Metro is Ghost

From James:

Where's Metro?

I work for a PR firm in town, and my specialty is reputation management. I know. It's a horrible name, but we can talk about that on another blog.

I'm writing because I really can't believe Metro's communications team doesn't engage the readers of this blog.

I'm a long-time reader, and I remember when they'd pop up here and there to defend themselves or clarify an issue. I thought that was a good job on their part. Respect!

I haven't seen that since PR chief Dan Stessel's horrible performance insulting the curator of Unsuck.

Since then, it's as if Metro is just pulling the ol' see-no-evil stunt and hoping it all goes away.

It's not. Just ride the Metro any rush hour.

I mean seriously. Are the radios that screwed up, for example? Metro's silence is deafening.

Perception change won't without some real work. Puff pieces in the Washington Post convince no one because the paper's influence is questionable. Ossified slogans like Metroforward don't really do much these days to sway riders. Maybe in the '70s. And painting the under construction escalator barriers green moves the needle zero with regard to the public's take on the escalator disaster that is Metro.

The real work of bettering your reputation is a lot more difficult and the results are incremental. I see Metro taking no steps in the right direction.

Honestly, I don't know how Metro is going to turn the conversation if they don't engage with its most vociferous critics.

And to be completely candid, I think there are a lot of people who read this blog who would really like to see Metro unsucked (Count me among them), not appear to be fiddling while Rome burns--which is exactly the perception that's dominating the conversation.

Just what is the total salaries of the comms team over at Metro? In my opinion, that money is being squandered.

Other items:
Cash-strapped Board dines on salmon, steak (Examiner)