Unsuck DC Metro: A Rider Bill of Rights?

Friday, February 22, 2013

A Rider Bill of Rights?

Reader Kathryn submitted a draft of a possible Metro rider bill of rights yesterday in response to Metro contemplating arresting riders who "self evacuate."

Please make any additions or suggestions in the comments and vote on them using the thumbs up/down button. I'll incorporate popular changes or suggestions into a final version.

Let's see how far we can push this idea.

1. WMATA passengers have the right to a safe and clean riding environment, free from the threat of crime or safety violations, including in the parking lots, bus boarding areas, escalators, train boarding platforms, and the trains and buses.

2. WMATA passengers have the right to timely and regular updates as to whether key accessibility aspects of the WMATA transportation system are in working order, including escalators and elevators.

3. WMATA passengers shall not be held against their will in unbearable conditions on a stalled train. Unbearable conditions include, but are not limited to, excessive heat, excessive cold, lack of air circulation, or hazardous materials.

4. WMATA passengers have the right to disembark any bus or train that is stalled for more than 30 minutes.

5. WMATA passengers have the right to immediate assistance from trained police and medical personnel in the event of a crime or medical emergency. WMATA passengers shall not be denied access to the MTPD if the WMATA police are unable to respond in a timely fashion.

6. WMATA passengers have the right to courteous and professional interactions with WMATA personnel at all times.

7. WMATA passengers have the right to swift resolution of their problems or referral to a department that can assist them.

Other items:
Former detective claims Metro bungled death probe (Examiner)

Comments (51)

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+29 Vote up Vote down

@Hell_on_wheelz · 630 weeks ago

Something needs to be worked in there about the right to hydrate ourselves when temperatures are above "X" or as required by underlying medical conditions.

5 replies · active 630 weeks ago

+13 Vote up Vote down

Jin · 630 weeks ago

How about the right to hydrate ourselves when we feel thirsty?

+9 Vote up Vote down

NoNo · 630 weeks ago

Water bottle should be allowed at any time.

+4 Vote up Vote down

bet · 630 weeks ago

I like the idea of a "Bill of Rights" but you don't understand.... riders and employees at Metro have no rights. You are dung!

+6 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 630 weeks ago

I think that would require changing the law. But how hard can it be to change the law to indicate that during heat advisories, riders may drink water from water bottles?

+4 Vote up Vote down

Great Idea There · 630 weeks ago

Metro does announce water is OK during those days. It shouldn't be a problem. But then again, it is Metro...

+40 Vote up Vote down

JimS · 630 weeks ago

I would replace "MTPD" in #5 with "local police" as Metro trains and buses run through many jurisdictions with their own police forces. Can we add that all WMATA employees should wear visible ID tags, and that passengers have the right to videotape their interactions with WMATA employees?

1 reply · active 630 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 630 weeks ago

Passengers DO have the right to videotape all their interactions with employees. For the most part, there is no reasonable expectation of privacy on the part of the employee who is working in a system open to the public,

-1 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 630 weeks ago

8. WMATA passengers have the right to smack any rider who is listening to music so loud everyone in the train or bus can hear it through the ear buds. Same thing for long playing music used as ring tones.

+38 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 630 weeks ago

"All employees of WMATA (to include board members) shall take metro at least 10 times a year to monitor conditions."

8 replies · active 630 weeks ago

+10 Vote up Vote down

Jin · 630 weeks ago

Maybe specifiy whether they ride the trains and/or bus, and for a certain length of time or stops? Otherwise, they'll get on, go one stop, and get off, claiming they then understand our plight.

+13 Vote up Vote down

NoNo · 630 weeks ago

10 times a month, including weekends, would be better!

+9 Vote up Vote down

matt · 630 weeks ago

I like this idea, but I don't think this document is the place for it. The more passenger focused this can stay the better odds of it getting attention.

+5 Vote up Vote down

russell.j.coller.jr · 630 weeks ago

KH..... better yet, Board Members & all non-Union employees/supervisors are prohibited from parking on Metro property. They'll HAVE to at least think about taking buses/trains. There's no learning like PRACTICAL learning experiences.

+4 Vote up Vote down

UnSuck Fan · 630 weeks ago

Wow, 10 times a year? That's incredibly generous! How about make them give up all of those expensive vehicles (& safety vests for “free” parking) and make Metro their ONLY source of transportation?

Of course Hell hasn’t frozen over yet & I’m not holding my breath!

+8 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 630 weeks ago

Twice a month minimum.

Actually...

8: Any person who is directly involved with making decisions about Metro operations should be required to ride Metro regularly, i.e., at least three times a week, for rides of at least three stops and/or one transfer.

