Metro's Be Nice Campaign Lost on Many

Recently, Metro launched a courtesy campaign ostensibly to teach unthoughtful, insensitive and rude passengers to give up their seats to people who need them.
We suppose, as one reader pointed out, it doesn't hurt for Metro to try, but we think people who are, let's face it, assholes, are so for reasons too deep rooted for a Metro PSA campaign to reach.
Exhibit A: this story from Chad. It's a pretty amazing display of callousness. If you think riding the Metro sucks, imagine what it must be like in a wheelchair with these kinds of fellow passengers.

We had a Red Line train go out of service the other morning at Rhode Island/Brentwood. Of course, we all had to unload (in the rain) and wait for the next train. When the next train arrived, there was the usual crush to try and cram on. There was a guy in a wheelchair that NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON gave way to. I witnessed people actually step in from of this guy as they vied for their prime spot/seat.

Sadly, as I disembarked at Gallery Place/Chinatown the same situation was replaying itself on the platform, this time with a different wheel chaired patron attempting to board the train I had just gotten off. Another swarm of jerks.

When I got down to the Yellow Line platform headed for the Pentagon, the same guy who I had witnessed getting blocked at Rhode Island earlier was about to have the same thing happen to him again! It was enough for me, and I stepped in front of the rushing people, blocking them from the door until this poor guy was able to get on.

Related posts:
More on bad behavior
A more encouraging tale
Bad Habits on display for all to see, including dipping and clipping
Japanese courtesy campaign (see here for complete collection)

Other news:
Doors opening too soon. (WaPo)
Our earlier take on this issue
Better bike/walk access (DC Examiner)
Getting rid of 20-minute waits? (GGW)

Unthinking, Insensitive Doors Boot Passengers from Priority Seating

Metro's new courtesy campaign encourages you to give up your seat for someone who needs it. The flip side is that Metro's frequent door issues all too often take that seat right back and then put a disabled or injured passenger through an obstacle course even the most able bodied find difficult to traverse.
From Blue Line rider Addison H.:
I was traveling on the Blue line toward Franconia-Springfield this morning when my train experienced severe door failure. We pulled into National Airport station and then pulled away without discharging any of the tourists and travelers who were patiently waiting by the doors, suitcases in hand, no doubt ready to catch a flight.
This prompted a flurry of curses in German and a frantic cell phone call from the nice couple standing next to me. I originally thought we missed the station, but when we pulled into Braddock Road, the operator came over the intercom and asked "if the doors of car #3085 do not open, please let me know." I looked back: Yup, I was in car #3085.
Deep sigh.
Luckily, for the airport crowd, the doors opened at Braddock Road, and they were able to disembark but no doubt gifted some additional stress about whether they'd make their flights.
King Street however, was a different story. We pulled into the station, but again the doors didn't open. The chimes and disembodied voice worked, but the doors remained shut fast. People rushed for the emergency intercoms at both ends of the train.
The operator tried to cycle the doors, then came into the car and tried the emergency door opener, but to no avail. Finally, he led the occupants of the car through the emergency exit and onto the platform via the car in front of 3085.
Thanks Metro!
For those of you who aren't aware or haven't had the pleasure of escaping from a Metro car, the emergency doors are located at either end of a train car. They open and you walk across the coupling between the cars into the car ahead of or behind the stricken car. Looking down you can see the gravel and rails. I would not want to attempt this on a moving train.
This maneuver would be extremely difficult for a handicapped person, someone on crutches or someone with a service animal.

Japanese Subway Behavior Modification

Now that Metro is ramping up a "courtesy campaign," we thought it'd be interesting to see what other subways have done to curb sociopathic tendencies.
Last year, the Tokyo subway system began a long series of campaigns to improve rider behavior, with everything from seat hogging, passing out drunk and pretending to golf with your umbrella targeted.
We don't know how effective these kinds of things are, but the Tokyo posters are, at the very least, pretty funny. Poor guy with the weird eyes!
Our fave is December. That actually happens A LOT over there.
Haven't yet decided if the WMATA Metro pixie is funny or not. Leaning more toward that strange feeling between weird and sad.
View a nice collection of the Japanese posters here.