Monday, November 26, 2012

'Please Stop Reenacting Rush Limbaugh'

A couple of weeks ago, a reader, "Spataps," called me the "Rush Limbaugh of transit." It would have been better if they'd called me the Rush+ Limbaugh of transit but regardless, I invited them to guest post, and they did. It is unedited.

A Letter to the Blog and its Readers –
I was invited by the site’s author to write this because of comments I posted in his article expressing frustration at WMATAs slow response to FOAA requests. My question for the author and readers is this. Do you really want to improve the Metro? Or do you take your pleasure in attacking it and its employees, much like Limbaugh does with the federal government. If it's the former, as I hope, than I ask you to reconsider your reporting style.

I read Unsuck because I want to improve Metro. I hate when trains stop for no reason or have 30 minute headways. I wish metro employees were more courteous. And this blog is the main game in town for only covering Metros' needed improvements. Yet the attitude that the blog takes really frustrates me. I believe yelling at an alcoholic does nothing. To me, your style feels much like that. Much of the time, having taken the metro almost every day for 7 years, I've found it runs okay. Sure, there are problems, but to read this blog, one would think metro was a Florida DMV run by Chicago goons from the 1920s. It's not good, but it's not that bad. To ask for change, I think you need to acknowledge that, or risk being ignored.

While ideally metro would respond to FOAA and improvement suggestions systematically, they are human. They're going to be suspicious of the intentions of someone who reports only negative news in an unobjective style. For example, the October 26th update titled "Stalin Would Be Proud." The subject matter, Metro should reconsider its policies on releasing video from bus cameras is fair. The title and delivery are inflammatory, coming close to Godwin's law. This article almost certainly will not lead metro to release its videos, or take the blog seriously in the future.

The comparison to Greater Greater Washington is inevitable. GGW has become a widely read blog in the area, with David Alpert turning into the go to guy on smart planning for many in the media and city politics. They are critical at times but write in a style of constructive criticism and also identify bright spots. I'm not saying you need to support GGW's policies, since it's clear many of this blogs readers don't, but Unsuck should follow their growth as an example of success if it really wishes to improve WMATA.

Some suggestions to unsuck Unsuckdcmetro:

-Close the comments for a while or moderate them more strictly. Readers also read the comments and associate them with the website. Many commenters create elaborate conspiratorial, cartoonishly evil, and sometimes racist, depictions of WMATA and its staff. This is not a group that a WMATA staffer considering responding to a question from a reporter cares about pleasing. It'd be great if the comments were a place to share experiences and have real conversation. However, when I came in with some criticism, my comments got voted down and called out as trolls.

-Enact some journalistic standards. Not an insult, and correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think you have set up some guidelines. Often posts are put up that blame the metro for something that later turns out to be not their fault. See the fire alarm that closed the new Dupont escalators. While you put up a correction, the damage was done. Instead of instantly posting, make sure you’re right first.

-Get more contributors. I don’t know if Unsuck is run by one person or if you have help, but a diversity of opinions only improves a news outlet. How to best unsuck the Metro is a topic with a lot of different views that are not represented. By diversifying your writers, you will attract more readers who also care about improving the metro but are turned off by your currently inflammatory style.

-Avoid anonymous sources. You frequently cite anonymous metro employees as to the secret real reason why something bad has happened. I have no idea who these people are or if they are even who they claim to be. Maybe they’re about to be fired for sexual harassment or maybe they’re actually right. Many newspapers limit their use of sources or have laid out clear standards for their use.

-Lay off the union bashing. I’m not saying unions are perfect, but they do perform an important role in protecting workers.

-Get into more detail. What are rail ties? Why do so many of them need to be replaced? Does it really need to take so long? I don't know but I would like to. This leads down the road of more constructive criticism instead of repeated broad attacks.

None of this excuses bad bureaucracy, bad employees and late trains/buses. It is an attempt to try and improve those situations in a more constructive manner.

Maybe this letter is a waste of time.Maybe you all really just want a place to talk about how much you hate the Metro, much like I doubt Limbaugh cares about changing government for the better. But if you truly care about improving WMATA, than please consider a different type of reporting.