+2 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 630 weeks ago

You might want to add in something about using different parts of the system too. Otherwise the only good parts of it will be within two stops of their HQ.

+1 Vote up Vote down

bet · 630 weeks ago

Employees have a "I don't care " attitude and the managers do the same 'ole thing over and over even if it does not 'fit'. Change is hard to come by at metro. Really-

+22 Vote up Vote down

NoNo · 630 weeks ago

"One person's bill of rights is another person's toilet paper." Stan Dessel

+4 Vote up Vote down

NoNo · 630 weeks ago

"WMATA passengers have the right to shut the f**k up!" - Dan Stessel

+8 Vote up Vote down

Jackie Jeter · 630 weeks ago

Look at all of that work you want to force on us! Apparently, you believe in slavery.

+75 Vote up Vote down

Jason W · 630 weeks ago

WMATA passengers have the right to leave a metro station when trains are delayed without having to pay to exit.

+14 Vote up Vote down

Jason W · 630 weeks ago

WMATA passengers have the right to have their voices heard and issues addressed regarding proposed fare increases or budget cutbacks.

2 replies · active 629 weeks ago

+8 Vote up Vote down

@Hell_on_wheelz · 630 weeks ago

Those would be the public hearings - held every 2 years. There were 6 of them last year Jan-March (2011). Testimony was accepted in person, by snail mail and email. Not that it did much good.

The highest attended meeting only had 100 people. The WMATA Board isn't going to react unless they KNOW that a LOT of people are watching. A max of 100/meeting doesn't meet that threshold.

Next public hearings will be next year - preceding the next time the WMATA Board can approve higher fares. These public hearings are legally required prior to fare "adjustments".

0 Vote up Vote down

fed up · 629 weeks ago

there are public hearings for issues other than fare increases that will most likely be earlier than a year

-19 Vote up Vote down

Red liner · 630 weeks ago

All huff, no action.

Didn't the same lamenting populace here get behind a plan to not offload from trains having mechanical difficulties a few months ago? How's that going?

Your pleading for a bill of rights, repeal of rush plus, or the litany of change.org and other petitions will go nowhere. Metro tends to do what it wants and we rarely are focused enough (not just a DC thing) to see things through to the end. On to the next protestation.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Anonymous · 630 weeks ago

Right to reliable service, and prompt and accurate notification of any service issues.

+10 Vote up Vote down

dcn8v · 630 weeks ago

I think this is a great start, and we need to get down to brass tacks- define all terms concretely so that WMATA can't squirm away from them.

For example, do we need to define "safe and clean riding environment"? That's pretty vague and hard to measure. WMATA would be able to twist that in such a way that current conditions would be described as safe and clean. Same with "excessive heat and cold."

Here's a link to the Bill out lining the Airline Passenger's Bill of Rights. Perhaps we can use it as a model? http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr729/t...

+7 Vote up Vote down

drew · 630 weeks ago

think I know the next subject I bring to the RAC board next month

+7 Vote up Vote down

NoNo · 630 weeks ago

- The Fares should be calculated according to the number of trains running: Peak fare when one train every 3-4 minutes (around 40 trains circulating on red line), regular fare when one train every 6-8 minutes (20 trains on red line), smaller fare when less trains (During week ends and nights there is often less than 10 trains on the entire red line).

- On the weekend, WMATA customers shouldn't be charged when their travel time is directly affected by track maintenance: Trains running every 24 minutes + 20 minutes additional time travel is not acceptable.

2 replies · active 630 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 630 weeks ago

Not to mention their start times on weekends plus the lag of a train getting to your station (sometimes it goes up the line then back down to you). I have wound up walking across DC to an event several times because I knew I would not get there on time if I waited for the train.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Jin · 630 weeks ago

Or just charged based on distance. I had a friend from Korea visit, and she horrified that Metro charged us based on distance and time.

+7 Vote up Vote down

dezlboy 76p · 630 weeks ago

Add to number 3 - (orginial below) - lack of clear, precise information reguarding situation and estimated time of return to service.

WMATA passengers shall not be held against their will in unbearable conditions on a stalled train. Unbearable conditions include, but are not limited to, excessive heat, excessive cold, lack of air circulation, or hazardous materials.

1 reply · active 630 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

KathrynA · 630 weeks ago

I think that idea is substantial enough to make another item. Would you like to write it?

