Unsuck DC Metro: Suicide Prevention Awareness Program Launches

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Suicide Prevention Awareness Program Launches

At Shady Grove

According to the Examiner, Metro paid $70,000 to a consultant and budgeted $250,000 for a suicide prevention program, which was supposedly launched in 2009.

Metro says they've trained some station managers, but this sign is the first evidence of the "awareness campaign."

There have been four suicides on Metro this year. Think this program will be effective?

Other items:
Metro being coy about headway standards (PlanitMetro)

Comments (28)

Logging you in...

Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout

Logged in as

+21 Vote up Vote down

Jeff · 655 weeks ago

Looks like a $320,000 sign to me.

1 reply · active 651 weeks ago

0 Vote up Vote down

L. Crawford · 651 weeks ago

As someone who had a friend commit suicide at a metro station, no amount of money is too great to save a life...just ask the family and friends he left behind. but just posting a sign is not going to do it. What else does metro have planned? Let's not knock any legit program to prevent suicide...let's make sure the program is worthy and implemented.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 655 weeks ago

Why is Metro spending one cent on this. They'll never stop someone who really wants to do this, and while it's an inconvenience to other riders when people choose this option, there really haven't been that many.

More PR....

2 replies · active 655 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

Red Line · 655 weeks ago

I have to agree. I am all for using resources to help individuals with mental health difficulties, including suicide prevention lines, but I don't think this will be effective.

+8 Vote up Vote down

RGG · 655 weeks ago

"Why is Metro spending one cent on this...."

Have you ever seen one of these incidents first hand? I have.

"...there really haven't been that many."

What's "that many?"

Metro spends money on dumb shit, but a few grand for this, if it saves ANYONE, is money well spent.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Stephen Smith · 655 weeks ago

The best way to prevent suicides would be to get the damn ATO working again so that they can install platform screens! (Which would also be a positive step towards running the system driverlessly, which would allow far greater off-peak frequency, and also much easier 24/7 service.)

2 replies · active 655 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 655 weeks ago

ATO= Driverless trains??? Platform screens??
ATO= Greater off peak frequency??
ATO= 24/7 service??

give me some of that shit you're smoking.

0 Vote up Vote down

Stephen Smith · 655 weeks ago

ATO is a prerequisite for platform screens (because humans cannot generally accelerate/decelerate accurately enough to line the train up with platform doors/screens). It is also a prerequisite for driverless operation, for obvious reasons. (Driverless basically = ATO/ATC + automatic train doors.) ATO does not equal platform screens or driverless operation or 24/7 service, but it is necessary to implement those things. (Well, I suppose you could have high-frequency off-peak service + 24/7 ops without driverless operation, but it could be very expensive.)

And now that you've learned the basics of modern metro signaling, we can share this joint.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Thomas · 655 weeks ago

People want better service, for cheap. Will people pay more for better service? What is considered better service? No matter how much people pay or the jurisdictions and the Feds put into the 'Tro', people will not be satisfied. And I'm just speaking of the regular commuters, not the tourists. How will this all be solved? By doing surveys? By having town hall meetings? By doing studies? By looking at other systems? By having a consulting firm come in? No. This system is plagued by poor, narrow-minded, short-term vision leadership and planning. Trying to fix a 30-plus odd system, with today's standards and demands is an uphill battle to say the least and an impossible task to accomplish. No matter how much the 'Tro' spends (which is a ridiculous amount of money) to have people say one thing or the other, the system will be overwhelmed. A two track system is a horrible design. A jumper or track work brings the system to a screeching halt. A sign won't stop 99% of people jumping. It's a waste of money. But, the 'Tro' does that on a daily basis.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Thomas · 655 weeks ago

A one tunnel design with the amount of train traffic is horrendous. And yet, the leadership continues to make the poor decisions by adding the Silver Line with the same defective mindset. 50-plus minute train ride from IAD to Metro Center. Come on. Seriously? This region will conitnue to see growth and yet the system will not be able to handle the growth. The whole area is plagued by poor planning and leadership. Look at 66 or 495. One bridge. Narrow roadways. The 'Tro' will look like that and has looked like that mess for some time now. How do you fix it? Or should I say how do we deal with it? Well, spend a lot of money, which we don't have to give a report like this and to put a band-aid over the mortal wound. We continue to white-wash a rotted system. The only way to fix it, in my opinion, is to overhaul it all. Yes, but where will the funds come from? Well, we either get taxed like the way the Feds want to fix everything or we.... (this is much higher than my pay grade, so I'll leave it at that).