Other items:
Metrobus is not so green (City Paper)
Metro's busiest stations (GGW)
VRE could lose some funding (Examiner)

Comments (89)

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Heh. Does this guy even take Metro?
1 reply · active 642 weeks ago
"Metro is not that bad". Really??? REALLY???

In the last 10 years, I have traveled to a fair number of cities around the world and taken public transportation in at least 30 of them. At least. And I can say, unequivocally, without a shred of doubt that Metro in its current incarnation is THE WORST public transportation system out there right now. Not exaggerating in the slightest.

I think the writer of this piece fails to recognize the extent of the problems here. Yes we need to work cooperatively to fix them. But no, there should be no more excuses. The time for that has long passed.
If the other side of the equation isn't saying anything, despite many invitations to do so, then of course this is one sided. I find it annoying and tiring that people such as yourself think that blogs or news outlets are there do anything constructive, or at all, other than report the news, entertain, share their opinions or the opinions of others.
I've been riding Metro to/from work since the 1980's. Compared to what it used to be, it has gotten much worse (dirty, smelly, unreliable, no long-term maintenance program for the first 30+ years of its existence). Some days (many days?) it really IS that bad.
If you're mad at internet commenters, then why not be even madder at CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Yahoo, and a host of other sites that have incredibly ignorant and inflammatory comments but are a far more well known news websites? Maybe you should be madder about the issues with metro than your fellow rider thinking out loud, or rather thinking on their keyboard. We all need a place to vent AND receive information. I've never commented here before, but felt the need to defend those who do regularly. I read this site regularly and they aren't lying or calling metro officials nazis or sluts to get attention. THOSE would be Limbaugh tactics, and are incomparable to using sources that are anonymous to YOU. Just because you don't know who wrote the guest articles, doesn't mean that the sources haven't been vetted or aren't true.
2 replies · active 642 weeks ago
I'd also like to add that I belong to a labor union, but I do recognize that not all actions of a union are bad or good. They need balance between helping workers have positive working conditions, wages, benefits, etc, and maintaining whatever service is being provided at a level that is both safe for the public and a quality product. I don't believe that in my over 7 years of riding metro and living in Virginia that Metro is a quality product that is improved by their union.
Exactly, as I keep pointing out to people there are good unions and bad unions. They should not assume the really bad example right here is representative of all of them.
I agree with several points the poster makes in this piece (journalistic standards: yay!), we diverge here: "While ideally metro would respond to FOAA and improvement suggestions systematically, they are human."

No.

The Freedom of Information Act, which I assume is what you're referencing, is very clear that there is a specific amount of time an entity has to respond to these requests. Generally, it's 30 days, but in the case of WMATA, which is a weird public/private partnership, it might be more or less. I'm not a lawyer, so I truly don't know the details. BUT: there is a legal requirement for response, and WMATA routinely violates that.

WMATA gets away with these years-long lags and denials because it knows that this blog is not well-financed enough to take it to court for the violations. In this case, it is wholly appropriate for the blog to call out WMATA's failings, because a loud voice is the only power it has in this fight.
2 replies · active 642 weeks ago
We need to find a Public Interest attorney who would be willing to sue WMATA for violations.
stephanie's avatar

stephanie · 642 weeks ago

That's the thing - WMATA isn't subject to FOIA. They have PARP, which is their version, but there's nothing to legally hold them to it, as they have no responsibility to provide anything at all. FOIA applies to government only.
John Antonelli's avatar

John Antonelli · 642 weeks ago

I detect the hand of Mind MIxer
Everyday reader's avatar

Everyday reader · 642 weeks ago

The notion that this blog gives only one side of the story is a preposterous as Rush+. The blog is largely written by riders--not one person.
1 reply · active 642 weeks ago
Also, the blog has made an effort to reach out to the other side (the Stessel anniversary post comes to mind). If they're not answering, of course it's going to only give one side of the story.
+1

