Unsuck DC Metro: Metro Even Endangers Non-Riders

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Metro Even Endangers Non-Riders

From Brian:

Dear Mr. Sarles,

I wrote to you back on January 14 about your Metrobuses blocking fire hydrants on 9th Street N. in Arlington (Ballston). I wrote after you solicited feedback from riders on a local radio station.

I thought you took this serious in that you had the bus GM contact me, [who said] corrective action would be taken, and he promised that this would not happen again, and more importantly, it would be monitored.

Imagine my disgust and disappointment when around 4:40 p.m, April 22 again a bus (#2170) was parked on the fire hydrant and left unoccupied.

In your bus GM's word this is a gross safety violation and in my mind puts thousands of residents in danger should their be a fire at the high rises, mine included, and the hydrant cannot be accessed.

I sadly believed your bus GM when he promised it would be monitored. I don't know why I did, as it seems that is not the case and the takeaway would be all WMATA does is lie.

I await your response.

Brian

Brian added that the bus GM apologized profusely back in January, mainly for the fire hydrant issue and agreed it was a huge safety issue. The GM told him the operator was identified and instructed not to park there. He also promised that all the Ballston operators would be told the same thing and Metro staff would monitor it.

Other items:
Metro does what Metro wants (Examiner)

Comments (51)

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+27 Vote up Vote down

matt · 622 weeks ago

Has anyone tried calling the police to report the buses and get them towed? I'd imagine in the fire department would want to see them towed too.

35 replies · active 622 weeks ago

-6 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 622 weeks ago

Imagine your bus not showing up because the idiot operator parked in front of a fire hydrant, and someone else had it towed! That said, I'd like to think the operators would learn, but then we know that Metro is a jobs program as much as it is a transit service.

-30 Vote up Vote down

What · 622 weeks ago

Can you clarify what you mean by jobs program?

+20 Vote up Vote down

totallyfailed 81p · 622 weeks ago

Please. We all know what he means, except you, apparently.

-10 Vote up Vote down

What · 622 weeks ago

Nope. Please explain with two sentences or a paragraph.

When I think of a "jobs program", I think of something like the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was a Depression-era program which literally took unemployed people and paid them a semi-decent wage to go build cabins, trails, parks, etc. The point of the program was to get the unemployed out of their houses and earning a wage, thus boosting economic output.

How is WMATA like that?

+23 Vote up Vote down

@JimLCunningham · 622 weeks ago

The "jobs program" thing comes up here a lot. I think he's insinuating that Metro's purpose is primarily to employ people who are otherwise unemployable, and that it's function as a transportation system comes somewhat secondary to that.

I'm sure it's not meant literally but just as a bit of hyperbole.

But it does seem like Metro uses spurious hiring criteria. There are 20 million people out of work so why does Metro have so many bad employees? There are certainly good ones out there to be had! And why don't we see more diversity in their hiring?

I think many people suspect that whatever nepotism is going on or the exclusive club you have to belong to in order to get hired there contributes considerably to their problems.

+3 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 622 weeks ago

Whatever-deity forbid you actually notice there seems to be a similarity with WMATA peeps that does not match the population distribution in the greater DC area. *points to Ms Jeter's comments on the right*

-7 Vote up Vote down

What · 622 weeks ago

Wait, so, because the employees are black, WMATA is a "Jobs Program?"

That's the only reason?

+5 Vote up Vote down

Dave Alturd · 622 weeks ago

Hi Dave Alpert!

+8 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 622 weeks ago

Please do not pretend you do not know what I was talking about. The post I was responding to talked about job criteria and diversity.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Dave Alturd · 622 weeks ago

By Nepotism you mean racism right?

How dare you! Another neo-con car driver.

*Visit my blog and remember to BIKE EVERYWHERE.

+14 Vote up Vote down

@JimLCunningham · 622 weeks ago

I don't go around calling people racist. I was guessing at the Nepotism part.

Frankly, I'm not sure what system makes them end up with 98% African American employees, but it must be fancy and complicated.

-9 Vote up Vote down

Sun · 622 weeks ago

The same system that has produced 98% European American Presidents in this country I reckon.

+7 Vote up Vote down

@JimLCunningham · 622 weeks ago

You may be right, but I hope you're wrong. Because that would be wrong, right?

-1 Vote up Vote down

Dave Alturd · 622 weeks ago

Sorry but you must be one of those poors that lives South and East of the rivers.

Clearly we dont care what you think. Metro is here for us, not the antis. We are here to change things and we are winning! Metro is important and it doesn't matter if it does the job on time or safely, it only matters that we HAVE public transport everyone.*

Your side, with your backward notions of conservative "efficiency" and "productivity" are going away!

*Please ignore the fact that I own a car.

-Visit my blog! Where discussions are open unless you disagree with me!

-2 Vote up Vote down

Sun · 622 weeks ago

Can you be more specific as to whom "Those Poors" are that you're referring to? Seem to be a very self righteous statement to me.

