Unsuck DC Metro: New Policy Builds in Delays

Monday, September 17, 2012

New Policy Builds in Delays

Via @FixWMATA: On the platform at Takoma. twitpic.com/avr50m #WMATA cc @kurtraschke

Several readers have reported hearing train operators announce a policy of waiting 5 seconds to open the train doors after pulling into a station.

Odd thing - on green line, operator keeps announcind "doors will open in 5 seconds". New practice @wmata?
— Styx River Gynoid (@StyxRiverGynoid) September 17, 2012

A Metro source confirms the new policy.

They said the policy was implemented after an operator opened the doors off the platform.

"Instead of dealing with that issue, the company made the new policy," they said.

According the source, operators are now instructed to stick their heads out of the window and, with their hands at their sides, wait 5 seconds to activate the doors.

"The operators are pissed," the source said. "I saw a new supervisor giving operators grief for having their hand on the wall of the train instead of at their side."

The source said the scheduled run times for the trains has not been changed.

Riders will likely be pissed, too.

There are 27 stations on the Red Line. If dwell time increases by 5 seconds at each, that amounts to 2 minutes, 15 seconds delay. #WMATA
— Kurt Raschke (@kurtraschke) September 17, 2012

Comments (44)

Logging you in...

Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout

Logged in as

+8 Vote up Vote down

@davinpet · 653 weeks ago

Another stupid policy.

I have noticed that after the train stops at the platform that the doors have not been opening right away and didn't know why.

+23 Vote up Vote down

asdf · 653 weeks ago

This has to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Metro just really doesn't know how to run a rail road.

+7 Vote up Vote down

Mike · 653 weeks ago

Was this because 8-car trains weren't pulled up far enough or because the doors opened on the wrong side? How does this new policy solve either problem?

+19 Vote up Vote down

Sam · 653 weeks ago

"They said the policy was implemented after an operator opened the doors off the platform."

Why not just make a policy to open the doors once you get to the end of the platform and stop? How is stopping + 5 seconds any better than stopping + 2 seconds? The incident in question doesn't address whether it happen while moving or while stopped. If it happened while moving, then this policy adds an unnecessary 5 seconds per station. If it happened while stopped but before the end of the platform, this policy doesn't do anything to change that.

Once again, Metro makes a policy that does absolutely nothing to address the problem.

+15 Vote up Vote down

Rebecca · 653 weeks ago

Why on earth does it matter if they have a hand on the window or wall instead of at their sides? That's ridiculous. Metro should have many other more important things to focus on besides that.

+26 Vote up Vote down

finch2012 84p · 653 weeks ago

Train doors open too early? Hands on your side! Brakes failing? Don't touch the train wall! Theft on the platform? Wait five seconds! Here's $5! BOOM. Fixed.

+18 Vote up Vote down

VeteranRider · 653 weeks ago

But if the driver is at the front of the first car, how can he/she not know if the front of the train is in the tunnel or on the platform? Wasn't the whole point of the new-ish policy for every train to pull to the end of the platform instituted so that the driver will always stop outside the tunnel? If the front of the train is aligned with the end of the platform correctly, then the rest of the train cannot be in the tunnel. Even if it's an eight-car train, but definitely not if it's six or four.

Is there some logic to this rule that I am completely missing?

Look, I try to support Metro, no matter how bad the service gets, cause I remember the good old days when it was new and shiny and worked. But when they do stuff like this, stuff that makes me think I am going crazy, it gets harder and harder to love them, and eventually I will stop.

+8 Vote up Vote down

@StyxRiverGynoid · 653 weeks ago

The hands at the side thing smacks a lot of kindergarten ... which begs the question, was the whole idea created by some time and motion efficiency consultancy expert who got paid a bazillion dollars to treat the drivers like kids?

Having said that ...

I got the chance to ask Dan Stessel about the 5 seconds thing during the AAC MetroAccess subcommittee meeting, and got a brief rundown on the whys and where's. He's gonna be posting WMATA's official news about it sometime soon (tomorrow-tuesday?), and since we were whispering so as to not disturb the AAC meeting, I'll leave the details of what he said for him cos I'm bound to have misheard bits somewhere.

But on one level this does make sense, forcing operators to not just work on instinct and muscle memory and boredom and actually check the train's in the right place and whatever else before opening the doors.

Crude, and humiliating, yes, but there *are* some people driving those trains that need the time in the corner, cos WMATA can't get rid of them without the Union accusing everyone of believing in slavery, even if a door gets opened into a yawning chasm.

It won't do anything about the "uncommanded" doors opening at random while the train is in motion though, and I'm hoping this isn't used to distract everyone from that much more dangerous risk that, as far as I know, has yet to be properly explained, and solutions presented.