yelling at an alcoholic is a good metaphor.
1 reply · active 642 weeks ago
There's a difference. An alcoholic can be hospitalized and treated for overindulgence to the point of harm. There is no such remedy for METRO. They and the union are completely unaccountable to the public and out of control.
I read this blog because it is a blog. Having worked in the news industry for over a decade, I find it refreshing that a blog can be candid and leave me, the reader, to form my own conclusions and opinions. As I appreciate that readers are often invited to share their stories, photos, and videos, I would most definitely stop reading this blog if it became a news outlet and if Unsuck started kissing ass to get the people of Metro to follow the FOIA. It isn't up to a blog to improve a federally funded system. It isn't up to a blog to coerce the system leadership to do their damn jobs. And if a source inside the system wishes to maintain anonymity, revealing who they are is in opposition to your accusations of lack of proper journalism; not to forget that this will also cost people their jobs and whatever else a corrupt system has for them and is absolutely not what many newspapers do.
1 reply · active 642 weeks ago
Hear, hear. Another vote in favor of anonymous sources, who due to their anonymity can speak freely, as well as open comments.
I went back and reread when Dan Stessel had a guest post on this blog. The commenters were, by and large, courteous and welcoming to him. It was only when Stessel got snarky and opaque that the Unsuck and commenter tide turned against him. I think this blog has the potential to provide constructive discourse, but it would take effort on the part of all: WMATA, Unsuck, and commenters.

So perhaps Spataps is not entirely wrong. I think that the tone of the blog (both in writing and in commenting) is partly the reason why WMATA won't communicate with Unsuck. I do think, however, that it's Unsuck's job to be at least somewhat skeptical of information issued from WMATA's PR Army. Look what happens when it's swallowed and reported hook, line, and sinker: Dr. Gridlock. I think we can all agree that that's not the way to go either.
3 replies · active 642 weeks ago
I'd like to add a little more to this.

Before Stessel and Sarles came to town, Metro regularly engaged with the blog. In fact, it led to a couple of clarifications. The tone of the blog was not any different than it is now.

Since then, Metro will not respond to basic requests for information. I'm not talking Freedom of Information stuff, nor do I ask them petulant questions. I'm talking every day stuff. They will not respond. Not here, not even on Twitter when the vast majority of their customers might benefit from an answer.

I think it's childish and unprofessional to act this way.
They have a responsibility to respond. It's their F'n JOB.
OP needs to write this letter to WMATA, and spend his time and effort trying to convince them to 'behave', not this blog. He's pointing his finger at the wrong party. And he wants you to behave like them, too! Censor reader comments?! WTF?!
FOIA mandates responses by law. "They are human" is no excuse.
1 reply · active 642 weeks ago
Daily Rider's avatar

Daily Rider · 642 weeks ago

This is correct. The attitude of the requester is not relevant to Metro's duty.
How does this get any negative votes?
Agree 100%.

Negative criticism is not an impetus for change.
2 replies · active 642 weeks ago
Let me introduce you to a time in history called "The American Revolutionary War." Or maybe "The Civil Rights Movement."
Metro = Congress' toy train set. Only not as well-run.
EVER anony online's avatar

EVER anony online · 642 weeks ago

"..having taken the metro almost every day for 7 years, I've found it runs okay."
I've taken metro for 35 years. I have problems with the service at least once a week if not more for a very long time. I am one of the real old-time riders. My facts are based on real experiences, not theory nor general hate towards the service. You, however, obviously hate this blog–why do you even visit?

...close comments.
THAT'S your ideas for improvements to this blog? Forgot about the concept of free speech did ya? Never got the point of this blog either I suspect.

...avoid anonymous sources, too, eh? Like me?

Become more realistic to what this blog is, does and stands for and I might actually agree with some of your next guest blog comments. Your post simply slams a valued blog and doesn't provide any ideas for Metro improvement for the rest of us. (Lucky you to have such a perfect Metro system. Interesting as the only people who seem to have a perfect Metro system life are Metro spokesmen.)

As it is, I reject your lack of reality and logistical common senselessness. As I step off my soap box, stage right.
Vienna Bound's avatar

Vienna Bound · 642 weeks ago

I agree with your comments. If readers and commentors of this blog were to stand up to WMATA and elected officials and demand accountability, this blog would achieve its stated intent - UnSuck Metro.

