Unsuck DC Metro: Do not Question Metro

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Do not Question Metro

Some trains will be offloaded and return back the opposite direction for schedule, congestion reduction. 8:26a
— @wmata (@wmata) September 25, 2012

New Carrollton-OR at Foggy Bottom currently offloading for schedule adjustment, will return in service to Vienna. 8:28a
— @wmata (@wmata) September 25, 2012

Blue Line train currently offloading at McPherson Sq for schedule adjustment, will return to service to Franconia. 8:20a
— @wmata (@wmata) September 25, 2012

During yesterday's Orange/Blue meltdown, Metro decided to offload some full trains onto already crowded platforms.

It was confusing for a lot of passengers, as the trains were heading into the core. I got a lot of email asking why Metro would do something like that.

I thought perhaps there was a good explanation, so I emailed Metro's chief spokesman Dan Stessel saying I'd received a lot of rider questions about it.

Here is the response he gave:

Other items:
Board member concerned about Metro's lost and found webpage (Examiner)

Comments (38)

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+16 Vote up Vote down

Anonymous · 652 weeks ago

What kind of little man doesn't answer questions from a blog that represents some of the most engaged riders?

What does he do to earn over $100?

2 replies · active 652 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

Purple Line · 652 weeks ago

Maybe he uses invisible ink!

0 Vote up Vote down

Gues · 652 weeks ago

By engaged, I think you mean, enraged

+5 Vote up Vote down

Vienna Bound · 652 weeks ago

Yesterday cetainly seemed to be a big CF. The only reason I could imagine for the offloading of full trains onto already rush hour full platforms and reversing them was that with the single tracking was causing an even greater backup. Rather than hold trains interminably at stations waiting for trains to pass through the downed wire tunnel on Track 2 (as I heard my conductor repeat several times), I presumed that Metro felt it could move people through the system faster by taking some trains out of service in one direction and putting them back in service in the other direction.

A huge inconvenience to be sure. I'm not certain I can blame Metro entirely on this one. There was a potentially hazardous situation that would have caused delays and inconvenienced riders no matter what method was chosen. The situation had to be fixed.

1 reply · active 652 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

@FixWMATA · 652 weeks ago

This is absolutely logical. However, it may have been more logical to turn those trains back AFTER they served transfer stations like Metro Center and/or L'Enfant Plaza.

+14 Vote up Vote down

BrianKal · 652 weeks ago

FIRE STESSEL

+9 Vote up Vote down

SammyDC · 652 weeks ago

Just for a brief moment, I'm going to give Stessel the benefit of a doubt:

Okay. I still doubt. On the other hand, maybe he really is a nice guy who after a couple of months as Metro's PR flack realized what an untenable position he is in. No, not that either. This is the guy who still hasn't taken responsibility for saying "one person's harassment is another person's flirting." Dude has problems that just fit in nicely with WMATA's decline. Metro was once a nice, reliable, safe system ..... 25 years ago.

+38 Vote up Vote down

Stan Dessel · 652 weeks ago

The offloading of passengers onto already crowded platforms ispart of Metro's new 'Rush+Single Mingle Happy Hour' Initiative. Disco balls are being installed in each station (by our outside consultants at a cost of $150,000 each), to further improve the passenger experience.

You're welcome.

5 replies · active 652 weeks ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

Certifried · 652 weeks ago

LOL!

+6 Vote up Vote down

Purple Line · 652 weeks ago

Happy Hour....on Metro?

hmm, maybe you're onto something. A beer or five might make those rush hour clusterfarks somehow bearable. Stuck in the tunnel for 45 minutes in a non air-conditioned car, with garbled gobbledygook coming over the loudspeaker? no biggie! *raises glass*

+3 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 652 weeks ago

food on metro?

+4 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 652 weeks ago

And what happens when the diuretic effects of the alcohol kicks in?

+5 Vote up Vote down

jkuchen · 652 weeks ago

Maybe they can have footage of a disco ball on the large-screen monitors they've installed above the Station Managers' kiosks....

+10 Vote up Vote down

geust · 652 weeks ago

I was on the Orange Line train that was offloaded at Foggy Bottom. It was poorly handles and not explained at all.

As the post said, maybe there was a good reason, but it'd be nice of Metro to explain these things.
Also, this morning, my inbound train didn't stop at Clarendon. What up with that?

Explain yourself Metro and don't be bitchy about doing it here. A lot of riders get Metro information from here.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Ever n Anon · 652 weeks ago

How profound! Such hidden meaning ... inside hidden words? Maybe it was written in invisible ink! Perhaps we need decoder rings.

Adding bodies to overcrowded platfoms. How safe can it get? More than once I've been shoved so far to the edge I was waiting to fall off, literally. Thanks Metro, once again,for thinking of my safety.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Rory · 652 weeks ago

Interesting...the day I decided to stop commuting via Metro was the day they did this to me two years ago. Nice to see that it now seems to be policy.

+8 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 652 weeks ago

The first rule of Metro Club is you do not talk about Metro Club.