-4 Vote up Vote down

Dave Alturd · 622 weeks ago

I'm referring to the people who are living in South East. They are poorer than me. Since I have a trust fund I judge everyone who doesnt as an anti.

They should want more smart growth because it what I want and I'm richer than them!

Read my blog: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/

+2 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 622 weeks ago

According to AAA, you have poopy pants!

+2 Vote up Vote down

NoNo · 622 weeks ago

You are right on one thing: The big difference between Metro and the Civilian Conservation Corps is that, at Metro, the wages are NOT semi-decent.

+11 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 622 weeks ago

Well, I suppose if you are defining a jobs program as a living wage you would not include WMATA in that.

I have two degrees, used to have a top secret clearance, am a white collar worker, yada-yada-yada. I would *love* to have the 6-figure salaries that are often quoted for jobs that involve sitting down, sleeping somewhere I can not be found, and yelling at customers when asked to do my job.

-5 Vote up Vote down

Not Keynes · 622 weeks ago

Oh, god. More of that "spending creates prosperity" crap. Total nonsense. If it had any truth to it, you could pay all unemployed $100 an hour to dig ditches and immediately refill them. Duhhh. Only the market (consumers!) can efficiently and fairly determine what labor is needed!

+6 Vote up Vote down

Keynes · 622 weeks ago

LOL where'd you economics degree, GMU?

+4 Vote up Vote down

eed017 · 622 weeks ago

Oh boy. More of that austerity crap. Worked so well for Hoover and Greece as I recall.

+5 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 622 weeks ago

"She". I'm female. And it exists to put people who would otherwise be unemployable into jobs is what I mean.

-5 Vote up Vote down

What · 622 weeks ago

So, the entire 86 station, multi-billion dollar entity that is WMATA, constructed over several decades, moves 800,000 people a day, etc, exists entirely to put people who would otherwise be unemployable into jobs?

That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Dave Alturd · 622 weeks ago

Hi Dr. Gridlock!

-6 Vote up Vote down

What · 622 weeks ago

How's sitting in traffic?

+2 Vote up Vote down

BMK · 622 weeks ago

actually sadly I have timed in and even with 66/395 traffic most days driving from Ballston into Metro Center area or Dupont is quicker. It's pretty sad but Google's data confirms it.

-2 Vote up Vote down

Dave Alturd · 622 weeks ago

Much faster than taking Metro.

But you must be David Alpert because reality is hard for you to grasp.

+7 Vote up Vote down

@VeggieTart · 622 weeks ago

Maybe it was efficient before, with people hired for their abilities. That certainty isn't the case now. Perhaps I should say Metro has devolved into a jobs program.

+8 Vote up Vote down

karah 81p · 622 weeks ago

Ask yourself which it is more efficient at? That will pretty much answer what it does.

Metro does not do well at moving people around. At all.

Metro does do well at employing people who would be fired from anywhere else.

-6 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 622 weeks ago

Yeah, you must be new. You're supposed to read between the lines and realize we mean that the employees are black. DUH. Please don't make anyone come out and say it directly. We prefer to speak in code here. Here are some more Unsuck-Reader-Codes for your reference:

-Unruly youth on trains/in stations that are black are called 'thugs.' Unruly white youth are 'kids.'
-Add '-izzle' to a metro employee's name (Jeter is J-izzle in the comments section) to subtly remind people that someone is black in the most condescending way possible.
-Saying that an employee was 'unprofessional' means they used ebonics in your presence.
-Saying someone 'could have' committed a crime in a station (like a woman who spoke of clutching her purse when she saw a fare-jumper) means that there were black people around.
-Any mention of the dirty word 'union' is just a workaround of saying 'group of organized black people to be resented.'
-'I would love to work for WMATA but it's impossible to get a job if you're not black' should be read as 'As a white color Virginian, I would never apply for a job at WMATA but lots of black people have them, so that's not fair.'
-When we say that the green line is dangerous we mean that black people ride it.

PS - one time Jeter mentioned slavery and we like to bring that up in the comments section at least 3x, regardless of the post. Also 'reverse racism.' Say that a lot in your comments in the future, please.

0 Vote up Vote down

guest · 622 weeks ago

you got the FACTS right

+5 Vote up Vote down

Gridlock Doctor · 622 weeks ago

If you're confused you must believe in slavery - because if this was my railroad you'd be working the green route until you were lucky enoguh to maybe get out of south east.....

+14 Vote up Vote down

Tim · 622 weeks ago

If the choice is some people not catching their bus, or a building full of people losing their home because fire fighters couldn't get to a hydrant, I'll take the former no question.

+2 Vote up Vote down

Concerned · 622 weeks ago

I would love to see a city bus with a hose running through the broken out windows due to a fire. That would be classic

+29 Vote up Vote down

Bob Stevens · 622 weeks ago

In Arlington, call the Arlington Police/Fire Communications at 703-558-2222 and ask them to send the duty Fire Marshal or a police officer. That will take care of it.