To the OP, I hope that you will continue to share your views on WMATA's successes and failures too. Everyone deserves to be heard.
unsuck fan's avatar

unsuck fan · 642 weeks ago

Ditto-head:
You're a troll. No one that has really utilized Metro service for the past 7 years would be so forgiving and willing to spend their own time defending it. Only someone whose job it is would be such a long winded apologist for a pubic service that's so deserving of the rage vented here. Rush on outta here Ditto-head!
hrh king friday 13's avatar

hrh king friday 13 · 642 weeks ago

I think we can all appreciate a reader who is willing to put his thoughts out there even if he/she knows they're going to be unpopular so kudos for that.

That said, it seems contradictory to critisize Unsuck for doccumenting serious system failures and demanding FOAA responses while at the same time reccomending that Unsuck "enact journalistic standards" and "avoid anonymous sources" and "get more detials" and "get more contributors." I wonder if the reader (contributor?) actually follows this blog.

WMATA and ATU derseve every bit of frustration (and occasional praise) expressed on this blog. Thier hurt feelings do not trump my wanting to be alive. And the last thing this city needs is another blog or Dr. Gridlock lacking the balls to dig deep and call them out.
"While ideally metro would respond to FOAA and improvement suggestions systematically, they are human. They're going to be suspicious of the intentions of someone who reports only negative news in an unobjective style."

I'm not sure you understand what the purpose of FOIA is because what you just described is exactly why there are FOIA laws.
keep doing what you are doing. this is a blog, not the Wash Post! people come here to get info that WMATA doesn't like to put out there. people come here to vent, show funny pics and share info. his dude is wrong. we wouldn't need a Unsuck site if WMATA just did their job correctly
Trollopian's avatar

Trollopian · 642 weeks ago

The jab at "journalistic standards" is ironic, given that Unsuck clearly has much higher standards than the region's leading newspaper. The Washington Post simply swallows whatever WMATA chooses to dispense, hook, line, and sinker. That's sad for an investigative newspaper that spawned Woodward and Bernstein and many other fact-diggers. Unsuck has done what journalists are supposed to do: cultivate sources and ferret out the truth.

The comments (which we all know to be unmoderated) are often hilarious and incisive. It's heartening to see that the occasional unfair or racist comment gets vigorous pushback and lots of thumbs-down.

Keep it up, Unsuck.
3 replies · active 641 weeks ago
The comments are moderated. Every comment must be approved before appearing.
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^Did you not see that when you commented?
Trollopian's avatar

Trollopian · 641 weeks ago

Sorry, Hal, I should have said "lightly moderated" rather than "unmoderated." But my point stands: most of the comments are incisive, many are hilarious, the racists and other ranters are put in their place....I think the "free exchange" nature of the comments section works pretty well. The original poster wants Unsuck (who's doing all this as a volunteer, remember) to devote his time to editing and censoring comments. Um, if that's WMATA's reason for shunning this blog, it's pretty feeble.
I quote you: "Get into more detail. What are rail ties? Why do so many of them need to be replaced? Does it really need to take so long? I don't know but I would like to."
Isn't it supposed to be Metro's job? to explain what they do during their track 'maintenance'?
Earlier this year , Metro 'single-tracked' for 6 weekends in a row in Cleveland Park, with only one train every 24 to 32 minutes. The only reason mentioned on the website was that it was for "rail fastener replacement". I sent them many emails asking them details:
- What is a rail fastener?
- How many are they between Dupont and Van Ness?
- How many needed to be replaced?
- How long does it take to replace one?
- How many have been changed so far?

Here is the answer I received from metro:
" "
...
Nothing.
And the funniest part: A few weeks after the last track maintenance, we got a "Metro Meltdown" due to a track malfunction between Woodley Park and Cleveland Park...
==> "METRO FAIL"

Be sarcastic or not, you can not ignore that...
1 reply · active 641 weeks ago
let me try to answer your rail fastener questions.

a rail fastener is the one foot by one foot steel plate that is bolted to the concrete floor by four 8 to 10 inch bolts. it also has two latches that attach the rail to the fastener. the latches allow the track to move laterally to allow for expansion and contraction. in other words the rail "floats".

