More Perversion

From AB:

I'm writing to tell you about an incident that occurred this past Friday morning (7/8/11) on the Orange Line to Vienna around 8:30 a.m.

I boarded at New Carrollton and sat in one of the "sideways" seats next to an older gentleman. A younger, very small Hispanic girl (I'd say early-mid 20s) sat on the inside seat in the second row of forward facing seats across from where I was sitting. The car was semi-filled with almost a person in each row of seats with each person having an open seat next to them.

I can't recall exactly which stop (it had to have been Cheverly or Deanwood because we were still outdoors), but I noticed a very large African-American male board and make a bee-line for the open seat next to the girl I mentioned.

Something immediately felt "off" to me. There were plenty of other spots that would have been more comfortable. The guy was at least 6'4" and about 220-230lb. Big dude.

I began to subtly keep my eye on the situation. He had shorts on, really short shorts made of loose jersey net material. They were kind of strange.

As the train moved along, he started casually crowding the girl next to him, getting as close as possible. Then, I saw his hand, which was wrapped around his erect penis, which was hanging out of his shorts.

I couldn't believe my eyes. He had his newspaper folded in half to keep it covered but it was hardly covered at all, and I could see everything going on.

He was shifting his eyes around and would then turn his head to the girl with the most disgusting look on his face. He was starting to move his elbow closer to her as she kind of curled up in the corner as he played with himself right there in the seat.

As I said, this girl was tiny, and there was no way she was going to get around him. She had a terrified look on her face, and she was clearly on the verge of tears.

I can only guess why she didn't call out for help or scream or do something. She didn't seem to speak much English, and I guess she didn't know what to do. This all happened pretty quickly.

I was looking around to see if anyone could see.

I sat there for a second in shock trying to think what, if anything, I could do as he continued touching himself.

Then, the girl made eye contact with me, and that was it.

I jumped up and took a step in her direction and said something to the extent of "Do you want to get out of there? Do you want to come sit over in this seat? Let me help you over here."

She practically jumped at me, intensely nodding her head and saying "YES! YES!" She jumped into the forward facing seat next to me and said "thank you" several times.

Meanwhile, the pervert flipped out, cursing at me and insulting me over and over.

As he was screaming at me, I turned to her and asked if she was OK, and she said she was.

I was sure I was about to get pummeled by this dude. Although everyone's attention was now turned to the situation, I was positive he was going to at least take a swing at my face.

But he didn't do anything.

The second the train stopped and the doors opened, he jumped up and ran off the train. This makes me think he's a regular at doing this kind of thing and didn't want to draw additional attention to himself.

I need to mention that I was unaware of the emergency button in the back of each train that calls the operator. A friend told me about those this weekend. Had I known, I am not sure which choice I would have made, but that definitely would have been the safer one and is what I would recommend if anyone else finds themselves in such a potentially dangerous situation.

For whatever it's worth, the pervert had a few days of beard growth. He had a hat on and wore basketball shoes with white tube socks pulled a quarter way up his shin. He got on the Orange Line somewhere around Cheverly or Deanwood and jumped off around Capitol South or Eastern Market.

I think I will at least file a report with Metro police for the sake of making a record of the incident, but I doubt it will do much good.

Stay safe people.

Other items:
Major track work this weekend (WMATA)
Shake-up puts two new DC members on Metro Board (Examiner)
Clarendon Metro improvements (Arlington County)

Metro Implementing Electronic Elevator Status Alerts

Today, a new link to something called "ELstat" appeared on the Metro website.

According to the blurb:

ELstat, Metro's elevator status application, can notify you if elevators are in or out of service at any Metrorail stations you select for monitoring. In case you need an elevator to access or leave our system, these alerts can help you plan for your trip ahead of time, or adjust to changes in elevator status while you are in transit.

You may configure alerts to be sent only on specific days at set times (a "specific time" alert), or throughout a time span, as elevator statuses change (an "interval" alert).

After creating an account linked to your email, phone number or both, you can choose how you want to be notified.

If you choose to receive your alerts via text message, you'll have to familiarize yourself with this list of station abbreviations.

According to the FAQ, the system's accuracy appears to depend on Metro personnel entering an out of service elevator into the system. Let's hope it doesn't end up like this.

I created an alert, which seemed to work fine. Don't know if it's actually sending out alerts. Metro said they'd let me know.

