Unsuck DC Metro: Too Much of a Given

Friday, January 6, 2012

Too Much of a Given

Original image: Matt Johnson

There are many Metro station managers who are helpful and seem to take pride in their jobs. On the other hand, there are far too many who are not only indifferent to customer concerns, but downright hostile and abusive to the very people who pay their salaries.

The reason? In many cases, the station manager slots are where Metro stores problem employees. One has to wonder about the logic of making your worst employees the face of the organization, but that's exactly what Metro does.

According to a very reliable source, here's the rap sheet on a guy who STILL, UNBELIEVABLY works at Metro as a station manager.

Hired as a bus driver and is involved in an accident
Gets "fired"
Gets reinstated as a bus driver
Gets "fired" again for another accident
Gets transferred to become a TRAIN OPERATOR! (Safety first)
Accumulates enough infractions (wrong side doors, platform overshoots, running signals) to be disqualified from ever being a train operator again
Becomes the face of Metro as a station manager and as such:
Gets a 5-day suspension for disrespecting a Metro Police Officer
Gets a 5-day suspension for using a cell phone while on duty
Gets a 5-day suspension for regularly taking 2-3 hour lunch breaks
Gets a 10-day suspension for locking someone in the station after closing (This was overturned because Metro lost, or couldn't find, the film from the video cameras at the station.)
Gets a 12-day suspension for falling asleep on the job after his picture was posted on this blog. (He apparently successfully fought that punishment off after going to the doctor and afterward claiming he had sleep apnea. The other station manager pictured claimed the same thing and got off as well, the source said.)
But none of that mattered because he took several months of disability leave after "spraining" his ankle.

He's back on the job now.

Every time you swipe, a portion of your money goes to him.

Thank you for "choosing" Metro.

Other items:
It has been 50 years since subways (not Metro) were automated (Railroad.net)
Cameras alone don't reduce crime in parking lots (Fierce Homeland Security)
Well liked operator unmasked (WJLA)

Comments (61)

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+14 Vote up Vote down

F'n JD · 689 weeks ago

Station managers can't use cell phones on duty? Tell that to the female station manager at Silver Spring who waited five minutes before ending her phone call before helping my gf with her broken Smarttrip card.

Oh BTW, can someone from Metro go to the 13th and Penn bus shelter with a power washer and hose out the homelessperson shit that's been there for the last three days? I reported it to the WMATA website but have gotten no response.

2 replies · active 689 weeks ago

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Sam · 689 weeks ago

Or tell it to the MTP officers who stand in the corner at Pentagon City each day. Two female officers on Tuesday were there showing pictures to each other on one of the officer's iPhones and chatting about kids and the holidays. Aren't the added officers at Pentagon City supposed to be there as a deterrant or at least be paying attention? They stand in the darkest corner where no one can see them (some deterrant) and play with their phones.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 689 weeks ago

There are Metro employees who want to become a station manager but the union and metro will not have a class for basically - employees who are respectful and would be conscience employees serving the public.

I know employees who were in the drug program and fired 3 times.

You need to know that there is a former Line Manager who controls station classes and jeter.

+14 Vote up Vote down

anon · 689 weeks ago

The station manager at Ballston was one of these horrible ones. What a rude dude. Haven't seen him in a while though.

1 reply · active 689 weeks ago

+9 Vote up Vote down

UnSuck Fan · 689 weeks ago

Waiting to be re-instated, maybe?

+14 Vote up Vote down

Green Line Rider · 689 weeks ago

I remember back on Halloween weekend, a bunch of my friends and I were at the Petworth station. We wanted to catch a Branch Ave. Train south so we could head over to Dupont. There was nothing on the PID regarding when the next trains in either direction would be coming. So, before we swiped, I asked the station manager when the next train would be coming. I would have rather gotten a taxi cab than lose money on my card for a train that would never come at 8:30 on a Saturday. The manager lost is and started screaming at me. We were all flabbergasted that it took a simple question to set him off. It would have been helpful if he could just tell us what the PID couldn't, but apparently that was too much work!

1 reply · active 689 weeks ago

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bet · 689 weeks ago

Did you know that employees treat other employees like this and get away with it. Including name calling,

+9 Vote up Vote down

ShartingExcellence · 689 weeks ago

Hey, Metro Board - what in the hell are you doing at your meetings? Obviously, Metro management will never address these issues. You're our representatives, and the last line of defense. GET WITH IT!

2 replies · active 689 weeks ago

+11 Vote up Vote down

SoBa · 689 weeks ago

Know your place, peasant. Metro Board members are too busy with the things that make them too important to ever use Metro. Therefore, they can't be bothered with the concerns of anyone who actually uses Metro.