rail fasteners are spaced every two feet apart. lets say for the sake of argument it is 2000 feet between the two stations. that would be 4000 rail fasteners on both tracks combines. this does not include switches, and cross-overs.

generally when doing rail fastener replacement all are changed. to replace just one is a trick question. to remove one you need to remove the fasteners on many in each direction to allow the rail to be raised so it can be slid out. so changing one is never done.
the biggest time consuming issue i would think is that the rail fasteners sit slightly elevated on concrete. there are gaps between around every 7 or 8 i am guessing. during inspections if the concrete pads are cracked or deteriorating then they are removed, a frame is built and a new concrete pad is poured. after the pad has set then they need to drill four new holes for each rail fastener. so if the new pad had ten rail fasteners then 40 new holes drilled and anchors set in each new hole. also the rail must be raised up to allow the work underneath to be complete. very time consuming process.
sometimes section of rail is replaced while doing rail fasteners. rails wear out over a certain period of time due to the constant metal to metal contact with the steel wheels

hope this helps
I agree with most of what this commentator has to say. The tone of Unsuck's posts have gotten increasingly shrill. I take the metro every day. There are some annoying problems. But with rare exceptions, it gets me where I am going on time.

Unsuck is at its best when it identifies a problems or explains a situation without the spin. Please give me the facts, I am capable of making up my own mind. It was great when Unsuck explained the cause of the Rosslyn derailment and reported the opening doors on a moving train.

The biggest problem Metro faces is the result of chronic government underfunding, over reliance on fares for operating capital and deferred maintenance. That is a formula for problems that will take a long time to resolve. It doesn't excuse the problems, but "yelling at the alcoholic" is not constructive.
Sweet Bobby's avatar

Sweet Bobby · 642 weeks ago

I think it is absurdly naive to think that the impediment to change for WMATA is that its criticism is negative, and not the fact that it has inelastic demand as a mass transit area in an expensive city with terrible traffic. Let us not forget that our fares have risen considerably for the sole purpose of funding pension plans for workers who contribute zero cents to their pensions, are often rude, and are protected by a union whose leader accuses complainants of being racist and believing slavery still exists. To chalk these obvious systemic errors as a consequence of WMATA "being human" excuses the negligent behavior of an agency whose recent record involves deaths of employees and customers. Perhaps they cannot be shamed into turning things around, but this blog's work to expose WMATA's malfeasance, which the Washington Post fails to do, may perhaps motivate the public officials to replace the leaders who have not provided us with the level of service we should reasonably expect with these unreasonable prices.
8 replies · active 641 weeks ago
hrh king friday 13's avatar

hrh king friday 13 · 642 weeks ago

+1000
Karl Marx's avatar

Karl Marx · 642 weeks ago

Why do you think workers should have to contribute to their pensions? Wouldn't you like it if you didn't have to contribute to yours (if you even get one)? Full pensions without contributions used to be really common in this country. Now its a race to the bottom to see how little each employer can contribute to retirement.

Eroding labor standards isn't our goal, fixing metro is.
In over 50 years of federal and private sector employment I have NEVER worked anywhere where there wasn't an "Employer Matching" pension scheme in one form or another, save for delivering newspapers as a child.
Karl Marx's avatar

Karl Marx · 642 weeks ago

I bet that 3% salary match for your 401k was great.
Whole lot better than nothing.
hrh king friday 13's avatar

hrh king friday 13 · 642 weeks ago

Why is it so hard for people to understand we're talking about one specific union and not the entire labor movement?? Just because people say the ATU 689 is horrible doesn't mean we want to eliminate maternity leave in America.

Your college freshman year is on the phone, it wants it's social justice outrage back.
Karl Marx's avatar

Karl Marx · 642 weeks ago

Sorry you've given up on social justice, HRH. Some of us are still fighting for workers rights. That includes ATU 689.

On a hilarious note, America doesn't actually have any form of mandated paid maternity leave. The federal government requires that employers allow up to 8 weeks of UNPAID leave, but that is it. There isn't much to eliminate, although I'm sure you and all of your Romney backing friends would enjoy eliminating it.
"used to" --- because they realized it was unsustainable, and they were going broke doing business...so if they wanted to stick around to provide *any* pensions, then they had to change the way they did it.
It has been a while since I listened to Rush out of morbid curiosity, but I don't remember that he does any original reporting. This blog has TONS of that.