Kurt Rashke figured that the 5 second pause will add just under 3 minutes to a red line journey from one end to the other. If (and that's a big if) it gets the message across to drivers to look before they let others leap, then it's not entirely a bad thing (excepting the annoyed PAX waiting impatiently for the doors to open on the platforms, especially during Crush Plus)

1 reply · active 653 weeks ago

+31 Vote up Vote down

Sam · 653 weeks ago

You should have started your question and then waited five seconds to finish it. And when he gets annoyed at you and tells you to hurry up, say "Exactly. Asshole."

+4 Vote up Vote down

aww · 653 weeks ago

Metro really has some dummies for train operators. Sheesh.

+13 Vote up Vote down

@NoPants_McGee · 653 weeks ago

I had a train operator on Friday who was very unhappy about the new policy and made sure to tell everyone.

+10 Vote up Vote down

@FixWMATA · 653 weeks ago

If the schedules aren't going to be adjusted to allow for this extra time where will the 5 seconds come from? Is it 5 less seconds riders have to get on/off the train? (Wheelies, crowds, strollers, luggage, be damned?) Or will the train operators be encouraged to increase speed between stations - while in Manual mode? These 5 seconds will most likely take safety AWAY from another area somewhere.

1 reply · active 653 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

jkuchen · 653 weeks ago

It'll mean more yellow Deer Park bottles between the tracks right next to Vienna....

+27 Vote up Vote down

Stan Dessel · 653 weeks ago

This story is inaccurate.

Train operators are required to perform five jumping jacks before opening the door.

Fitness and safety.

You're welcome.

+6 Vote up Vote down

The Anti-TB Guy · 653 weeks ago

Be grateful Metro didn't go with Dan Stessel's suggestion to force all riders to sign an insurance waiver and then RUN THE TRAINS WITH THE DOORS WIDE OPEN ALL THE TIME -- he said it would improve efficiency and save on maintenance, too.

No more bitching about "hot cars," either.

Good thing Dan's in Communications rather than Train Operations... No, wait, he's not good at communications, either. ;-)

1 reply · active 653 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

jimlcunningham 80p · 653 weeks ago

What difference does it make? If we can stand by a platform ledge with no guard rail with a train whizzing into the station, why not take the doors off the train? Just like a ski lift. Jump or don't jump; it's up to you.

And suicides would be less messy; they could jump out between stations and not cause delays.

+7 Vote up Vote down

Jackie Jeter · 653 weeks ago

You want our train operators to properly stop on the platform without having doors still in the tunnel? Apparently you believe in slavery. The only ones complaining are white people anyway, so it doesn't even matter.

+6 Vote up Vote down

BrianK · 653 weeks ago

Oh, WMATA, always REactive, rather than PROactive
If you trained your staff or if they cared you wouldn't have these problems

-29 Vote up Vote down

Bus Rider · 653 weeks ago

Adding 2 minutes and 15 seconds, across an entire 27 stop and 67 minute ride from Glenmont to Shady Grove, are you really concerned?

If your time is too valuable for you to spend an additional 135 seconds on one stop, let alone spread out across an entire line - you probably aren't to be riding metro in the first place. Think about how much time you've wasted on this blog, reporting your petty misfortunes, and then be thankful you got to work or school safely.

Of course, my thoughts go to those that have been negatively affected by anything Metro is directly responsible for - namely injury due to train/operator error. This isn’t a perfect system, we all know this.

This really is a hater's blog, isn't it? Comical to read at times. Hate on. I'll enjoy checking back later to see what responses have been conjured up in response to this reality post.

9 replies · active 653 weeks ago

+12 Vote up Vote down

Dan Jeter · 653 weeks ago

Nice try, Jackie Stessel!

+5 Vote up Vote down

Brian Anderssson · 653 weeks ago

don't bring slavery into this convo ^BA

+9 Vote up Vote down

Mike · 653 weeks ago

Of course if waiting 5 seconds improved safety, I'd be all for it. In this case, it does nothing except delay riders and piss off already grumpy operators.

It's a dumb rule.

+5 Vote up Vote down

jimlcunningham 80p · 653 weeks ago

Look at the bright side! Anyone who gets thrown to the ground during the post-stop lurch now has 5 seconds to get up before they're also trampled by other riders.

+9 Vote up Vote down

Daily Rider · 653 weeks ago

Problem is not that the average rider's trip wil take an extra 2:15. it is the possibly lengthened headways, or decreased time to enter and exit the trains. Also, the start of this policy with no communication ahead of time, or explanation of how the policy will work.

Yeah, we hate that brake parts fall off, management does not fire bad workers correctly and the union sticks up for them, etc. etc. I suspect that the good workers at Metro hate this too.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 653 weeks ago

Is this Dan or is it Jackie?

"be thankful"

"hater's blog"

Yup, we haters love to hate. Then again, metro gives us plenty of reasons to do so.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 653 weeks ago

Is this Dan or is it Jackie?