+2 Vote up Vote down

AGDC · 689 weeks ago

You guys need to get more on the case of the ATU. I am all for union representation in this country but these guys need to be squashed. They do nothing but keep these overpaid, unaccountable losers on the books. The only people they want to serve is themselves on the backs of us riders.
http://www.atulocal689.org/

+11 Vote up Vote down

Stan Dessel · 689 weeks ago

Metro is an equal opportunity employer. You're welcome.

1 reply · active 688 weeks ago

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Anon · 689 weeks ago

Not really equal opportunity employer because you can count the non minority employees on one hand. In total there are about 6 non minority managers out of hundreds. Get this- less than 7 non-minority females out of 10,000

+15 Vote up Vote down

@Rizzz · 689 weeks ago

I'm going to go very uncharestically positive here: the station manager at Rockville (unsure of his name, middle aged Southeast Asian gentleman) is a gem. Seriously, one of the nicest, kindest station managers I have ever experienced in my many, many years of riding Metro. He goes out of his way to be helpful, and will even joke with the folks getting out of the station after major delays to help lighten the mood (in a good way, not in an annoying way). He'll even tell you how to get to the secret bathroom at Rockville. :)

I should really catch his name on my way home, and write a letter to WMATA about him. He's awesome.

3 replies · active 689 weeks ago

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horseydeucey · 689 weeks ago

Do yourself a favor, don't write that letter. WMATA may decide to correct the discrepancy.

+5 Vote up Vote down

@Rizzz · 689 weeks ago

Damn, good point. I'll just say something to him. :)

+6 Vote up Vote down

Sam · 689 weeks ago

Don't write the letter but you should definitely say something to him. The letter is a great idea in an organization where you are confident that it will be relayed down to the individual. But you can definitely make that guy's day by just telling him yourself.

+8 Vote up Vote down

guest · 689 weeks ago

The guy at Clarendon weekend nights is abysmal. I'm kind of scared of him.

+3 Vote up Vote down

@Rizzz · 689 weeks ago

7 replies · active 688 weeks ago

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John · 689 weeks ago

You could actually get him in trouble by doing that. Thats how EFFED metro is!

+1 Vote up Vote down

UnSuck Fan · 689 weeks ago

That's why I refuse to say anything about a great station manager I interact with which is sad because he/she is a great person!

+2 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 689 weeks ago

That's not true metro employees need for customers to write. People write when they have a bad experience but never send in commendations for fear metro don't care. Make metro care by demanding a response back!

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UnSuck Fan · 689 weeks ago

It's not that we think that Metro doesn't care; it's that we're concerned that someone who is actually doing their job and doing it well will get fired.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 689 weeks ago

Why are there so few white employees as the face of metro? This is weird because I know people who are out of work and have applied at metro. Are they blocking people who apply?

+3 Vote up Vote down

John · 689 weeks ago

Metro's idea of "diversity"

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corey babcock · 688 weeks ago

i acually agre with you on this its messed up you dont see to many white people working the metro system im wondering why is it cause who the person knows in metro or what ?

+6 Vote up Vote down

Nancy · 689 weeks ago

I asked the lady at Farragut West about the problem with loading money on my SmartTrip card, she was completely wrong in what she told me I later found out. We're surrounded by idiots, and there's apparently nothing we can do about it.

+2 Vote up Vote down

ruth · 689 weeks ago

Wow,sound like working for metro is even better than working for the fed gov, it takes a while but the gov with fire for safety isues
(at least where i work they do)
I would love to be a sttion manager at metro, just cause i know how piss poor some of them are, and would love to be that one that stand out from the rest(in a positive manner)

+5 Vote up Vote down

John · 689 weeks ago

This is just ridiculous. Is there any town hall where we can go in and just read this list to people and hear their justifications for this crap?

8 replies · active 688 weeks ago

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SoBa · 689 weeks ago

Apparently, you believe in slavery

+6 Vote up Vote down

former employee · 689 weeks ago

Go to a union meeting and hear the shit that Jeters camp wants the members to vote to go to arbitraion The members vote to take some of the shit to arbitration. But if you have an unfair labor dispute you are told "past practice" they have doing this for years so it is ok. Mgmt. appoints person of their choice to push paper for 20 years than person collects tool allowance that does not have a tool one with them. Oh, then the person uses thier appointed postion to apply for higher paying job and gets it. Mgmt. approves stealing-- AA pay for A pay job, OT list gets longer becouse appointed person does not know how to do job tool allowance every year $240 etc. And union allows unfair competivtive bidding for jobs. A privated company would be broke in an day and lawyers crawling up their asses with lawsuits.