The New Face of Metro Customer Service

From Patricia:

The other morning at Eastern Ave and Randolph St., NE, I waited for 75 minutes for the G8 to Farragut Square.

Two buses in a row didn't show. One broke down, the other simply vanished. The G8 often vanishes.

I called Metro to report it, as did others waiting there with me.

When a real, working bus finally showed up, people were very angry and taking it out on the poor driver.

One of the other passengers called Metro while we were on the bus, and the woman on the other end of the line accused him of lying because the system showed a bus came through 30 minutes earlier.

He handed his phone to other passengers so they could vouch for his story, and the Metro employee hung up after telling the man again that he was wrong.

One particularly outraged older lady was yelling to passengers as they got on, "Don't pay! You waited too long already! Don't give them any more money! This ain't no way to run Metro!"

Other items:
PEPCO and Metro, a winning team (Washington Times)

Were Standard Operating Procedures Followed During Rockville Bomb Scare?

In the wake of the confusion following June 13 bomb scare on the Red Line, I wanted to know Metro's standard operating procedures (SOP) for such a scenario.

I asked Metro several times to provide them, but Metro ignored all requests, so I got them another way.

Below is the official SOP for a bomb scare. It's from the 2003 "Metrorail Safety Rules and Procedures Handbook." The 2003 version is the official version.

There is a 2010 version of the book that remains in a draft form. The procedures in it seem to place more responsibility on the Metro Transit Police, saying, for example, that the chief of the MTPD is the only one who can order the closure of a station. The "checklist" is also longer. You can read the entire 2010 draft bomb scare SOP here. (page 1, 2, 3)

I'd be curious to see what people think of either the 2003 or 2010 versions and if you think they were followed at Rockville.

While the 2010 book is in a draft form, Metro printed and distributed thousands. Your money at work.

The 2010 draft book is pictured above.

SOP #14 BOMB THREATS
14.1
14.2 14.3
14.4
Employees receiving a call with a bomb threat should attempt to obtain as much information as the caller will divulge, including the following:
a. location of the bomb b. scheduled time of detonation c. description of the bomb d. type of bomb
The Bomb Threat Call Checklist should be used, if available, to document the threat.
Employees shall immediately report any bomb threat call that they receive to the Transit Police through OCC or by telephone on 962-2121.
The Transit Police will be responsible for the overall coordination of bomb related incidents and establish liaison with the office of SAFE, local police, Fire Department and military personnel responding to the scene.
The Chief of the Transit Police or their designee is responsible for determining if facilities are to be evacuated.
KNOWN LOCATION OF THE BOMB
14.5 When the bomb is reported on an identified train, OCC will instruct the Train Operator to proceed to the nearest station, unload the train of passengers and secure it with the doors open for inspection by police, fire or other authorized personnel.
14.6 OCC will instruct Train Operators approaching the station on the adjacent track to stop outside the station and await further instructions.
14.7 When the bomb is reported in an identified station and directions are given from command personnel to evacuate, the Station Manager shall make prescribed public address announcements instructing passengers to leave the station.
14.8 Depending on the reported bomb location in the station, OCC may order Train Operators approaching the station to stop. Train Operators already in the station will be permitted to continue out of the station in normal service.
14.9 When the bomb is reported on the right-of-way, OCC will order Train Operators on both tracks approaching the reported bomb location to stop their trains prior to reaching the affected area and await further instructions.
14.10
14.11
Employees discovering suspicious objects or packages will not touch, move or otherwise disturb the items pending examination and clearance by appropriate police, fire or military personnel.
Train Operators within or approaching a reported bomb location, and employees equipped with portable radios that are in the vicinity of discovered suspicious packages/objects, will discontinue all radio transmissions. If it becomes necessary to transmit by portable radio, a minimum distance of 150 feet must be maintained between the suspicious item and the radio transmitter.
LOCATION OF THE BOMB UNKNOWN
14.12
When a bomb threat is received and the location and time are not given, OCC will issue the following instructions:
a. Station Managers shall inspect stations for any unattended objects or packages.
b. Designated employees shall inspect all train cars arriving at terminals for unattended objects or packages.
c. Train Operators shall observe the right-of-way for unusual objects or packages.
d. Employees discovering suspicious objects or packages shall secure the immediate area around the item and notify the Transit Police (related to section SOP 14.10).
INSPECTION
14.13 Third rail power may be removed to permit qualified persons to inspect a reported bomb location. OCC will ensure that all non-affected trains have departed the area before removing third rail power.
OCC ACTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS
14.14 OCC will initiate operating procedures to ease train congestion by turning trains, initiating a single track operation or Metrobus shuttle service.
14.15 When a prolonged delay in service is anticipated, OCC may turn trains at both ends of the suspected area and initiate terminal adjustments to ease train congestion.
RESUMPTION OF NORMAL SERVICE
14.16
When the bomb is found or the threat is nullified by authorized personnel and it is determined that it is safe to operate, OCC will:
a. request a restoration of third rail power after all persons are in the clear and aware that power is to be restored.
b. restore normal train service and notify all concerned departments.

