Unsuck DC Metro: Car Vandalized? Tough Luck.

phan · 710 weeks ago

They removed most of those.

guest · 710 weeks ago

If you would find a pay phone at a Metro station, do you think it would be working..? I will try it out... if i can find one.

Sam · 710 weeks ago

The last working pay phone that I saw in a Metro station was at Foggy Bottom. Any by "working", I mean "being used as a hiding spot for three 'youths' to smoke".

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RGG · 710 weeks ago

OK. All the garages have "Call Boxes"--look for the blue light.

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Darthgeek · 710 weeks ago

When I parked at Southern Ave, they were quick to ticket me for parking in the wrong place. But apparently patrolling to prevent this is too much too ask.

2 replies · active 710 weeks ago

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James · 710 weeks ago

Correct. Same logic with having police stationed almost entirely at the gates to make sure no one manages to get out without paying. The WMATA police are in the system primarily to protect WMATA's stream of income and bottom line, not the safety of passengers or their property.

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WTF · 710 weeks ago

That kind of patrolling is too confrontational and does not raise revenue.

Frequent red liner · 710 weeks ago

PC I am sorry that this happened to you. As a person who parks at southern avenue everyday, this is devastating news. The lot at southern avenue is pretty big, and I always try to park as close to the metro entrance as I can. Does anyone know which section this happened in? Also, near the metro entrance there is a huge tower which I think is a watch or surveillance tower. Does anyone ever actually use it?

5 replies · active 709 weeks ago

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Anonerly · 710 weeks ago

There is a tower at the New Carrollton station parking lot too. Never once seen it manned. But the birds like.

guest · 710 weeks ago

Those towers are suppose to be for employees on worker comp. I know one employee who had 22 years of service reported his time in stated that he worked there but he was in jail. He got fired but was able to get his retirement.

guest · 710 weeks ago

File a lawsuit right away in that jurisdiction. There should be security, cameras and protection for customers daily.

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Sam · 710 weeks ago

Agreed. A small claim (up to $5,000) costs about $30 to file in Maryland. People need to start holding Metro financially accountable for their negligence.

Guest · 709 weeks ago

Class action...

Tiffanie · 710 weeks ago

Similarly, 6 cars were vandalized at the Addison Road metro station in July. Despite the cameras. Thanks WMATA for all that you do.

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Brian · 710 weeks ago

I remember several years ago I left my car at the Van Dorn Metro. I had a few drinks so cabbed it home only to get my car in the morning. When I arrived my car windows were smashed. When I informed the Metro attendant, he said I would've been better off driving home drunk than leaving the car in the lot. Nice!

guest · 710 weeks ago

File a Civil Lawsuit against wmata for failure to protect and report and remedy your unfortunate damage due to negligence and security failure.

1 reply · active 709 weeks ago

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Mike · 709 weeks ago

Unfortunately you cannot just 'file' a lawsuit against WMATA; you need specific grounds upon which to sue. Negligence would be your best best.

Negligence requires four things:
1. A duty
2. Breach of that duty
3. Causation
4. Damages.

Basically you'd have to show that WMATA had a duty to protect and monitor your car, and that they breached that duty, leading to the damage to your vehicle.

Since WMATA specifically disclaims responsibility for cars parked in their lots, it might be a tough case to make.

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n2deep · 710 weeks ago

i am sorry if i do not understand why you think you should not have to pay parking. they should have charged the tow truck as well.

18 replies · active 709 weeks ago

Kara · 710 weeks ago

To use an analogy do you see them charging people if the EMTs rush to a station when someone has a heart attack?

Maybe the rationale is because what was being paid for was not delivered and the owner needed to pay a garage because of that? As to the tow truck: it was never parked there and was resolving a problem WMATA was complicit in.

Obvious troll is obvious.

Radner · 710 weeks ago

Actually what was being paid for was absolutely delivered. The car was parked there. They weren't paying for protection of their property, they were paying for a space in which to park their car. That is what they got.