-6 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 689 weeks ago

You said the right word, FORMAL EMPLOYEE!

+10 Vote up Vote down

former employee · 689 weeks ago

no iam not formal just former. And do not yell at me. I quit because my morals would not let me work there anymore. I am just letting the public know how this system works..

+8 Vote up Vote down

Soylent Green Line · 689 weeks ago

Your insight is welcome here. Don't worry about the trolls.

0 Vote up Vote down

corey babcock · 688 weeks ago

you think you could be the voice for the public here since you have inside knowledge of how crappy metro is ?

+5 Vote up Vote down

bet · 689 weeks ago

Mr and Mrs jeter both should be ashamed. They only help certain people and that is sad. You should sit in at a union meeting sometime and hear these repeat stories.

Union dues are over $50 a month and the Jetters salaries which add to their retirement pensions must be combined over $250,000.00 a year plus the travel, vacations, perks.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Anon2 · 689 weeks ago

former employee you are right.
Jeter and her crew in the boardroom approve their friends grievances and those which deal with safety or have to do with pulling records to prove the matter
the union pulls the wrong records then drops the case.

Safety is NOT a priority!

+4 Vote up Vote down

John · 689 weeks ago

Unrelated, but how was everyone's commute last night? Mine was complete crap. Waited for about 20 minutes in a huge crowd for an orange line train, as full trains passed by. I finally got close enough, and just missed one train. Luckily, there was not one, but TWO trains "directly behind" that one! 8 minutes later, a train arrives. What the hell is metro's definition of "directly behind" anyway? WTF?!?!?

4 replies · active 689 weeks ago

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Meg · 689 weeks ago

Took me 3 hours to get home last night - usually takes an hour. My Blue Line train became 'out of service' and we were forced out at Eastern Market to stand and wait with the rest of the crowd in seething anger. My trains conductor said it was a 'cracked rail'. Good to know that it's not just the wheels that are falling off the wagon.

+11 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 689 weeks ago

Then they wonder why everyone piles on the first train in a long time even though they are screaming 'do not crowd, there is another train directly behind'. It is because commuters have heard that particular lie enough that we know it usually is code for 'sometime after this train ... could be a few seconds, could be tomorrow'.

+10 Vote up Vote down

guest · 689 weeks ago

i feel your pain. of *course* it's "directly behind." this is an out and back system. where else would it be? new jersey?

this "directly behind" schtick has to be the single stupidest thing that operators say.

as for the late trains--what night was this? didn't someone get run over at metro center by the last blue or orange train out a few days ago?

+1 Vote up Vote down

John · 689 weeks ago

There was a track repair due to cracking on thursday night, or something along those lines...

+7 Vote up Vote down

anon · 689 weeks ago

Sooo... where's this rap-sheet manager stationed at?

6 replies · active 689 weeks ago

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Roma · 689 weeks ago

Perhaps it's Sleeping Beauty (http://unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com/2010/03/osama-bin-laden-sneaks-through.html)

or Mr. Haynes (http://unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com/2009/11/yin-and-yang-of-metro-employees.html)

or Our Friend Khalil (http://unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com/2009/09/khalil-and-his-kiosk-of-solitude.html).

+1 Vote up Vote down

unsuckdcmetro 92p · 689 weeks ago

Negative

+3 Vote up Vote down

Roma · 689 weeks ago

Hmm...

•Gets a 12-day suspension for falling asleep on the job after his picture was posted on this blog. (He apparently successfully fought that punishment off after going to the doctor and afterward claiming he had sleep apnea. The other station manager pictured claimed the same thing and got off as well, the source said.)

More reading archives, lol...

+4 Vote up Vote down

Roma · 689 weeks ago

That narrowed it down to three choices:

Columbia Heights and Ballston, here: http://unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com/2011/08/im-only...

and Archives in the 2nd picture: http://unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com/2009/11/snoozed...

I'm just speculating and not really expecting any confirmation, but my money is on Mr. Gold.

+1 Vote up Vote down

DC Denizen · 689 weeks ago

Me too, Roma. Your powers of deduction are dazzling.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 689 weeks ago

He will vote Jeter in again as president These actions get votes but not everyone gets this representation

+19 Vote up Vote down

Jackie Jeter 689 · 689 weeks ago

You obviously all believe in slavery. That man has as much right to sleep on the job as the rest of my union members! They pay dues, after all!

+6 Vote up Vote down

Satan · 689 weeks ago

Yo! First time poster, long time reader my peeps! Holla at my boy Stan Dessel! Great job buddy!

