Unsuck DC Metro: Metro: the Venn Diagram

Friday, January 20, 2012

Metro: the Venn Diagram

In light of the alleged theft of "in excess of $150,000" over three years by Metro employees, including a cop, I was preparing to write a screed about how Metro was more screwed up than I'd ever imagined, but I instead thought this Venn diagram, suggested by commenter DC Denizen, sums things up far beyond anything I could write.

Apparently, Metro has no auditing system to compare the receipts of the ever-hungry fare machines with the actual take.

Maybe @wmata would have better luck finding wrong doing by conducting random bag checks of its employees, not the passengers @unsuckdcmetro
— rkolosky (@rkolosky) January 19, 2012

A Metro police officer said "Metro is stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to the way they handle funds ... but that's Metro, period! Metro has just accepted the fact that they 'lose' tens of thousands of dollars a month."

That amount, the officer said, is "lost or stolen."

They added "Everything is done [manually]. The chain of people that have access to the money from the time it is taken out of the fare machine to the time it is deposited is insane! With technology the way it is, there is no reason so many people should have access to that large amount of money."

In 2004, instead of getting its house in order, Metro inconvenienced riders and eliminated the ability to pay cash for parking after another skimming incident. Prior to the discovery of the stealing, Metro had been warned for years that theft at its parking facilities could be a problem.

I wonder if they'll decide, in their infinite wisdom, that all of Metro will be cash free--for their convenience, of course.

OK, I guess that was a mini screed.

Whadda Moronic American Transit Authority!

Comments (40)

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+12 Vote up Vote down

@davinpet · 687 weeks ago

Metro doesn't know how to manage it's money and so makes us pay more when the lose money. They still use stone age fare machines,

+12 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 687 weeks ago

We have a banana republic styled management, a banana quality control, a banana workforce, and Mr. Tally man is no talling me banana.

1 reply · active 687 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

metroescalator -62p · 687 weeks ago

And your banana metro shit gets stuck in my grille! http://metroescalator.blogspot.com

+3 Vote up Vote down

F'n JD · 687 weeks ago

It's time we asked Congress to take over WMATA.

4 replies · active 687 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

John · 687 weeks ago

Cool we could watch that worthless POS Boehner try to block every reform to WMATA possible. That'd be awesome!

+1 Vote up Vote down

GlenmontGirl · 687 weeks ago

I wonder if Metro's approval rating has slipped below the 9% for Congress?

+1 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 687 weeks ago

Congress is even less effective than Metro at getting stuff done.

0 Vote up Vote down

Guest2 · 687 weeks ago

Both reasons are for the same reason; union 9% raises caused a huge budget expenditure!

+6 Vote up Vote down

UnSuck Fan · 687 weeks ago

With that headline, "The Great Metro Fare Heist" maybe the Express should write their article in two parts. Part 1 can be about the employees who stole money and Part 2 can be about fare increases.

4 replies · active 687 weeks ago

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@SchuminWeb · 687 weeks ago

Somehow I can't see the Express doing the hardball reporting on Metro. Not their style, for whatever reason. That is one thing that Kytja and crew at the Washington Examiner do really well.

+7 Vote up Vote down

John · 687 weeks ago

Yeah, that's expecting Dr. Gridlock to take Metro to task...

"Why are some platforms in the center, and other platforms are on the side?"

Can't count on hard hitting journalism from Gridlock...

0 Vote up Vote down

UnSuck Fan · 687 weeks ago

I was only referring to the headline. I didn't bother reading it for content. I don't know how much more could be discussed about the stealing. What I read from UnSuck or Kytja's tweet was enough for me.

Generally, I don't read WMATA articles from either paper because I usually read what is _not_ covered here at UnSuck's blog.

+3 Vote up Vote down

@dullman82 · 687 weeks ago

Haha! I only picked up the Express because I thought it was about the fare hike.

+14 Vote up Vote down

John R. · 687 weeks ago

I worked in a small grocery store that had better accounting procedures than Metro...

Not joking either sadly....

+1 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 687 weeks ago

Yes, Me Gusta meme, yes! Tell it!

+6 Vote up Vote down

daily metro rider · 687 weeks ago

unfortunately, this latest news is not surprising. it seems that theft, incompetence and lack of accountability is just WMATA's business as usual work practice. a real surprise will be when or if WMATA starts becoming a reliable, safe and efficient public transit agency for DC.

+8 Vote up Vote down

Daily Rider · 687 weeks ago

It does not even require new tech. Way back in the '60s I observed bus fare boxes being unloaded. The fare box had two parts; the top which held the money for the operator to verify the correct fare, and a removeable cash box on the bottom into which the money fell after the the fare was verified.

The bus would pull up to the station, and employees would unlock the cash box from the fare machine, pull it out, and replace it with an empty. The cash box was somewhat heavy and awkward to transport, and could only be opened by workers in the counting facility. No loose bags of money floating around to tempt the weak, etc.

Later, in the 70s, I saw the fare boxes emptied by vacuum device. The cash again was not easily accessible to employees outside the counting facility.

It is hard to fathom why collecting cash from the fare machines would not employ a system with similar principles.

1 reply · active 687 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 687 weeks ago

Why not let another company deal with the money. A company which bonds and insures the capital.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Meg · 687 weeks ago

Seriously? Pathetic. Really.