2 replies · active 655 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 655 weeks ago

I agree it was poorly designed in the first place in that it didn't have redundant tracks. But one big problem with trying to overhaul--it's not just the funds--is the chaos that will ensue while you try to overhaul it; sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.

-4 Vote up Vote down

Thomas · 655 weeks ago

The cure is never worse than the disease. It may be painful while it's in the curing process, but overall, it'll be cured.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Rory · 655 weeks ago

It's never too early to think outside of the tube: if it's too expensive to drill new tunnels for express tracks, we have to start thinking about changing cars so that two trains can fit in the same tunnel. Skinny trains by 2050!

1 reply · active 655 weeks ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 655 weeks ago

Yeah, but if you think they're crowded now, just imagine how they'll be if they implement narrow trains!

+6 Vote up Vote down

Tricky Dick · 655 weeks ago

"Think this program will be effective?" Is anything metro does effective??

+20 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 655 weeks ago

There are existing suicide hotlines. Find one, get their number, have the sign shop print that number and some catchy message on a bunch of signs.

There is your suicide prevention campaign for under $1,000.

Now where is my consultant's fee?

1 reply · active 655 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

dcn8v · 655 weeks ago

Guest for GM...

+8 Vote up Vote down

Joe · 655 weeks ago

2 years ago I actually talked someone down from jumping on the tracks during Snowmageddon. It was a really intense situation.

I personally feel the best prevention is when you spot someone who looks like they might jump the tracks, talk to them. Ask them are they all right, what's wrong, be friendly. Metro spending wasted money on this project wasn't/isn't a real solution.

+12 Vote up Vote down

John S. · 655 weeks ago

What good is training station managers when all most of them are good at is sleeping on the job and yelling at people for waking them up?

+12 Vote up Vote down

Jackie Jeter · 655 weeks ago

You want our station managers and train operators to be nice to people in need? Apparently you believe in slavery.

+6 Vote up Vote down

jimlcunningham 80p · 655 weeks ago

The station managers would be yelling "Jump! Jump!"

The way to solve the suicide problem is to have more alert train drivers.

But, since they won't solve this, you can pretty much count on them someday having a policy whereby each train is required to come to a complete stop before entering any station and then creep into the station. That will be their solution.

5 replies · active 655 weeks ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

RGG · 655 weeks ago

More alert train drivers.....?

The people that do this tend to wait at the far end of the platform at the end where the train approaches the platform at near full speed. They jump from a "hidden" position directly into the train's path frequently resulting in a large blood spatter pattern all across the train operators windshield and are wedged under the carriage--in pieces. Many seek help after this happens and some don't return to work.

You should try driving the train sometime and tell us how it's _really_ done.

+4 Vote up Vote down

jimlcunningham 80p · 655 weeks ago

Blood spray on the windshield. Gruesome. No doubt, they need therapy after that. But you make it sound like you're into it a little too much.

How hard can it be to drive those trains? They hire people based on skin color and who has a friend at Metro and then train them. I hear them over the intercom and half of them can't even speak english properly; it's not like they're uber-educated or anything. Besides, a robot used to do it.

-1 Vote up Vote down

n2deep · 655 weeks ago

So you are implying that anyone can drive a train? Fair enough, but to equate a better education or a lighter skin color will enable them to stop 100 tons of steel going 39 miles an hour when entering a station with 30 feet is pretty ignorant.
I have been on the scene many times for jumpers. Most are not pretty things to see. Now imagine you are operating a train when someone jumps in front of you. And not only jumps in front of you but then look up and makes eye contact with you as you hit them.
I guess that is easier to take if your an "uber -educated" white guy.

+2 Vote up Vote down

jimlcunningham 80p · 655 weeks ago

I didn't imply a link between skin color and education. You did. I'm implying that hiring decisions are made based on skin color and who people know rather than knowledge and experience, otherwise it's a heck of a coincidence that 98% of train drivers are black.

The link I'm making to education is how people sound SPEAKING over an intercom, which is perfectly fair.

And you don't know anything about my education or skin color. You're assuming.

And, yes, I think I could drive a train better than most of those drivers if I received their training. I think a lot of people could. Metro doesn't have the most competent employees; that's sort of what this blog is about, isn't it?

+2 Vote up Vote down

Matt · 655 weeks ago

That usually happens anyway since they can't manage to keep a reasonable headway.

-1 Vote up Vote down

russell.j.coller.jr · 655 weeks ago

Suicide ! that's racist.

+2 Vote up Vote down

MetroLuva · 654 weeks ago

Suicide is a terrible thing! Having said that, I will say what every reader of this blog is thinking. While not suicidal (yet), I can see how riding Metro two hours every day would decrease one's desire to live.