Unsuck DC Metro: That First Step is a Doozy

Thursday, February 14, 2013

That First Step is a Doozy

This is a recurring problem at Metro.

From John:

Tuesday morning, I was on my way into the city on the Red Line when I heard, "Sh*t!" come from the train driver's cabin.

My head bolted up out of my newspaper because that's the last thing you want to hear from your train conductor, especially on the mishap-prone DC Metro system.

I was on the left side of the train, in the second seat from the front, and I looked out the window to see that I was looking at the concrete barrier at the end of the Rockville station.

The driver has overshot the station by half a car's length. The doors opened and luckily no one tried to exit the train at the front door.

Wonder if the reason this keeps happening is this:

Comments (34)

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+32 Vote up Vote down

anon · 631 weeks ago

Metro's abuse of OT was revealed by the NTSB to be a danger to employees and riders. Look like in typical Metro fashion, they've done nothing about it.

1 reply · active 631 weeks ago

+43 Vote up Vote down

Anon2 · 631 weeks ago

That was two years ago, bro. You're supposed to have forgotten about that #Momentum #Metroforward #rushplus

+16 Vote up Vote down

Chris · 631 weeks ago

At time-and-a-half for anything over 40 hours, some of these drivers are heading for the top 1%.

If you think this is a bad thing, then you must believe in slavery.

+8 Vote up Vote down

@ListenUpWMATA · 631 weeks ago

This happened to me a year ago at Pentagon Station--only that time, the driver said nothing. Instead, we sat trapped in the train, looking at the platform for nearly 40 minutes. Ahhh, the good ole days.

+20 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 631 weeks ago

There are 168 hours in a week. If someone is working 138 hours, s/he's getting 30 hours of sleep in 7 days, which is a little more than 4 hours a night--and that doesn't take into account commuting to and from the Metro facilities. That is DANGEROUS.

But then why does Metro care? They don't have to.

4 replies · active 631 weeks ago

+16 Vote up Vote down

trickydick · 631 weeks ago

There is ZERO way this is true. Metro only operates 19 hours Monday thru Thursday, 22 hours on Friday, 20 hours on Saturday, and 17 hours on Sunday. That's 135 hours. So you're telling me, an operator not only did extra time parking the trains, etc...but also took ZERO hours off while the trains were operating during the entire week?? That also says that WMATA doesn't take time off for lunches, etc..

Either he's gaming the system or the guy was exaggerating.

+2 Vote up Vote down

MetroScum · 631 weeks ago

They're probably counting the other 30 hours they slept at the bottom of their local station (getting paid for it).

Metro scum all should be fired.
And the criminals at the top levels should be imprisoned.

+25 Vote up Vote down

Veracity · 631 weeks ago

Four hours of sleep at night, another four while on the clock during the day - they're fine

+12 Vote up Vote down

BMK · 631 weeks ago

four while on the clock? LOL, more like 8 on the clock sitting in a yard or station manager booth,

+15 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 631 weeks ago

138 hours?

Ok, assume that they are working 7 days a week. That gives them an average of 4 hours a day to leave work, get home, eat dinner (since they can not eat on metro, right), sleep, do the typical morning stuff and get to work. Even ignoring sleep I would be hard pressed to do the rest of it in 4 hours day in and day out.

I could see *maybe* doing this once. It would be a marathon and a hideously bad idea but not out of the realm of human endurance. Doing it 3 times a month? There are only two options:

1) They are leaving themselves clocked in when they are not working.

2) Safety be durned.

Since we all know now that they have a culture of safety it can NOT be #2. So would metro care to explain why we are paying for people when they are not on the job?

3 replies · active 631 weeks ago

+8 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 631 weeks ago

"So would metro care to explain why we are paying for people when they are not on the job?"

Would *you* care to explain why you believe in slavery?

-2 Vote up Vote down

MetroScum · 631 weeks ago

Slavery? Oh, shut the hell up!

+4 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 631 weeks ago

Your "culture of safety" comment was in jest, I assume?

+10 Vote up Vote down

C S · 631 weeks ago

Notice how the 5 second rule didn't prevent this...

4 replies · active 631 weeks ago

+9 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 631 weeks ago

They have the perfect solution. The 5 minute rule.

+6 Vote up Vote down

BMK · 631 weeks ago

#rushplus

+5 Vote up Vote down

@JimLCunningham · 631 weeks ago

I was gunna say... What happened to "One Mississippi... two Mississippi..." ?

+18 Vote up Vote down

BMK · 631 weeks ago

The Metro operator rule: If you can't spell it, you can't say it.

+6 Vote up Vote down

guest · 631 weeks ago

Commercial truck and bus drivers must take federally mandated breaks every so many hours. One would think that a Metro train operator would have to do the same, but I guess not.

1 reply · active 631 weeks ago

+4 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 631 weeks ago

It would also seem to be easier to enforce with a Metro train operator as opposed to a truck driver who could be anywhere along his route.

+12 Vote up Vote down

Ryan · 631 weeks ago

If I ever had to be dependent on a Metro employee in a matter of life and death, I would just assume kill myself to save some time.

1 reply · active 631 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

Radner · 631 weeks ago

So you never ride Metro? It's a gamble every time you enter the system.

+4 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 631 weeks ago

They probably hole up and nap somewhere on the job and stay clocked in. Slavery... am I right Miss Jeets?

+14 Vote up Vote down

Stan Dessel · 631 weeks ago

Enjoy the view!

You're welcome!

+4 Vote up Vote down

Another Nick · 631 weeks ago

Put them under the authority of FRA.

Wait then we'd just have drivers going dead on hours in the middle of the Yellow Line bridge or some other crap like that.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Heather · 631 weeks ago

"Ding, ding, doors opening. When boarding, please move to the center of the car."

4 replies · active 631 weeks ago

+9 Vote up Vote down

lily · 631 weeks ago

...I haven't been on Metro in eight months. I didn't need that flashback.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Heather · 631 weeks ago

lily, sadly I have to ride Metro for a couple of stops, most days, on the Blue Line. Trust me, I don't like hearing it either. The day I no longer need Metro at all, will be a day of great rejoicing.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Jason · 631 weeks ago

Literally the only thing keeping me on the Metro at this point is that I have the cash on hand to buy the scooter I want, but my lease comes up in a few months so I just want to figure out if I'm going to move somewhere that would make my commute not scooter-compatible before dropping the money.

0 Vote up Vote down

Chris · 631 weeks ago

I particulary am amused by the comment that begins "For those of you that choose to stand,.....".

+5 Vote up Vote down

Mariterri · 631 weeks ago

Who needs a FOIA request. Just listen to the operators gossiping.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Kathryn · 631 weeks ago

I commute to Rockville but have not yet had the pleasure of seeing this happen.

What did happen to me this morning was getting to the Woodley Park Metro and having a guy wearing an orange vest shut off the long down escalator while about ten of us were still riding it. Luckily, everyone seemed to be holding onto a handrail at the time.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Radner · 631 weeks ago

Don't you miss the days before social media, when you could leave your microphone on and announce to all of DC the details of your income without repercussion? The good ole' days when you could treat people badly, commit fraud, and run an agency into the ground without anyone asking questions? Nowadays Metro has to actively ignore this shit, when before they didn't even need a rug to sweep it under. Must be rough.

1 reply · active 631 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down