Other items:
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NY subway weekend ridership surges (NY Times)

Rider Hall of Shame: Leg Barber

Via @sarainthecity Guy cutting his leg hair with #scissors on the #metro. #unsuckdcmetro #wmata http://t.co/F1oQaXR

First there was arm barber and now ...

Complete Hall of Shame

"Sometimes when you stop them, they never start up again."

illustration via @learntofly3

From Michael:

This morning at Dupont, of the three main escalators on the north entrance/exit, only one was operational.

The operational one was carrying customers down from Q Street/20th.

The other two escalators were inoperable AND blocked off from foot traffic, so the only way out of the DuPont Station was via an elevator (30 minute wait) or the south exit, several blocks away and totally jammed.

Additionally, the station manager was repeatedly announcing the escalators were "not turned on" which implied you could walk up them, when in fact, this was not an option.

I was told by station manager that one up escalator was under scheduled maintenance, but the other broke down.

She also said they were afraid to stop the down one to allow it to serve as staircase, because "sometimes when you stop them, they never start up again."

She also said, "we wouldn't want to have another incident where the stair collapses."

Broken escalator=stairs, in many situations. At Metro, it apparently means possible deathtrap.

Early Details on Metro's New Cars

From C.H. Schmitt:

Metro is continuing to lay plans for its next generation of railcars – the 7000 series – and an early review shows planners seem to be getting some key things right.

Metro has been holding focus groups, and it recently briefed the WMATA Riders’ Advisory Council on plans for the new cars. According to Metro officials, the transit agency plans to bring 64 of the new cars into service by the end of 2013, with an initial option for another 64, followed by an option for 300 more to replace the first cars in the fleet, the 1000 series. After that, there could be even more, to expand the fleet.

Here’s a rundown on what they said about features important to riders:

Seats: First off, they’ll be transverse, like now, rather than bench-style, along the sides. But the best news: Not cloth! (Some will recall recent news reports on the disgusting crud that inhabits cloth seats.) The final design isn’t set yet, officials said. The goal is a polyurethane material that resembles leather, and which would have a more “foamy” feel while also not getting as warm. If that doesn’t prove to be possible, the fallback is vinyl, similar to today.

Flooring: Carpeting is gone. Replacing it will be a kind of industrial grade plastic/vinyl called “resilient” flooring, which officials say is easier to maintain and a lot cleaner.

Noise: Even without carpet to buffer sound, there will be no greater noise inside the car when trains hit higher speeds.

No audio ads: This is great news for many folks who feared being a captive audience. The new cars will have video screens, and thus perhaps video advertisements. But they will have no audio capability, so talking ads aren’t going to happen.

Color scheme: So far, there are two concepts. “Business Elegance” is bluish, which Metro officials say creates an illusion of being a bigger space. This scheme has a dark, blue-speckled floor with white walls, and otherwise is blue. “Subtle Signature” is more a mix of gray and blue tones. It has a dark, red-speckled floor with white walls, and otherwise is grayish-blue. There will be no brown or yellow.

Announcements: Will be recorded.

Air conditioning: Metro’s acting chief engineer promises it will be better. The big issue now is loss of Freon coolant through leakage in lines, he said. The new cars will have sealed lines and be roof-mounted, and should be more reliable.

Other: Lots of handholds. More stanchions to grab onto along the rows of seats. No defined arm-rests are planned. There is to be a V-shaped divide between two adjoining seatbacks to delineate the space for those who want space.

Needs changing: One design Metro showed off has half-height screens at the doors. But the screens are transparent. A Metro official said that’s because people like to look down through the length of the car, but that seems like a non-issue to me. More importantly, too much stuff gets squished up against the current screens, inches from a seated rider’s face. One can only imagine the visual if the screen is transparent. If you know what I mean.