+6 Vote up Vote down

matt · 630 weeks ago

Overall this is a great idea to bring forward. I think the key is some compensation or action if there are violations to the bill of rights. See Jetblue's (http://www.jetblue.com/flying-on-jetblue/customer-protection/?intcmp=hd_fojb_protection). When there are conditions both within and beyond the control of the airline (in Jetblue's case), actions are taken.

1 reply · active 630 weeks ago

+4 Vote up Vote down

arhutch · 630 weeks ago

Exactly. Good point, Matt.

If WMATA fails to meet these? Then what?

That needs to be spelled out.

I think these are good and reasonable things to expect but rights implies some enforcement, consequences if they are breached and/or adjudication.

I don't see these anywhere.

+11 Vote up Vote down

KathrynA · 630 weeks ago

Yesterday "bitter brew" suggested a good number 8:
"8. WMATA passengers have the right to exit a rail station and receive a refund of their rail fare if, before their travel commences, scheduled train service is interrupted for mechanical, medical, or safety reasons."

And Dezelboy's suggestion could also make a number 9 (athough the numbering could be rearranged)

Other ideas I had in mind include (i) the already mentioned requiring a percentage of the Board (or all of the Board) to actually ride metro and (ii) something about bodily needs like hydration and using the bathroom.

1 reply · active 630 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Bitter Brew · 630 weeks ago

Thanks for carrying this forward, Kathryn. I was away on Friday and over the weekend and didn't expect Unsuck to promote your (great) idea to the front page so soon!

+6 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 630 weeks ago

Right of appeal and to report issues to another agency?

+5 Vote up Vote down

dweebcentric · 630 weeks ago

A Rider's Bill of Rights is nice, but let's be realistic: who's going to enforce them? No one seems to be able to regulate Metro as it is now.

0 Vote up Vote down

guest · 630 weeks ago

Right off the bat #1 is hard to enforce unless you drastically increase the police force. Its just not practical to clean up after passengers or police them in a widespread fassion.
#2 is crazy. Just assume elevators and escalators are always vroken cuz most of the time they are.
#4 is too long. Id say 10 minutes after no communication. 30 mins with communication.
#5 doesn't make sense. Mtpd=wmata police.
#6 good luck getting the union to agree
#7 this will never happen either. Sounds like more budget $$ for departments that should already be doing this
A bunch of wmata employees do use the system all the time. I'm fairly sure the big wigs from nj don't however.

+4 Vote up Vote down

KathrynA · 630 weeks ago

In my opinion, this Bill of Rights exists as a general set of guidelines, rather than a strictly constructed set of rules and regulations. But all rules and regulations that the passengers are expected to abide by should go back to this guidance.

At the very least, it is a declaration of what the passengers expect from their interactions with WMATA, which has been sorely lacking.

1 reply · active 630 weeks ago

+4 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 630 weeks ago

Unfortunately we know what metro thinks of guidelines.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Bill · 630 weeks ago

What makes you think we have rights? WMATA views us a cargo. Human cargo. Passengers are (and have been) people; "customers" are cargo. All of their actions to date illustrate this mindset.

1 reply · active 630 weeks ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

Veteran Rider · 630 weeks ago

I am not sure they even consider us cargo - I think that they stop thinking of us at all, the instant our cash hits the Farecard machine, or the monthly transit benefit hits Metro's bank account.
Well, maybe they think of us as the deadweights that break the escalators.

+4 Vote up Vote down

jenster8dc · 630 weeks ago

This is truly a fine idea, but I'm afraid it won't do any good unless WMATA is forced to recognize it. How do we get this in front of the commuting public at large? I'm asking this sincerely--how do we spread the word enough that WMATA is publicly embarrassed by inaction? Social media is a start, for sure, but how about regular media? WaPo is useless, obviously, but I can't believe that someone who reads this blog doesn't have an in with any of the other media outlets in the area. Does anyone have contacts to share?

We need to get loud about this, or it's just never gonna change. And I don't think I can handle that.

+13 Vote up Vote down

@JimLCunningham · 630 weeks ago

All employees' names must be displayed prominently on their uniform.

1 reply · active 630 weeks ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

KathrynA · 630 weeks ago

I could see that getting rolled into number 6:

6. All passengers have the right to courteous and professional interactions with WMATA personnel at all times, and to be provided with the names of the WMATA personnel who interact with them.

+3 Vote up Vote down

pastorsaturn · 630 weeks ago

I would add that we have the right to timely, regular, ACCURATE, and COMPREHENSIBLE updates about service delays.

+3 Vote up Vote down

guest · 630 weeks ago

Horrified by last week's Examiner article about possible cover-up by Metro of tragic death of Lou Stancari at Farragut North station over two years ago. http://washingtonexaminer.com/former-detective-ch....