Unsuck DC Metro: Station Manager Hurls Insults at Riders

Monday, June 20, 2011

Station Manager Hurls Insults at Riders

Via an anonymous Tumblr:

The other day, I was on my way to Reagan National Airport from work to pick up my family who were coming to visit.

When I got off, I couldn't help but notice a girl having trouble with her SmartTrip card.

She looked around and, not noticing anyone to help her, walked through the gates.

A few moments later, I saw a rather hefty woman, who was clearly a WMATA worker, come out of nowhere, screaming at the top of her lungs at this girl.

The girl turned around in surprise and approached the manager. She tried to ask for help, but the station manager put her hand up in the girl's face and called her a little bitch and walked off!

The girl started yelling at the station manager, saying she didn't appreciate the attitude, adding that she should be helping her, not insulting her.

The station manager continued to walk away.

So the passenger called her a bitch back and walked off.

After meeting my family, we walked back to the Metro station to head home.

To my surprise, we met the same girl back at the station. She was in line to buy tickets with her family or friends.

Her card would not work again.

She approached the same station manager who was now in her kiosk, and the station manager refused to help her again.

She mentioned something about the girl having a sh*tty attitude, and the girl started to scream and curse at her through the microphone.

Then, out of nowhere, another woman (who I am guessing was the girl's mother) started punching the kiosk glass, asking the station manager to come out.

Despite a growing line of customers also needing help, the station manager came out and got up in the woman's face and started screaming “You don't know the story!”

The girl asked for the station manager's name so she could complain, and the manager threw her tag at her.

After that, she pleaded with her mom to just forget about it.

They walked away, but the station manager followed them to the escalator, all the while blowing kisses and calling them “haters.”

This was the most unprofessional behavior I have ever seen in a WMATA worker, and this woman should absolutely be fired.

Has anyone else had a problem with this woman? She has gray hair and is rather hefty and maybe in her early 60s?

Other items:
ATU Local 689 Meeting tonight

Comments (43)

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+4 Vote up Vote down

John · 718 weeks ago

Other Items: ATU Local Meeting Tonight.

You want this type of crap to stop, show up if you have time and let your voice be heard.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Guest · 718 weeks ago

Is she Black, White or Hispanic?

+4 Vote up Vote down

WTF · 718 weeks ago

Do you really have to ask?

+4 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 718 weeks ago

So you can be yelled out of the room by this woman's ilk? No thanks.

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tengoalyrunr30 80p · 718 weeks ago

Exactly. One of my favorite quotes is "If you don't do something about it, you are part of the problem." Hopefully people remember that and go to this meeting. At least then we can say we've tried.

+10 Vote up Vote down

@FixWMATA · 718 weeks ago

This is exactly why we need a large rider turn-out at the union meeting tonight. Metro has proven they now have a zero-tolerance policy for safety and now the union needs to have a zero-tolerance policy for customer service. Both Metro AND the Union are responsible for this kind of attitude but the change has to start with the union that lets employees like this get promoted through the ranks.

7 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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F'n JD · 718 weeks ago

It's not the union, it's management.

Fire Sarles.

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@FixWMATA · 718 weeks ago

Can you give a specific example that tells me it's the management only? (honestly curious)

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roadwest · 718 weeks ago

The management is unwilling to honor the union contract , have stated that they will continue to appeal the contract. Union workers are criticized , Most union people are angry, and tired of public opinion. Most the public opinion is general and insulting.. union body is ready to be insulting back.. what do you expect. I would guess that the public knows very little about the different jobs and degree holding union people.

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n2deep · 718 weeks ago

its not the union its IS management. i would bet 99% of the people on this site do not have a clue how local 689 operates as a union. the union has no say in who is promoted. it is metro that does that. you really need to stop blaming the union for EVERYTHING until you understand how it works. i could explain it here but it would take a long post and most don't really want to know they just want to blame. i am not defending the union as a whole. it is screwed up and is part of the problem.

+2 Vote up Vote down

former employee · 718 weeks ago

I do!!!! The Union has a lot... Union 689 should not included workers that are in Rail Car Mantentance, car cleaners, janitors. etc... they are union in bus operations... Look at the histroy....Presidents and past... they are elected on bus operations...not rail... It is GREED. The 689 can't handle either one because they are greeding It is to borad.. The public should know that Metro hires within.. and alot of these supervisors have union benefits that they choose to have.. Conflict of interst or greed????????.. .

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roadwest · 718 weeks ago

You are right, I agree .

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John · 718 weeks ago

http://unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com/2010/06/union-b...

Spin away....

+11 Vote up Vote down

Corresponding Toads · 718 weeks ago

Typical Metro response to any issues posted by Unsuck:

"YOU DON'T KNOW THE STORY!"