1 reply · active 652 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

Ever n Confoozed · 652 weeks ago

What happens in metro stations stays in metro stations? :D

+15 Vote up Vote down

Mariterri · 652 weeks ago

Mr. Stessal might not like Unsuck DC Metro, but his job, if I understand it correctly, is outreach. This web site is a major medium for said outreach and so he needs to get over himself and do his job. Now if his job description is to be the WMATA's stooge, then he is doing an excellent job and deserves a fantastic bonus.

1 reply · active 652 weeks ago

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@perkinsms · 652 weeks ago

If I remember correctly, part of the job description included determining which inquiries were considered serious and responding accordingly.

+4 Vote up Vote down

horseydeucey · 652 weeks ago

I'm waiting for the day they try to offload me onto a crowded platform.
What happens if I refuse? Do they do walk-downs? Or am I along for the ride?
I ask because I'm hearing all these horror stories, and I imagine it's much more unsafe to be standing on a platform with a sea of people waiting to stampede or crush someone, or start spilling onto the tracks. What happens if there's a big-boy emergency.

3 replies · active 652 weeks ago

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n2deep · 652 weeks ago

you would be arrested.

+1 Vote up Vote down

horseydeucey · 652 weeks ago

For what? For refusing to step foot on an already too-crowded platform? I'll take my chances.

+2 Vote up Vote down

dddddda · 652 weeks ago

I understand that you're an insider, n2deep, and that if someone belligerently refused to exit the train, you're probably right. But the major offloads i've been exposed to lately have resulted in a number of people getting *stuck* on the train, so I assume they do something about that (my speculation is that they put the train back in service a few stops later, rather than take it back to the yard to fix anything, but that's a topic for another day), so I'd say, if it seems unsafe to disembark...don't. If they come through and make you, do it, but if not, you likely won't be the only passenger still aboard.

-11 Vote up Vote down

Anony-Moose · 652 weeks ago

I like reading unsuck, but I must not be as vitrolic as most people here since I am totally not getting anything out of the "Dan Stessel said: (blank)" anymore. It has gotten to be an old joke to me and is quickly becoming an over-beaten dead horse. I would bet that he has been instructed not to reply to places like unsuck because his superiors know that he will be overcome with a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease. I suppose it's still useful to say it in case anyone ever does a post-mortem on metro's responses leading up to when they go belly up or have a another big disaster.

3 replies · active 652 weeks ago

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Stan Dessel · 652 weeks ago

Dear Anony-Moose, your comment is spot-on. In gratitude of your showing the courage to speak your mind, Metro will be running over five dead horses during this evening's rush hour commute on the Green, Yellow, Red, Blue and Orange Lines. Despite the significant delays this will create for everyone's commute, we will not send e-mail updates to our customers.

You're welcome.

+2 Vote up Vote down

BrianKal · 652 weeks ago

And we will award you one $5 smarttrip card

+2 Vote up Vote down

Ryan · 652 weeks ago

A dead horse is the more reliable form of transportation, you rat-fink.

+11 Vote up Vote down

Unsuck Fan2 · 652 weeks ago

Would you not like to have some things about Metro explained?

Do you care that you're paying the salary of a do nothing?

I don't know how long you're been around, but Stessel had a TON of goodwill here, and he blew.

Talk about dumb.

1 reply · active 652 weeks ago

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Anony-Moose · 652 weeks ago

Yes, looks like I am definitely not as vitrolic. I would like things explained, and I do care that I pay the salary of a do-nothing - but I will not enter frothing rage about it because I feel that with the number of people who must ride metro based on it being the only game in town (for subway) the effect of my frothing rage would be very little. I am a relatively new reader (only 4-5 months), so I was unaware of the good will that he blew. It's interesting to know. I still doubt Dan actively dislikes Unsuck, unless someone has proof otherwise. I would bet he's either under orders or just blew his good will so quick that he went into turtle-mode.

+7 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 652 weeks ago

During a single tracking situation they will off-load and turn some trains around to go in service in the opposite direction. Where they are offloaded and turned around are based on where there are interlockings, or crossover tracks. You mentioned Foggy Bottom. There is an interlocking there so this is where they would do this. Trains are reversed so to try to maintain some continuity of traffic in a certain direction. Going through single tracking areas can be as much as three or four stations. So when you send two at a time through in one direction that could create a gap of up to 10- 15 minutes. so reversed trains fill that gap.

4 replies · active 652 weeks ago

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jkuchen · 652 weeks ago

Thanks, n2deep! I was going to ask about the interlockings, specifically where the next interlocking is after Foggy Bottom. From your comment I'm guessing that the next interlocking was occupied with the single-tracking.

+6 Vote up Vote down

aust · 652 weeks ago

Dan? Is that you?

I kid. Thanks for the info. Too bad Metro can't just explain this to riders.

+11 Vote up Vote down

Elizabeth · 652 weeks ago

n2deep- I really appreciate your additions to this blog...while I don't always LIKE what you have to say, I always appreciate your comments- you add what most riders would appreciate in the moments of confusion (an explanation and reason) and insight into a culture (metro) that seems like a closed club no one wants anyone to know anything about...maybe YOU should be the spokesperson :)

+1 Vote up Vote down

dcn8v · 652 weeks ago

Agreed. Thanks, n2deep for providing lucid, complete answers to our questions. It really does make it easier to appreciate the complexities of running a large transit system.