Unsuck DC Metro: Riders Reportedly Injured as Escalator Breaks

anon · 659 weeks ago

Did you know the company Schindler used to repair the Metro escalators and elevators. How about give them a contract again and let the 689 people drive buses.

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Arnaud · 659 weeks ago

Very soon it will be safer to ride the metro than to ride the escalators... and not because of an improvement of the security on the trains... Pathetic Metro...

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DC Denizen · 659 weeks ago

"I'll still be on Twitter, Facebook and if (when) there's some major news, I'll be back."

Short vacation, eh Unsuck? :(

6 replies · active 659 weeks ago

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Calabria · 659 weeks ago

I'm pretty sure that every time Mr. Unsuck tries to take a vacation, something awful happens on the Metro.

That, or something awful just always happens on the Metro, and Mr. Unsuck can never take his vacations in peace.

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unsuckdcmetro 92p · 659 weeks ago

Please. Unsuck is fine. No need to be formal ;)

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SammyDC · 659 weeks ago

Unsuck -- Thanks for interrupting your vacation (never Metro free, it seems) to post this. Since I don't tweet, twitter or FB it's appreciated that you updated today.

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unsuckdcmetro 92p · 659 weeks ago

In the words of Stan Dessel (MIA?): You're welcome!

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Kara · 659 weeks ago

This seems to happen whenever unsuck says they are taking a break unless something big happens. I was wondering what would happen today.

Jin · 659 weeks ago

I was going to say, "That didn't take long!"

Then again, yesterday I was betting that we'd hear from Unsuck within the week.

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@wmata · 659 weeks ago

Metro opens wounds.

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Nickwad · 659 weeks ago

THIS REPORT IS RACIST!!1!

2 replies · active 659 weeks ago

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Nick · 659 weeks ago

Looks like I struck a nerve yesterday LOL

-___________-

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Mark · 659 weeks ago

3 out of 5 of those killed by metro escalators since 1985 were black.

are the escalators racist?

get a life bud.

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@Hell_on_wheelz · 659 weeks ago

And people wonder why I carry a full First Aid kit complete with battle dressing bandages. Being on wheels does give me the luxury of schlepping that extra gear.

The things that can, has, does and will break in this system are legion. I have zero expectation that wmata will be prepared for any breakage or the carnage that ensues.

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Kara · 659 weeks ago

Anyone want to place odds that metro will blame this on the passengers?

6 replies · active 659 weeks ago

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Bradddddd · 659 weeks ago

They already have. http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/08/l-enfant-pla...

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Kara · 659 weeks ago

They are going on about a bag or something? All I see is what looks like a folded up newspaper. It could *possibly* be a small bag but if either of those can do that sort of damage the metro is in worse shape than we thought.

@VeggieTart · 659 weeks ago

It beggars belief that clothing or a bag could have snagged a 10- to 12-foot-long piece of metal and torn it off.

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Escalatorguy · 659 weeks ago

I can tell you that if that escalator had been properly maintained, there's no chance of this happening bag, flip flops, whatever. Those panels are often out of alignment on Metro escalator leaving dangerous snag points.

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Escalatorguy · 659 weeks ago

Also, the bag, clothing whatever would lose if it were to snag. No way that whole things rips off.

Metro is lying.

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Guest · 659 weeks ago

Thanks for the insight. I was sitting here trying to picture how a stuck piece of clothing or a bag, even connected to a strong person, would have the strength to rip off that big piece of steel!

russell.j.coller.jr · 659 weeks ago

"Run for IT, run for your lives !" .......the DEATH STAR's brick, concrete & steel are self-animating, and they are hungry.

Cyclone · 659 weeks ago

The most important thing to come out of this will have to be that ATU members remain employed and can choose their work assignments. Besides, what's the big deal, you can just mop up the blood.

Now lets get away from this nuisance and go back to the enjoyable status quo. (ie nap time)

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@davinpet · 659 weeks ago

I hate it when a customer breaks an escalator because Metro takes forever to fix it.

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Guest · 659 weeks ago

Metro shifting blame to the passenger's bag (why am I not surprised?)

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andy · 659 weeks ago

@kara, they already are blaming a passengers clothing or possesion

4 replies · active 659 weeks ago

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Kara · 659 weeks ago

Remember all: strip naked before going up an escalator and do not carry anything with you.

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guest · 659 weeks ago

--but still wear combat boots to save your toes.

i always walk up and down escalators, even if they're not escastairs; i get a lot of dirty looks from some people as i squeeze past them, but *THIS* is exactly why i don't want to spend any more time on those maneaters than i have to.

hope everybody's ok eventually.

ginger · 659 weeks ago

Where are they saying that? I haven't seen anything from metro about the incident.

guest · 659 weeks ago

"A metal panel on an escalator snagged on a bag or loose clothing around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday, causing it to rip off the railing, according to Metro. It struck several people."

