Faregate Fail

From Nick:

Last Friday, I was headed home on the Orange Line to West Falls Church. I arrived at 4:30 p.m., headed up the escalator, which was working (!!!) and turned around to go out the faregates.

Much to my consternation, ALL of the faregates were operating on inbound mode, with the exception of the handicapped, two-way gate.

Hundreds of people who just got off the train were filling the upper portion of the station, waiting to go through the one gate which, as you know, takes forever per person.

I said to myself "uh" and quickly hopped over one of the inbound gates and continued on my way.

No one bothered me, as the station manager on duty was yelling into his radio and running all around the manager kiosk and around the faregates.

On my way out to my bike, I saw a Metro employee sitting on a bench, having a smoke and texting. OK, it was probably his break, but still, LOL.

Meanwhile, everyone who really wanted to swipe their way out and not hop the gates like me was still waiting inside.

By the time I unlocked my bike--a few minutes after I hopped the gate--I finally saw large streams of people exciting the station.

That is an epic Metro fail - trapping your customers inside the station!

I rode home, wondering how this could ever possibly happen. After all, the gates weren't malfunctioning - they were all working, just in the wrong direction.

Other items:
Shaw, U Street and Columbia Heights to be closed this weekend (WMATA)
Silver Line: Delayed (WaPo)
Circulator extends east of river (Examiner)