It would have been a decent and human thing to let them out without paying, but the toll operator probably just didn't care or was afraid of punishment or had their own reasons (which we can all probably picture the typical embittered Metro employee not getting off their cell phone long enough to actually process that something awful has happened to one of their customers that they should act like a human being and let them out without charge like they probably do their friends and family members).

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n2deep · 710 weeks ago

let me clear your fogged thinking. metro employees do not man the garages. that is contracted work. but if you like i can stand nearby talking on my cell phone if that will help justify your ignorance

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Radner · 710 weeks ago

Metro employees do man the toll gates.

Radner · 710 weeks ago

As in, Metro is responsible for their contractors. For example, Metro is held responsible when their contractors assualt the Metro Access riders.

guest · 710 weeks ago

Partners in crime. "Contracted out" I am not a business person but if i was, it would make sense that security be enclosed in the contract. Hell, I can not think of a public place that does not have cameras in their parking lots. You are at Metro's mercy. If Walmart did not have camera/security in pking lots, it would hurt their business. Another one of Metro's contract negotiation that was winged.
Metro can not be sued because of "their" special sovergin immunity. It allows them to cry " Can't be sued because.... That is why they have dumb ass mgmt. who does not have to obey the law or accept consequences for anything they do. So if you think that Metro is telling you to go F yourself... believe it because they don't have to answer to you or anyone...

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RGG · 710 weeks ago

No they don't--not if you're talking about the parking booths. Those are contractors.

Sam · 710 weeks ago

And who do those contractors report to? WMATA. Either way, it is still WMATA's responsibility either directly or indirectly.

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RGG · 710 weeks ago

That may be true. But the assertion was that it was an actual Metro "employee" at the booth. Metro employees get bashed enough, so I'm simply cattempting to clarify who is actually in the booth.

James · 710 weeks ago

And why do they get bashed? Because most (not all) of them would be fired for incompetence if they worked for anyone other than WMATA.

Mike · 709 weeks ago

At Shady Grove station, there are no toll booth operators anymore.

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n2deep · 710 weeks ago

first the ambulance doesn't go into the garage. how is metro complicit? some ghetto kids trashes your car and metro is responsible? i guess metro didn't have an officer standing right next to your car they are liable. get a grip. i hit a deer a couple years ago on the way to work. i was heading towards a metro lot. i guess i should have held them responsible for that. there wasn't a transit officer on the side of the highway protecting my every move.

guest · 710 weeks ago

Metro policy is: a safe and reliable service to the public. Parking is available for the public to ride the trains. So why would'nt be Metro's responsibility? Yes, I think you may be correct that pking is contracted out. Do you remember when the last company was stealing money. Metro sure hell made company change their policy. Why does Metro not demand that security be in placed and cameras installed around the pking lot. For the station manager did not have a phone access is bullshit. If you believe that I want to talk to you about some property i have in the middle of atlantic ocean.

guest · 710 weeks ago

That is pure d "bs"! The Staion Managers all have phones in the kiosk.
You are probably caucasian and blacks at metro pass around booklets about caucasian and why they should resent "whity" (Caucasians) especially the "whity women".
This booklet is distrubuted to the Station Managers at metro. We have one. Why ? There is a lot of hate in this area for white persons even though "we dont believe in slavery".

alkebulan · 709 weeks ago

Lol this was funny.

n2deep · 709 weeks ago

well let me correct you on several issues. yes there is phones in the kiosks. and it so happened that near the end of last week when this happened metro changed over their phone system. now you must dial a 2 before any inside call can be made. i was not aware of this until that sunday., almost 4 days later!! no memo's no emails, nothing! had to find out from fellow employee.
and as for the "millions" stolen by the previous contractor. not true!! seems the accounting firm doing the audit failed to take into account either credit or debit transactions for the previous couple years. thus the huge discrepancies. the amount missing was very small. and did you notice how this huge 'theft" suddenly disappeared from the metro radar. hmmm

RGG · 710 weeks ago

Actually.....I think WMATA gets charged a fee if they respond. At least that was how it was in the past.

· 710 weeks ago

It's the same haughty Metro attitude that says "we're never wrong," you are!
F that.