-- http://wtop.com/109/2982072/Panel-rips-off-Metro-...

(this particular article is not naming their source...)

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Ray · 659 weeks ago

Well at least the junk check at Crystal City this morning has kept us safe.

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Guest · 659 weeks ago

Two hours later and still nothing on WMATA's website or twitter about this. Way to communicate, metro.

1 reply · active 659 weeks ago

Kara · 659 weeks ago

This is why I unsubbed from metro alerts. By the time I heard anything it was really delayed. Couple that with most of the alerts being about things that did not affect me.

LMKCRB · 659 weeks ago

I wonder how much "hazard pay" the station employees receive for cleaning up after this (looking at the photos on WJLA).

Guest · 659 weeks ago

Thankfully this appears to be one of the shorter escalators. Imagine what the damage would be if something similar occurred on one of the taller escalators like Wheaton or Dupont and caused people to fall.

1 reply · active 659 weeks ago

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dddddda · 659 weeks ago

I always hang on for dear life on the larger escalators. Once, while riding up Rosslyn's big escalator and trying to type a text message (with both hands), the escalator hit a "bump" (jerked, pitched, whatever it was) which almost caused me to tumble backwards. I was at least 3/4 of the way up, so that would have HURT. It worries me because, while standing right, I have to hang on with my right hand, and my right shoulder is all messed up and might not be able to brace me effectively if the force I encountered was strong (the speed up-stop at L'Enfant a while back, someone falling into me, etc.).

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Matt · 659 weeks ago

Wow. Blaming a customer's bag or clothing for snagging this panel and pulling it off. Let's see....

In order for something to snag it, it would have to be unsecured, loose, and sticking up to begin with. Otherwise, nothing could snag it because there would be nothing to snag. A bag didn't snag the panel and pull it off. The panel snagged a bag and pulled itself off.

Lets see, how did this panel become loose and sticking up in order to snag someone's bag.... How many screws hold this thing in? How many screws would have to be not installed in order for it to stick up and peel off? Who is responsible for inspecting them? Who is responsible for installing them? Hmmm. Oh ya, you are Metro.

So, now who's fault is this? I must believe in slavery.

1 reply · active 658 weeks ago

Paul · 658 weeks ago

they have 5 screws holdin then on

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hrh king friday 13 · 659 weeks ago

*Bing, bong* "Excuse me-- is that your leg?"

3 replies · active 659 weeks ago

Cyclone · 659 weeks ago

You mean the leg with the deep gash that's shooting out blood? Why yes, that's my leg.

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hrh king friday 13 · 659 weeks ago

You left your severed bloody leg unattended at the bottom of the escalator. It's been turned into the station manager. He's using it as a pillow.

Cyclone · 659 weeks ago

Oh, thank you.

It is ok. I have a second leg. I'll just use that one.

guest · 659 weeks ago

very interesting update:
http://wtop.com/109/2982072/Reports-conflict-on-e...

1 reply · active 659 weeks ago

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Kat · 659 weeks ago

Good to see another media outlet calling out Metro on its fabrications. How does a woman's tote bag pull out a big piece of steel from a metro escalator? Answer: It doesn't.

If Metro truly had a safety culture, they wouldn't even be calling this an accident. It's not an accident when the conditions for it were allowed to persist.

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SammyDC · 659 weeks ago

From WJLA: "Metro spokesperson Cathy Asato says that they believe a bag or piece of clothing belonging to a customer caught a side panel of an escalator, detaching it ..." I'm really trying to grasp how a bag (heavy suitcase, maybe?) or piece of clothing could pull loose such a large piece of metal. Unless Metro is now building things out of styrofoam painted to look like metal?

laughing · 659 weeks ago

You just have to laugh. From the Express today:

4 replies · active 659 weeks ago

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@ChrisHowdy · 659 weeks ago

"Years of under-investment..." So again, it's not Metro's fault (even that of previous Metro administrations). It's the government's and taxpayers' fault.

And almost all of those years of under-investment happened during arguably the biggest economic boom in history. Wacky.

bll · 659 weeks ago

how exactly is he acquiring the 'things like giant robot-like tie replacers or seeking out the best transit technologies and business systems' if he's not 'buying new stuff or repairing old stuff?' i guess using this same logic, they're going to leave the escalator as it is and instead create some posters to tell customers how to use this 'new and improved' escalator, using the transit technologies and business systems they acquired above. shortly thereafter they'll raise the fares.

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bll · 659 weeks ago

or maybe they'll just bill the rider for damaging the escalator with her bag.