1 reply · active 622 weeks ago

+6 Vote up Vote down

Brian (OP_ · 622 weeks ago

Thanks, programming this into my phone for next time

+33 Vote up Vote down

NoNo · 622 weeks ago

For the driver's defense, he just needed to park there a few minutes, time to go to the closest pharmacy to buy a new cellphone prepaid card, so he can text his girlfriend while driving...

1 reply · active 622 weeks ago

+16 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 622 weeks ago

Or maybe he saw McRuff on the sidewalk and he had to stop and take care of him.

+15 Vote up Vote down

Stan Dessel · 622 weeks ago

We're just keeping other people from blocked the fire hydrant. Another way Metro is focused on safety first! You're welcome.

+21 Vote up Vote down

Vienna Bound · 622 weeks ago

At the risk of sounding like an apologist for Metro, until Big Brother truly is watching everything and everyone, it's impossible for Sarles and his management team to babysit and monitor every infraction committed by Metro employees. It's incumbent upon riders like us to continue to call such concerns to their attention - and we do. I know it falls on deaf ears.

That said, there has to be some accountability and responsibility by bus drivers, train operators, kiosk employees. Certainly that can be trickled down from management who by all logic should lead by example.

It's extremely frustrating that example after example of ineptitude is cited here and elsewhere and yet it appears that Metro officials view these whistleblowings as annoyances rather than legitimate concerns of its customers.

Don't Metro bus drivers have to have a CDL? Rather than take a test to renew the CDL, perhaps a supervisor or DMV official could shadow the employee for some unannounced duration to visually evaluate whether or not to renew the CDL. Maybe additional annual training should be part of a performance review.

Bottom line is that management has to care and we've yet to see that.

1 reply · active 622 weeks ago

+13 Vote up Vote down

BradK · 622 weeks ago

This doesnt sound like metro apologist at all... It actually starts to call the root-cause of SNAFU's like this particular instance.

I am not sure why you got down-voted for this, as the TL;DR version is this:

I dont know why we bother complaining about miniscule things which are certainly valid when the root of the problem is that the people we complain to simply don't care.

This is a valid point, and unfortunately one without a solution of its own.

+6 Vote up Vote down

David Benson · 622 weeks ago

Metro should hire secret shoppers to ride the busses and monitor the rudeness shown by a lot of the new Metrobus drivers. Maybe if they think the person they're ready be rude to is Metro rudeness narc they'll stifle themselves.
Metrobus drivers used to be the nicest people in DC, but for the past 15 years or so there have been a lot of new hires who are arrogant assholes. The grammatically incorrect signs behind the drivers warning of enhanced penalties for attacking the driver probably wouldn't be necessary if Metro would simply quit hiring jerkoffs.

1 reply · active 622 weeks ago

+7 Vote up Vote down

Brian (OP_ · 622 weeks ago

No, they would not care since they know with ATU they won't get in trouble or if they do they will get rehired with backpay or promoted.

+8 Vote up Vote down

Brandon · 622 weeks ago

Vienna Bound - You're right in the Sarles and management can't personally oversee everything at all times, but the issue is that there's no fear of repercussions whatsoever among WMATA staff that being rude, not doing their jobs, sleeping, texting while driving, etc will amount to discipline. They don't have to catch every single person, but show some level of staff management and at least put a little doubt in their minds that they can get away with it. It was nice to see the picture of the guy texting lose his job, but it's so rare to get caught (and it's usually riders reporting it) that most WMATA employees don't think anything will ever happen to them. Because largely nothing will.

1 reply · active 622 weeks ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

Vienna Bound · 622 weeks ago

I totally agree with you about management reallty taking a zero tolerance for texting rail operators. I hope that it stands and that there isn't some obscure union provision that allows him to return.

We need more of this kind of action to 1) make the system safe, 2) restore some confidence of the ridership that management IS concerned and not just collecting a paycheck.

I like the idea of secret shoppers, but I feel like that is what we are all doing and reporting our findings to management (in a public forum) to deaf ears.

+4 Vote up Vote down

John S. · 622 weeks ago

I've seen pictures where fireman have smashed the windows of a hydrant-blocking car and put a hose through. Why can't they do the same to a bus?

1 reply · active 622 weeks ago

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Brian (OP_ · 622 weeks ago

I can show you a pic of this hydrant but the hookup is on an angle and about level with the engine compartment, not the windows. Wouldn't work here I believe but of course only ACFD could confirm that. Big signs in front of the hydrant say 'no parking, stopping or standing'

+2 Vote up Vote down

JimS · 622 weeks ago

Aren't WJLA/News Channel 8 studios a few miles away in Rosslyn? Perhaps call them next time you see this; they might want to do a story about Metrobus endangering the lives of citizens.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Kathryn-DC · 622 weeks ago

This photo reminds me -- remember to turn on the time/date stamp on your cameras when taking these photos. It can be annoying for regular photos, but for this type of evidence, very helpful.