It's always a cool story, bro.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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roadwest · 718 weeks ago

"Typical "should be the big HINT, when it is something you hear a lot as you claim to there is a reason...... like it or not it is because it is true. There are other words to describe someone who keeps hearing the same thing over and over enough to call it TYPICAL but still can't figure out why.

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Sally · 718 weeks ago

I need to know if the station manager was black? I have had problems there too.

And why is the Union having town hall meetings for more money in their paycheck? They make over $50,000 a year already. I think their pay is outrageous.

I am not going to any meetings until they start talking about reducing their bloated paychecks and hiring more white, indian, asian, hispanic and all other races. Is there an agreement with the DC Government, MD and VA just to hire and promote blacks?
I want to know I pay takes and if this is so I am protesting as it is illegal.

5 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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@FixWMATA · 718 weeks ago

These are points that you should bring up at the union meeting. You can't stew in anger and expect results. Bring these issues forward and demand answers.

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Kara · 718 weeks ago

As to the race of the metro employee pretty much any person here could guess with a 99.9% chance of being right. I would take odds like that in vegas any day. Outside of the token latinos, the only non-african-ameerican metro workers are in a few specialized roles (escalator repairmen and cops mostly) and some of the management.

While the argument could be made that that is the majority of the DC population (although less so in the suburbs) the metro percentages are much higher. Even if you are only looking at people that work jobs like fast food restauraunts, retail, and construction.

+2 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 718 weeks ago

metro does hire all the above races. they just usually are more educated and therefore are not station managers, train operators etc. they are usually in tech jobs.

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former employee · 718 weeks ago

You sould like a current .... I say current Metro employee!!! I wish you all the best if you are. Check back in an year or two. I bet your opinion will change You do not have the information needed to make this comment. I suggest you request from the DOT under the FIA how many people of race are employed from each dept. and will I wonder what "DIVERSITY" means to Metro.

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bet · 718 weeks ago

Sally has a good point. Was she black or not because as we all know the workers are all black. Only one is white.

+22 Vote up Vote down

Frutrated · 718 weeks ago

Completely confused as to why two posted comments are bringing race into the conversation. The manager was unprofessional and rude. That's the story. This has nothing to do with race. Jeesh.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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dcn8v · 718 weeks ago

Thanks for saying what I was thinking.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Anonerly · 718 weeks ago

Good point but race is an issue with Metro. They allow young black men to pass out stuff to riders exiting the station at New Carrollton. If you are white they refuse to give you anything and, if asked, just laugh in your face and reach around you to hand it to the next black person walking by. If metro allows racism in this, why would anyone be surprised at the same from the employees themselves?

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This is why I drive · 718 weeks ago

That's likely to be men from the Nation of Islam (assuming that they're well-dressed or yet another clone of that racist group if not well-dressed) and not WMATA handing out the stuff. I assume that they hand out their materials because they're not challenged. I've seen Asian and white groups handing out stuff, too. Since I refuse all of the crap pushed in my direction, I don't know the content of their stuff. I don't believe the issue is one of race; it's what is usually the issue with WMATA: enforcement.

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Booster · 718 weeks ago

Why is this confusing?

Race has been brought into the conversation because the vast majority of Metro's public-facing employees that act like complete assholes are black, hence people are going to associate black Metro workers with rudeness. Whether you like it or not, that's just how some people's minds operate.

If you think people are being racist, then just say so, and quit with the "Golly gee, i'm just completely confused" rubbish.

+32 Vote up Vote down

horseydeucey · 718 weeks ago

I think at least one poster is asking because they think they have been treated in a similar fashion and are asking for a more complete description to see if that's so. If that is the case, skin color may be an easier identifier than, say, left-handedness, or gait, or eye-color, or posture, or height, or body odor, or shoe size, and so on.

But then again, I could be wrong.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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jkuchen · 718 weeks ago

+1--took the response right outta my thoughts and attempts to type :-)

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One take · 718 weeks ago

Shameful.

I wonder what ‘the story’ actually was. I wonder what the station manager’s ‘story’ actually is. Probably not a very happy story, but inversely a very ‘mad’ story that’s appears in the form of a diary somewhere.

And to taunt and blow kisses and call paying customers ‘haters’ all the while?

Granted, there are conflicts in any workplace, but I’d surely love to see the old white man in their nice suits in my office blow kisses and call each other ‘haters’ when there is a conflict of opinion.

Oh wait. That sort of ‘professional’ behavior is not praised or encouraged within some (most) demographic groups.

So this station manager gets a $50K paycheck to act as if she just rolled out of some back alley smoking a crack pipe?