So just in case any of you ever wondered where the "Gates of Hell" actually were, I am here to let you know you have been traversing on them for quite some time! That's right my little gremlins! Gates of Hell = Metro!!

When I was looking for a place to construct the Gates, I never imagined I could pick a better place than the "Washington Metropolitan Area." Then they built Metro right underneath! Was I lucky or what? Most people think it's so hot in DC during the summer because it's basically a swamp!?!? Think again suckers!

Anywho, gotta run, Kim Jong illy-il just showed up and that biatch is gettin hazed like a mo-fo! Peace-oouuuut!!!!!!

3 replies · active 689 weeks ago

+7 Vote up Vote down

Dr Gridlock · 689 weeks ago

Hey!!!!

Why don't I get a shout out!??!?! I've been spinning Metro's incompetence as well!!!

-2 Vote up Vote down

Satan · 689 weeks ago

Yo Grizzy-dizzy! My b to the a to the double d's.

The truth is though, you actually believe the crap you write and you never attempted to actually fool the minions riding Metro. If I remember correctly, Sizzle Dizzle proved his deservingness of my praise as soon as he snatched up that amazing position of chief communicator of lies and had no prizzy-ob-lem pissing on everyone and telling them it's raining.

You want to work for me, ahem, I mean the gates of, er, Metro, you gotta lie buddy boy. None of this "Metro blew it but they are trying really hard" crap. Try this: "This afternoon, a Metro station manager savagely beat a Metro rider. Awesome!"

Anon:
Homie, g to the o to the d forbid you actually have to walk up stairs. Plus, I don't really delve in escalators. I'm more into souls.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 689 weeks ago

@Satan: Is that why you break the escalators - so we have to work extra-hard to escape metro - I mean Hell?

+3 Vote up Vote down

former employee · 689 weeks ago

Most station mangers are there because of work comp cases. Angry that they had to go back to work. However, there are many good station managers too. This station mangager have a friend or family member in upper mgmt. and is he a big supporter of Jackie Jetters camp?. That may explain it.

If he would if reported safety issues, there would be no doubt his ass would if been gone long ago.

1 reply · active 689 weeks ago

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Anon · 689 weeks ago

You have to look at the source and who approves that employees go to the Station Managers classes and she is a former Line Manager who never operated a train but she was a station manager who used to cook food on a hot plate and taped newspaper on the kiosk windows so riders would not see her.

She got promoted by Fady after a fatality on the bus and stations have not been right ever since.
AKA "Big Bird"

+4 Vote up Vote down

brian · 689 weeks ago

Take a pic of every station managers on cell phone and post it here...

2 replies · active 689 weeks ago

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guest · 689 weeks ago

their explanation will be "the radio didn't work and i had to call Central." "the land line didn't work and i had to call Central."

+5 Vote up Vote down

Anony · 689 weeks ago

Sadly, the excuse can't really be discounted that much because chances are the radio wouldn't work.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Satan · 689 weeks ago

Because of couteractive electromagnetic forces found just below me, and thus not too far from The Gates, and therefore Metro, the radio frequencies used by the radios Metro purchased, often have trouble traveling in the appropriate manner to allow for proper transmission from one radio to another.

The radio issue is hardly the fault of Metro. I have found physics to be as much of a bitch as that "blah blah blah you believe in slavery" lady.

I am currently in discussions with Nokia about developing a remedy to this issue. Microsoft is so 1990's.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Callie · 689 weeks ago

The sad sad sad thing is that it didn't use to be like this. At one time Metro employees were sharp and if not warm and fuzzy at least competent and professional. The difference became startlingly apparent when there was an incident at the Pentagon and the bus supervisors had no clue what to do and stood on the median across from the platform and stared at the passengers staring at them. It was shocking how unprepared the supervisors were. Only a couple years before when there was a similar incident when the supervisor took quick effective action and the rush hour went on with hardly a hiccup in service. So, what has happened over a few short years to go from confident competence to clueless apathy. Ask Metro's board that question.

+6 Vote up Vote down

GlenmontGirl · 689 weeks ago

This is so frustrating (and from a safety standpoint, terrifying) for me as a rider. But imagine how frustrating it has to be for the few quality station managers:

knowing the real answers but not being able to say anything when riders ask why the escalators/elevators are always broken...

wanting to tell some of your fellow WMATA employees to do their jobs but being afraid they might have high-up union connections...

trying to help riders but also trying to stay far enough under the radar that you don't get fired for being too good at your job...

I honestly feel bad for the station managers that do a good job because the entire Metro organization seems geared towards helping its worst employees rather than its best.