If you're looking to call someone the Rush Limbaugh of transit, look to someone who does no reporting and just repeats the party line--the Washington Post.
Dan Stessel's avatar

Dan Stessel · 642 weeks ago

Customers and anyone part of this blog "phenomenon" should expect 30-45 month delays in response due to scheduled incompetence. Here at Metro, we're working hard day and night to make it look like we're working hard day and night. You're welcome.
First of all, the author is a hypocrite. He goes after Unsuck for being over the top but then compares him to Rush Limbaugh? If Unsuck was like Rush, he'd be calling female metro officials "sluts" and using homophobic slurs against Stessel. What an idiotic comparison.

To go after Unsuck for bringing up the fact that all the escalators at dupont broke within a week is ridiculous. None of the news outlets brought it up. But they were there to cover that idiotic ribbon cutting ceremony.

"Get more contributors" A good portion of the articles on this blog are written by other contributors. Pay better attention.

"Avoid anonymous sources" Do you know how sources work? He isn't going to out current metro employees, they could get into trouble. Do you prefer the coverage of say, the Washington Post? Where their only source is Dan Stessel, the PR Guy? You think "I asked Dan Stessel about it, and he said..." is good journalism? And furthermore, his sources have time and time again been rather solid, as Metro has had to admit things that have came to light from these sources. If not for unsuck these stories would not have been picked up by the local media.

"Lay off the union bashing" Its not bashing unions in general. Its bashing this corrupt union that makes it damn near impossible to get fired. You might want to look up a couple of articles regarding the Union leader, Jackie Jeter, and her racist tendencies. Read the story about the bus driver who punched an off duty cop while on his bus route, who managed to get his job back with back pay thanks to the union. If you don't find this ridiculous, then you are insane.

"Close the comments for a while or moderate them more strictly." You're right, Unsuck should just censor comments he doesn't like, sort of how Rush Limbaugh hangs up on callers who don't agree with him. Good point.

In conclusion, you either have completely missed the mark, you have an agenda, or you haven't been reading this blog long enough. This blog offers solutions and constructive criticism ALL THE TIME! Sure, it can be sarcastic, and at times snarky, but it gets the job done.
2 replies · active 642 weeks ago
I wish I could click 'Like' 2,000 times for this post. Spot-on.
Invoking Limbaugh's name was indeed a silly tactic. And questioning whether Unsuck really wants to improve Metro is astoundingly off-base to any regular reader.
Happy to be a contributor. I'll put together a piece on how well the STM operates here in Montreal for one, as well as point out some of it's obvious shortcomings.

Other than that...Metro gets what it deserves. We should be angry. We should have more accountability. We should elect the Board directly as riders.
That Unsuck posted this on his site tells me he's so much of a "bigger man" than the sniveling little wimps at Metro.
Spataps made this point: "They're going to be suspicious of the intentions of someone who reports only negative news in an unobjective style." You do not understand FOIA, Sir (or Madam). The law does not allowed to screen FOIA requests and only respond to those who are sympathetic to, in this case, the PR crap that comes out of WMATA. That's exactly the point of FOIA. To allow private citizens, news media, etc., to report on things that government agencies like WMATA do not want us to know. Whether they like it or not, they have to comply with FOIA.
I agree with a lot of the points made, especially regarding the lack of tight moderation in the comments section which leads to a lot of racism and ad-hominen attacks, as well as the union-bashing. I agree that anonymous sources aren't terrific, but I don't think there's much that can be done to get around that. No one at WMATA wants to lose their job for disclosing information to Unsuck.

I think it does well to remember that just as WMATA employees are human, so is Unsuck, and I'm pretty sure it's just one guy pouring a TON of his energy and time into providing riders with an outlet for their frustrations and a source for answers to some of the questions WMATA refuses to answer. What is he even getting out of it, anyway? He doesn't get paid, he doesn't get credit, as he's anonymous, and he has a life and a full time job like the rest of us riding metro do (remember that time he tried to take a vacation?).