Good job METRO HUMAN RESOURCES for hiring this stellar employee.

+13 Vote up Vote down

dcn8v · 718 weeks ago

It sounds to me like both people were in the wrong here. But, as a working WMATA representative, the onus was on the station manager to handle this professionally without letting it escalate to the levels that it did. The way this station manager acted could easily have caused the situation to evolve into something needing attention from the already stretched thin WMATA police. That is the opposite of what a station manager should aim for. Shame on her. I hope that girl took the station manager's name badge with her and reported it to WMATA.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Anon Everly · 718 weeks ago

Wonder if Sen. Mikulski knows of this one? Things are improving according to her...

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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@FixWMATA · 718 weeks ago

To be fair, and because I like Sen. Mikulski, her focus is on the infrastructure and safety issues at WMATA as identified by the NTSB. Customer Service is an inside problem, not really for her to demand or monitor change there.

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Mike · 718 weeks ago

From the description of the station manager, it sounds like Mikulski could take her in a fist fight. In fact, I'd like to see Mikulski go a few rounds with this station manager.

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Anon · 718 weeks ago

Like the sign says - "If you see something, say something."

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Alan · 718 weeks ago

too bad no one was quick enough to pull out their cameraphone to record this

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Justme · 718 weeks ago

I don't understand the rude workers. When you are kind and helpful you meet some really nice and interesting people. I often help visitors or just speak to them and they are really nice people, I like hearing about where they are from and they want to know about my work and life here.

The grumpy metro worker would not be so grumpy if they just tried a little kindness they get so much back.

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Pete · 718 weeks ago

"The girl asked for the station manager's name so she could complain, and the manager threw her tag at her."

So, um, what's the problem then? If you have the stinkin' badges, you don't need to know about race or age or eye color or left-handedness. You have (or had the opportunity to have) the *actual* - not the *possible* - identity of the station agent. In fact, you might have had them on assault charges in addition to simply being a horse's ass.

*Sigh*

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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jkuchen · 718 weeks ago

The badge wasn't thrown at the author--it was thrown at the girl and the family. The author, who presumably didn't get to see the badge, wants to know if others have had issues with this person. So even if the author could identify the employee by name, the others who may have issues with this person probably can't identify her by name, but they could identify her with a physical description, incluing all aspects of her appearance.

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Guest · 718 weeks ago

Which is besides the point, because the author TWICE witnessed her having problems and could have volunteered to help the gal out, especially after witnessing an assault. Instead of doing something actionable, the poster chose not to get involved and chose instead to gossip about the incident here on the interwebs. Ugh!

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dddddda · 718 weeks ago

Um, if someone is yelling and screaming and punching (even inanimate objects), I'm certainly not going to step into that mess. Calling Metro police is futile (yes, I would call MPD if I saw it elsewhere...the DC police have always responded QUICKLY to reports of fights in my experience). So those of us who aren't about to get into physical or even verbal fights are left with reporting it to those who can publicly shame the people and system that allows this to happen.

And I've been in that station manager's shoes. I have worked customer service in a number of venues, and dealt with thieves (some of whom have threatened to assault me when I called them out on stealing), customers with problems, rude and discourteous customers, etc. Even in my current job, I get angry phone calls. I have started phone conversations start with the other person swearing at me and end with them thanking me. An ounce of kindness and a ton of keeping your cool will generally diffuse these situations quickly...even when dealing with people with "shitty" attitudes or who are understandably upset. It's pretty obvious that if the station manager had said to the young woman "excuse me...is something wrong with your card?" and then FIXED it, or at least told her how to fix it if it required a trip to Metro Center, the situation would have been OVER without all the drama.

And it's so sad, because as I have stated on here before, my first interactions with Metro in the late 90's/early 2000's were AMAZING. Particularly because of FANTASTIC station managers. I have seen fantastic employees since then...from janitorial to station managers...but they're fewer and further between than ever.

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anony · 718 weeks ago

where and when is the meeting tonight? details?

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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@FixWMATA · 718 weeks ago

6 PM - MLK Library - 901 G St. NW, Washington DC

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metroretired · 718 weeks ago

METRO Executive leadership team came up with a brilliant idea , before Mr Sarles was in charge. They agreed to appeal the union contract no matter what. The idea is to cause a strike. Managers have been abusive to union employees in many ways without any interference. If METRO is successful in causing a strike any union member who participates will be fired because the union is under a NO STRIKE FEDERAL LAW !!!! unlike the no strike law in NY which caused union members to be fined. There is a lot at steak here and union members are being stressed and threatend , Management knows this...... they keep on pushing at the advice of there lawyers, I hope inncent people are not caught in the crossfire of METRO leaderships plan.