Joolz · 710 weeks ago

If both of her (official?) phones didn't work to call Metro police, that should be remedied immediately. Metro workers should have the ability to phone their police force. I suspect, however, that doing so entails writing up some sort of report and/or taking some basic level of 'ownership' over the problem, so that's why she didn't/couldn't call.

6 replies · active 709 weeks ago

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n2deep · 710 weeks ago

more stupidity. she couldn't make a call, therefore she was not taking "ownership" over the problem.. for your information and for others, metro in their infinite wisdom changed their phone system last week without notifying everyone. i was unable to use their phone system for two days until i figured out they added a prefix number

Radner · 710 weeks ago

So, what you're really saying is that you're a Metro employee? And you're more frustrated that people are upset that the phones didn't work than you are at the dangerous situation your employer put you in by blocking your communications?

Why would you be surprised that us "ignorant" and "stupid" riders have a bad impression of Metro employees when you give off such a good, intelligent, and informed impression of yourself and your employer? You're so quick to call names but you don't think things like punctuation and basic typing skills could up your credibility?

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n2deep · 709 weeks ago

punctuation and typing have nothing to do with my work. i have a degree in electrical engineering and no where in my past have i had to worry about capitalization to get my job done. and typing on some blog is as far as can be from needing to worry about such minutiae. so if you wish to try to deflect my comments away from their point to some silly shit like punctuation, feel free.

i refer to the stupidity when people spout off about their perceived knowledge on how metro operates and who is responsible for what. its nice to know a lot of people know how metro operates than some of us employees do.
my being mad at people because they are upset because the phones do not work is off base. i am pissed off about my working conditions, my upper management people and a dozen other conditions. i have learned a long time ago that no one has my back and has my safety in mind but myself. i do not rely on metro for the most basic of necessities. you see metro cares about their employees about as much as they do about the riders.

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guest · 710 weeks ago

Please let Home Land Security know this , if you have first hand knowledge.

Anony · 710 weeks ago

I'm very curious - how do you get Internet access in your station manager kiosk?

n2deep · 709 weeks ago

no internet in kiosks.

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anon · 710 weeks ago

Is it too much to expect for Metro to have someone posted there all day every day? Probably.

Is it too much to expect Metro to have cameras there? No.

What Metro should be doing is at least creating the illusion of protecting that lot. Enough that would give any would be vandal enough doubt about getting away with their crime that they might be deterred.

Obviously, with an act as brazen as this, Metro is not.

Maybe they should get Dan Stessel on it. He's a master of illusion.

In sum: I blame Metro and you won't change my mind bringing Bambi into the discussion.

Guest · 710 weeks ago

You must be white. If you are white and work at metro you are IGNORED too!

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Bob · 710 weeks ago

Funny how nobody is blaming the people who actually committed the crime. You people are Like brats complaining about everything. Drive to work if you hate metro that bad.

4 replies · active 709 weeks ago

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RGG · 710 weeks ago

Well said...... In many of these foks' eyes, Metro must have supplied the thugs that did this. Hey!! Maybe they did by providing train service to them! Though likely, Southern Avenue is in such a crappy location, the knuckleheads simply walked acrss the street.

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Radner · 710 weeks ago

Isn't preventing and deterring crime the whole reason that Metro has a police force? And whether or not I choose to drive doesn't matter, my tax dollars are still being spent on Metro. Of course I'm going to have an interest in the wasting of my money on a police force that doesn't do their jobs and a transit system that can barely get you from A to B without killing you or keeping you safe while in their facilities.

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Fred Smith · 710 weeks ago

700,000 people ride the metro everyday. Should Metro provide 700,000 cops to every customer? Its called life, Southern Avene is in a "high crime area" so crime is going to happen regardless. If you park your car in any place for long periods of time should invest in good insurance plan which would cover vandalism and theft.. Metro is far from perfect but they cannot be accountable for a society that caters to criminals and a community that are thug sympathizers.

Dr. Obvious · 709 weeks ago

Unless you're dense, I don't think it needs to be stated that vandalism is abhorrent.