I love Unsuck. Yes, I would love to see it improve in a few areas, but unlike the failing Metro system, I don't PAY Unsuck for his services, so I don't feel very comfortable making demands of him.
I think the issue, at the end of the day, is that many of the readers (and writers) of this blog would love an open dialogue with Metro about the recent failures and how we can all work together to improve. Riders can point out inadequacies in the system much more quickly (and cost-effectively) than a consulting team. Unfortunately, there is a massive brick wall between public opinion and the management team at WMATA.
1 reply · active 641 weeks ago
chris,
employees can point out even more inadequacies and provide even greater details to properly indentify problems and what actions would quickly and safely remedy most situations. i have been doing this for many years. however 99% of what i have reported has gone unanswered. is metro going to listen to riders? something about snowballs and hell comes to mind.
Oh, I also forgot to address the most ridiculous comment that this guy had, that Unsuck should be more like David Alpert and GGW. Alpert is the biggest metro apologist on the face of the planet!
If you don't like what people write, which they have a right to do, don't read the blog anymore. Why should people change just because one person doesn't like it. It's like whatching tv, if you don't like what's playing change the channel.
Daily O-Line Rider's avatar

Daily O-Line Rider · 642 weeks ago

Look at it from a cause-effect relationship. If metro didn't have major problems, this blog may not exist (or be so popular). They need to communicate better, operate better, and manage better. The blog serves its purpose.
I think the author of this letter, as well as GGW,are WAY too gentle towards Metro. The system needs some harsh criticism, that's not sugarcoated, and not even necessarily diplomatic. People are MAD! I am MAD! Riding metro is a constant source of stress, anger and frustration and that needs to be expressed!!! The diplomatic, constructive approach is fine, but not the only way. Keep doing what you're doing UnSuck :)
So, let me get this straight: Constructive criticism is the goal, but criticizing an unresponsive union which is responsible for managing the workforce is completely off-limits because "unions are good for workers." Furthermore, Unsuck's criticism of management is invalid because it's too negative to point out the faults, mismanagement, and unresponsiveness with a touch of snark in the headline to drive home the point.

Well, nothing else directly managing WMATA is left for criticism, so everything must be all rainbows and unicorns for commuters! Now, let's all go make like David Alpert and wax philosophically about how bike sharing and green space will bring about utopia for mankind.
The notion that Greater Greater Washington is a model that should be emulated is ludicrous. GGW explicitly favors patronizing busybodies like Herb Caudill and uses a "respect" standard to censor any criticism.

Unsuck is honest. If Metro didn't suck, it wouldn't need unsucking.
Isn't Greater Greater Washington just the volunteer arm of the Metro Planning Department? That's what I always thought anyway.
Stan Dessel's avatar

Stan Dessel · 642 weeks ago

I plan on responding to each and every question posed by Unsuck DC Metro, but first I need to break the world record in Bejeweled on this Metro issued iPad.

You're welcome!
stephanie's avatar

stephanie · 642 weeks ago

One quick thing a lot of people here are missing - FOIA does NOT apply to WMATA. They are not a government agency; they do not have the provide ANYTHING AT ALL. They have set up PARP as a FOIA-like structure for responding to requests for information, but there is no oversight for that to hold them to it as they do not have to do it in the first place.
2 replies · active 642 weeks ago
russell.j.coller.jr's avatar

russell.j.coller.jr · 642 weeks ago

One small thing: WMATA, by FAILING to take the political and bureaucratic step of say, entering into voluntary FOIA-like public relations.... is, as we say in PG County: triflin'.
Stephanie's avatar

Stephanie · 642 weeks ago

Oh I'm not saying what they're doing is okay, but everyone keeps screaming about WMATA having to release info "because FOIA mandates it" but it seems they don't quite know FOIA's limitations.
Even if they were under FOIA, a good lawyer on their side can still prevent things from being disclosed either way.

But, yes, triflin' indeed.
Take "Spataps" suggestions...and welcome to the Washington Post's coverage of Metro!

That is to say, coverage that is utterly lacking original reporting, such as say, interviewing RIDERS who actually witnessed events.

