stessel not to provide Unsuck with anything more than he absoultely needs to. So far, Unsuck's exchange with Stessel has gone something like this:

S: hey baby, I'm here to provide openness
U: o rly? how bout face-to-face with one of the Metro goons?
S: lol no wai
U: y not? u said openness
S: I said openness not craziness lol i dun trus u
U: ... u noob

I'm still on the fence on whether Stessel is trying to help matters or just loves getting a paycheck. I know I'd love a paycheck. I can feign a caring attitude just as good as any WMATA employee. SIGN ME UP, BABE.

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Top Job · 719 weeks ago

My good friend Cindi Lauper wrote a song about all of this:

I see your true colors
coming through
I see your true colors
and that's why I doubt you
I always knew it was all a show
your true colors
true colors are dysfunctional
ooo, like the metro

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Corresponding Toads · 719 weeks ago

ummm is ms. lauper really a good friend of yours? if so, e-mail me at cyndi4ever@aol.com

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Top Job · 719 weeks ago

Yes, CL, as I call her, is a dear friend along with Phil Collins. I was there with them when they wrote true colors together. It was a collaborative effort.
Phil was joking around about Cindi's hair and said "I see your true colors coming out in the rainbow in your hair!". And, Cindi, says "Jesus, Phil keep going that's great. And she began to hum something close to what we know as the final tune and Phil just kept popping off lyrics "...that's why I love you";
"don't be afraid". I jumped in right there and added "to let them show" (no, I don't get or expect credit for this. Cindi really put the emotion into it, so Phil said "this is definitely your song, but I want to sing it later when everyone has forgotten about your version". Frankly, I was bored. Don't get me wrong I love Phil and Cindi, but to me they are the King and Queen of Banal song writing".

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Corresponding Toads · 719 weeks ago

I never could have imagined so much deep thought going into that song...!

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VeggieTart · 719 weeks ago

"Because he has a railroad to run"? Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. Yes, Kubicek is so busy (poorly) running the railroad that he can't take five minutes to talk to a blogger who posts about the very issues affecting the "railroad" he runs.

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eed017 · 719 weeks ago

So the new PR hack can only come up with something as dismissive as "He has a rairoad to run". Gee, that was only slightly more polite than what Cheney told Leahy to do with himself. What a nob-head you are, Stessel.

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Usuck · 719 weeks ago

Unsuck is not news! No interview for nerds that blog!

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Grax · 719 weeks ago

Why is he posing in front of the National Building Museum? He doesn't work there.

Wouldn't it be more appropriate for him to pose in front of a non-functional escalator with 2-way foot traffic on the other escalator?

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Gaypants · 701 weeks ago

He is really cute though. Probably suffers from ECBS.

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Gaypants · 701 weeks ago

You totally should have said, "Interesting, I can't decide if you plan to do actual PR for metro or just be another finger puppet for Sarkel. Hope you did your kegel exercizes."