+8 Vote up Vote down

Turk 182 · 687 weeks ago

Stolen fares, misappropriated vehicles, falsified/paid-out medical claims, unsafe trains/buses/ platforms, re-instated thug employees, accidents/dead passengers, dead employees, poor parts sourcing/management, lost productivity for 20 years-late trains/un-reimbursed riders, hiked fares...Sarles and Jeter Knew! Turk 182!

1 reply · active 687 weeks ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

visitor · 687 weeks ago

Drug abusers for managers and supervisor, married couple handles all union business, family and friends get the promotions, non-minorities 'need not apply'.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Kipp · 687 weeks ago

Can't we see the violence inherent in the system! Come and see the violence/theft/red tape/lying inherent in the system!

+17 Vote up Vote down

Disgusted yet again · 687 weeks ago

In all honesty there must have been some form of auditing, right? I mean even the Girl Scouts have to account for monies taken in vs boxes sold, hell, when I was a paper boy I had to make up for deadbeats out of my own funds. What sort of accounting system is in place at metro, the honor system?

If there's no receipt to funds comparison wouldn't it be likely this is only the tip of the scandal? I wouldn't trust half of the metro employees I see to not steal a bag of unaccounted for quarters. I saw a supervisor in the collections dept was fired or placed on leave, maybe he/she was fudging receipts to match the collection because he/she was a lazy/moronic/incompetent person and the two in the story took advantage of this? Let's hope so, otherwise this is a much bigger issue.

1 reply · active 687 weeks ago

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UnSuck Fan · 687 weeks ago

Can "metro" and "honor system" be in the same sentence?

+12 Vote up Vote down

@teganann · 687 weeks ago

They are not even "stuck in the stone age" they just are not even trying. Every place from Disney to the 7-Eleven knows follows basic cash handling standards. Check your employees leaving work count your money at the beginning & end of shifts when there is anything beyond a 1% discrepancy you have a leak and someone needs to be held accountable. Hire an independent loss prevention company and give them the ability to hold people accountable and fire.

+8 Vote up Vote down

Roma · 687 weeks ago

Per WMATA's blurb, "The supervisor responsible for the revenue facility has been relieved of his duties." Since no charges were brought against him, it is safe to say that Jackie Jeter will get this guy's job back -- with back pay.

2 replies · active 687 weeks ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

John · 687 weeks ago

The guy who punched the off duty cop plead guilty to simple assault. He got his job back. Jeter could possibly get the thief's job back....

+3 Vote up Vote down

anon · 687 weeks ago

Just like jeter's friend who ran her election and was arrested at the bus division----she is I heard getting her back pay after her arrest/probation. This is wrong after being charged with criminal activity.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Anony Mouse · 687 weeks ago

Gee, shocker. Really. Mismanagement of funds is a daily occurrence at Metro, and now, apparently, so is stealing of funds. Let's see how Stessel tries to spin this one.

1 reply · active 687 weeks ago

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John · 687 weeks ago

Stessel has been in hiding since forever....

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DC Denizen · 687 weeks ago

I'm honored. It looks just like I imagined.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Lisa · 687 weeks ago

First, does Metro do a criminal background check on prospective employees? Don't you have to when you're hiring people to work with cash? People who steal from farecard machines probably didn't just suddenly turn into criminals - that kind of behavior begins early in life. Why wasn't it detected?

Second, I never understood how Metro couldn't figure out how to collect cash at parking lot exits without it being stolen. For crying out loud, parking lots all over the WORLD manage to use cash and avoid this problem. What kind of deep seated incompetence do you have to have to FAIL at this?

Really, they deserve some kind of award.

2 replies · active 687 weeks ago

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Anonymous · 687 weeks ago

They do get an award- - - a a 9% pay raise during the Great Recession, a full pension based on the overtime and no contributions on their part. We are being robbed by Metro. We should call the police but the call would be transferred to Metro Police and we all know how well that works. . . .

+1 Vote up Vote down

Guest2 · 687 weeks ago

Union employees got a 9% raise over 3 years when the system and employees who run the system are in ruins.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Stan Dessel · 687 weeks ago

Notice how the circles don't completely overlap? That's our sweet spot.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Anti-TB Guy · 687 weeks ago

The Venn diagram looks suspiciously like the Biohazard waste symbol: http://www.lbl.gov/ehs/waste/images/pub-3095/imag...

Is Metro management where that fishy smell comes from?

+3 Vote up Vote down

Anti-TB Guy · 687 weeks ago

[...tens of thousands of dollars a month] the officer said, is "lost or stolen."

Has anybody reported "finding" a bunch of mislaid cash?

+10 Vote up Vote down

Frequent red-liner · 687 weeks ago

I worked at a doctor's office where we were required to check finances daily. We weren't allowed to leave unless everything zeroed out. Even petty cash was counted. How metro operates without basic accounting knowledge is beyond me.

"Excuse me, is that your bag?" suddenly takes on a new meaning.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Greg · 687 weeks ago

Quoting the WMATA website: "Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles today [1/19/12] ordered several immediate actions today following the arrest of two Metro employees for alleged theft of revenue in connection with their jobs at the Authority." I suggest such immediate actions include termination of the whole lot of ineffective business managers, up to and including Sarles himself.