"be thankful"

"hater's blog"

Yup, we haters love to hate. Then again, metro gives us plenty of reasons to do so.

0 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 653 weeks ago

Is this Dan or is it Jackie?

"be thankful"

"hater's blog"

Yup, we haters love to hate. Then again, metro gives us plenty of reasons to do so.

+3 Vote up Vote down

eed017 · 653 weeks ago

The 2.25 minutes will add up, leading to higher operating costs in the form of operator OT. Then Metro can ask for another rate hike based necessitated by its own assnine rule. Evil geniuses.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 653 weeks ago

Considering that it seems like I'm a train that stops in the tunnel every. Single. Day--for quite more than 5 seconds at a time--I'm not sure how this helps anything.

1 reply · active 653 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 653 weeks ago

Also to be clear, my point is that given some of the dipshits that drive the Metro trains, I wouldn't put it past them to open the doors in the tunnel once that 5 second mark hits.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Steve · 653 weeks ago

ok, i can see how this affects stations where the doors open on the right (where the operator sits). there are two buttons to open the doors, one on each side. however, i'm not seeing how this "5 second rule" is actually adding anything that didn't already happen.

if the doors open on the left, the operator already has to get up, walk across the car, open the window, and push the button. that took 5 seconds already. mom's spaghetti.

if the doors are opening on the right, yeah, maybe we are adding another second or two, but i'm not seeing the problem here.

if anything, this will help at busy stations where a lot of people are trying to get off - that's a few extra seconds for people to move towards the door.

+7 Vote up Vote down

DC Denizen · 653 weeks ago

I heard that the policy was that operators had to count out loud using the 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi method rather than the 1 Alligator, 2 Alligator method or looking at the second hand of a watch. Train operators also now required to sing Happy Birthday in their heads twice while washing their hands and mentally say the ABC's 2-3 times while brushing their teeth. Singing the toothbrush song to the tune of Row, Row, Row your boat is also acceptable.

4 replies · active 653 weeks ago

-8 Vote up Vote down

Down's Syndrome · 653 weeks ago

hahaha i see what you did there

you said that the operators are really dumb

good one

+7 Vote up Vote down

DC Denizen · 653 weeks ago

Actually, I was implying that the rules are really dumb. I think that most operators are having to make the best of a bad situation. Can you imagine someone telling you that you couldn't put your hand on the side of a train when you look out the window, but that you are required to have your hands by your sides? That kind of micromanagement must drive them insane.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Brian Anderssson · 653 weeks ago

you are correct, we were going to have them read stuff for 5 seconds, but most cannnot read.

0 Vote up Vote down

Brian Anderssson · 653 weeks ago

you are correct, we were going to have them read stuff for 5 seconds, but most cannnot read.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 653 weeks ago

I was wondering why the trains kept stopping and then waiting longer than usual to open the doors.

+4 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 653 weeks ago

Requiring more time to sit on their a$ses? Because THAT will fix Metro's delay problems. Christ, this is a public transit system, not a carnival ride (with the exception of clowns running the show, apparently).

+20 Vote up Vote down

jimlcunningham 80p · 653 weeks ago

A better policy would be to fire drivers who open doors when they're not supposed to instead of treating the good drivers like idiots.

I hate blanket policies that discourage thinking.

+10 Vote up Vote down

Metro Ryder · 653 weeks ago

For crying out loud. This punishes the drivers by making them stand like idiots for 5 useless seconds and punishes the riders by making them wait to board the trains. Did no one thing this through? Of course not, this is metro.

Drivers and riders need to work together to put an end to this pointless rule.

+2 Vote up Vote down

jimlcunningham 80p · 653 weeks ago

Soon, they'll have Metro employees stationed at every door on every train to operate them like old-timey elevators......or like the guy who opens the gate to let you off the ferris wheel.

That'll create more jobs; maybe the HR department will even implement some...

Oh, skip it.

+2 Vote up Vote down

LookMaNoHands! · 653 weeks ago

When's the last time you looked out a window with your hands at your sides?

Isn't this more dangerous than allowing the drivers to support themselves while looking out the window? Not only for the sake of the drivers' safety/comfort, but it's easier to lean farther out a window when you can support yourself (and, if you're leaning further you have a greater field of view—allowing you to see more of what you're supposed to be looking at).

This is a safety rule with danger built-in.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Vienna Bound · 653 weeks ago

I actually don't mind the 5 second pause. It allows riders to move toward the doors without being propelled/hurled/thrown forward as the train starts and stops as it inches along the platform. While the hands at the sides rule seems inane, it's not that much of an inconvenience for me to feel I can exit the train without injury.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Higher · 653 weeks ago

I think it's nice that Metro is encouraging us all, on the platform or in the train, to take a moment - even if just five seconds - in our busy day, to stop to smell the roses, or the fishy brakes, or even our sweaty fellow-commuters.
Right on Metro!