That is all.
I've posted this before but one of the main reasons I moved to DC in '95 was due to how I loved the idea of public transport. Coming from the SF bay area we had BART which I took most days to get home (reverse commute) and I never recalled it being that bad. Metro is much more extensive in its coverage than BART so I feel in love considering I was a CA resident who HATES driving. That said since '95 I've seen the systems functionality considerably degraded. I used to take the Metro on the weekends but no longer considering the delays due to "track work" and such. WTF won't metro pay it's maintenance personnel the dues they deserve and do this work while it's closed? Look at NYC and NJ transit systems after Sandy. It took them about a week to get almost all the lines back up and running as normal. I fear the day we get the major hit of a storm. I figure it would take Metro about 2 months to get back to normal. Rant done. :-)
I think it's a bit much to compare us to Limbaugh, but the s/he is correct that unsuck has not not much to turn our displeasure into some sort of constructive action. There is clearly a large support for the views expressed in this blog, and unsuck should try to do something constructive with it.
mr_brennan's avatar

mr_brennan · 641 weeks ago

I agree that you can basically catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. The problem here is that we have already soaked metro in honey--and it's not working. That's why we've broken out the vinegar.

Personally, I gave metro the benefit of the doubt for two years before I became a frequent critic. But after being the subject of frequently late trains, egregious malfunctions, jerky rides and verbal abuse by metro employees, I've given up.

I reserve my right to give metro frequent constructive criticism until they shape up. End of story.
This site is associated with racist comments; look around the internet. Unsuck DC Metro has a reputation for it's racist talking points of non whites
1 reply · active 641 weeks ago
My general philosophy about comments is that if people want to make a fool of themselves by saying something stupid, I'm more than happy to let them.

Take your comment, for example.
President Putin, is that you?
Close comments? why? It's a free country, people should be able to express their opinions freely. Our Constitution says so.

I also encourage this author to read today's blog post about lack of whistleblower protection. This is WHY there are anonimous sources.

I've lived in DC area for 15 years and used public transit all this time. In the late 90s the Red line used to be like a clockwork, there was no crowding and very rare malfunctions. Never, ever, ever was there 20 min between trains, even on weekends. All that has been run into the ground by poor management. I applaud the person behind Unsuck blog for brining it to light.
OnlyLeftyinDC's avatar

OnlyLeftyinDC · 641 weeks ago

This is a sound-off board for people who share similar beliefs. Those beliefs include:

1. Anti-union and anti collective-bargaining screeds against public-sector workers. Labor unions evil; private-sector managers heroes. Government workers lazy; private-sector workers hard working. I get it.

2. Code words with racist connotations thrown against Metro workers. Apparently, people have a problem with black workers who can earn a decent wage without a college education. The same code words were used against DC public school teachers during the God-awful Michelle Rhee reign.

3. Supports the complete destruction of a public transit system that harms poor people and supports fossil fuel industries with more automobiles on the road. Burning more gas is a job creator, right? Let's face it: conservatives who do not live in cities have a philosophical problem with public transportation. The word "public" is a dead giveaway. Drive or walk to your job on your own!

The type of people who post here? 1. White 2. Suburbanites 3. Love reading the paranoid news articles about union corruption and WMATA "scandals" in The Examiner. 4. Trend more Republican and conservative 5. Did I mention that UnSuck readers don't like black people earning a decent wage and labor unions in general?

So my two-part question to the creator of the UnSuck DC blog: why do you want to destroy public transit unions and why do you support the reduction of the black middle-class in Washington, DC? Just curious.
3 replies · active 641 weeks ago
You haven't read a single post on this blog if this is your takeaway.
anotherLeftResident's avatar

anotherLeftResident · 641 weeks ago

The fact that your name is "only lefty in DC" is pretty telling.
Maybe you missed the election.

People will interpret things as they see fit. Thank you for sharing your opinion.
My general philosophy about comments is that if people want to make a fool of themselves by saying something stupid, I'm more than happy to let them.

Take your comment, for example.
Bona Fide's avatar

Bona Fide · 641 weeks ago

You lost me invoking the hyper sensitivity of the girls at GGW. Sorry!!

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