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GlenmontGirl · 659 weeks ago

Don't you wish the rest of us could make excuses like this and get away with it? To the bank, for example: "Years of underinvestment have left me facing a daunting backlog of bills to pay. But my goal is to begin paying my outstanding bills faster than the new ones appear. And I have a plan in place to meet that goal within the next 20 years. So just be patient with me for now."

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translator · 659 weeks ago

Allow me to translate:

We're throwing TONS of money at a problem without fixing ANY of the underlying issues.

Until Metro becomes a transit agency and not a jobs program, nothing will change.

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Dezlboy · 659 weeks ago

Per WTOP http://wtop.com/109/2982072/Reports-conflict-on-e...

"That's not what they're designed for," Stessel says of the escalators. "The bag got caught in a seam between two panels, and the customer then tried to pull the bag, and ultimately pulled the entire panel off."

So escalators are not designed to accomodate bags? How about people?

sbc · 659 weeks ago

if a bag got stuck and ripped the panel off, let's see the video. if there isn't a video, how would stessel know that happened?

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Rory · 659 weeks ago

This Stessel is ridiculous. All he is Minister of Propaganda. The bald faced lies he tells is almost impressive.

On the news about this incident he said something about "That's why it's important to check Metro twitter to get up to the minute updates on delays."

Meanwhile, the twitter account is totally worthless

1 reply · active 659 weeks ago

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The Anti-TB Guy · 659 weeks ago

Instead of Baghdad Bob, he's "D.C. Dan." ;-)

Remember, one person's organizational spokesperson is another person's media flack...

In D.C. Dan's case, it's hard to imagine anyone doing a worse job of maintaining Metro's public relations.

wapocoveragesucks · 659 weeks ago

and as usual, washingtonpost only has the AP story.

Elizabeth · 659 weeks ago

One person's broken escalator is another person's chance to practice hurdles...in the spirit of the Olympics :)

GlenmontGirl · 659 weeks ago

When I heard this as breaking news on Channel 4, my first thought was, "Sounds like something that might not have been Metro's fault - for a change."

Then I paused, gave myself a mental slap upside the head and thought, "Just wait til Unsuck has a chat with his sources inside Metro. I bet they reveal that it was a Metro screw-up as usual."

Bob Smith · 659 weeks ago

Sure, Metro breaks everyday, but has anyone else noticed that every time Mr. Unsuck DC Metro goes on hiatus/vacation that something on Metro goes wrong, like REALLY wrong?!

One take · 659 weeks ago

While traveling in India many years ago; I learned that about a week before I arrived, the revolving steps of the escalator at the airport collapsed upon itself dragging a little girl down into the internal machinery. That is all that needs to be said.
WMATA – someone is going to die as a result of your incompetence.

3 replies · active 658 weeks ago

dolph · 659 weeks ago

Um, I believe people have already died as a result of WMATA's incompetence in train crashes and didn't someone die on a L'enfant escalator not too long ago? Or am I mistaken?

Will · 658 weeks ago

No one died during the escalator collapse at L'enfant Plaza as it was a relatively short one. The potential is there though (Eg. if it happened at Wheaton).

One take · 658 weeks ago

I was more referring to someone actually losing their life on the escalator – before they even get on the train…

Danny Boy · 659 weeks ago

Please don't be so negative.

- The escalator was actually working.
- The emergency stop button actually worked.
- The brakes actually worked.
- You got to work.

You're welcome.

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Anonymous1 · 658 weeks ago

As one of those transported to a hospital with "scrapes and cuts," I can tell you many of the early reports are dead wrong. the strip curled up, slammed into a woman's leg and knocked her down; slammed into me and knocked me down. I pushed it up out of the way in hopes of keeping others from being injured. The man two people ahead of me saw it start to curl up and got past it; others of us were not so lucky. My "scrapes and cuts" required 9 stitches.

7 replies · active 658 weeks ago

DC Denizen · 658 weeks ago

WOW. That's unbelievable, and terrifying. Thanks for sharing your story, and I hope your "scrapes and cuts" heal quickly!

Metro Ryder · 658 weeks ago

Yikes! I hope you have a easy & speedy recovery.

Kat · 658 weeks ago

I am glad to hear that it was not worse, but I hope your leg heals quickly.

guest · 658 weeks ago

thanks for telling us! hope you heal quickly.

@VeggieTart · 658 weeks ago

Ouch! I hope you're okay. Have you contacted the news media to contradict Metro's story?

Anonymous · 658 weeks ago

Am very, very tempted. I can't decide which outlet is most likely to hear and report the whole story accurately.

anon · 658 weeks ago

have you put in a claim with wmata? what did they say? (just for the giggle factor. :-)