(C.H. Schmitt is a member of the Riders’ Advisory Council.)

Other items:
Metro urged to buy fewer 7000-series cars (WaPo)
Gray backs above ground Dulles station (WaPo)

SmarTrip Pilot: Smooth Sailing So Far

click for larger

Looks like the pilot program to add value to your SmarTrip cards via computer is working well for the lucky few selected to take part.

From Mark:

Overall, it was very simple and quick. It seems to be well implemented. I could choose to store the [credit] card info or not (I opted not to save it.).

An interesting bit:

"Once you make your purchase online, the pass or stored value will not automatically be loaded to your card. You must touch your card to a rail fare gate, bus farebox, or Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) to load them. Please allow time for the instructions to be sent to the gates and fareboxes. It usually takes 1 business day for rail gates and Ticket Vending Machines to be updated and up to 2 business days for bus fareboxes. You need to touch your card to the gates, TVM or fareboxes within 30 days or your purchase will expire."

So, it looks like you need to plan ahead a day or two.

From Stephanie:

OK, I just gave it a shot, just to try it, and it appears to work.

You log in and have a shopping cart, to which you can add value. You can add $10-$200. You can also add up to two regional 7-day passes at a time (it looks like there may be other options at some point, but this is the only one I can see now. FAQ claims you can buy 10-ride passes, but I don't see that option right now)

You enter the amount to add, your credit card info, and submit the order (you can choose to save the credit card info, but do not have to). You also get these instructions:

"Once you make your purchase online, the pass or stored value will not automatically be loaded to your card. You must touch your card to a rail fare gate, bus farebox, or Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) to load them. Please allow time for the instructions to be sent to the gates and fareboxes. It usually takes 1 business day for rail gates and Ticket Vending Machines to be updated and up to 2 business days for bus fareboxes. You need to touch your card to the gates, TVM or fareboxes within 30 days or your purchase will expire."

Metro Cops Avoid Stations because of Poor Radios

Metro Transit Police Department sources, including officers, tell Unsuck DC Metro that Metro cops often avoid certain stations because the poor quality of radio reception makes it difficult or impossible to call for backup in event something bad were to happen.

The sources said the situation puts riders, Metro employees and transit cops at risk but has been ignored by Metro management.

One officer said the radios have poor reception "throughout most of the system, even in the open."

"In many stations like L'Enfant, Metro Center, Anacostia--all the main and bad stations--the radios sometimes don't work at all! I am comfortable saying 80 percent of the area we cover has terrible radio service!"

Another officer confirmed the problem, adding that the reception varied like cell phones sometimes do. It could work fine one place for one moment and then suddenly lose coverage, they said.

"We've brought this to Metro's attention, but they have yet to do anything," the officer said in an email. "With these radios, I'm reluctant to get into a situation where I can't communicate with my fellow officers to ask for backup."

The source said this was a common practice among many officers and a source or tremendous frustration in the department.

A source intimately familiar with the Metro Transit Police Department's operations said the following in an email:

The radio system is so dangerous, and MTPD's top people know it, and most of them would admit privately that it worries them. But politics is reality, and Metro cannot admit officially that it spent a lot of money on this radio system, and it does not work. I'm not trying to be over-dramatic, but this could get someone killed. Maybe an officer, maybe another employee or a patron.

Other items:
Metro falls short of lowered goals (Examiner)
Metrobus to the rescue? (WTOP)

Metro Molester Convicted, Sentenced

Dear Unsuck,

Earlier this year, I sent you a description of the man who repeatedly rubbed his groin against me and other women, and you posted that description online. A WMATA transit police officer read the description and was able to catch the offender red-handed. He was arrested, and subsequently charged with assault in both incidents.

I can happily report that as of last Thursday, the offender has plead guilty to both charges, and now has two convictions on his record. For his crimes, he’s received a year of supervised probation, with 12 months of a suspended sentence (six months for each incident). He has also been banned from the Pentagon Metro Station for one year and will have to undergo both a mental health evaluation and a sex offender evaluation.

The WMATA detective I worked with during my case told me that there has been in increase in reporting these kinds of crimes since you published my account, and they’ve even caught one additional repeat offender. I am glad people are reporting this behavior. No one should be subjected to these kinds of assaults. I hope that the positive outcomes of my case will encourage Metro riders to continue to report crimes. The more often someone is reported, the more likely they are to be caught, especially if there is a clear pattern that develops through the different reports.

One thing that I would encourage people to do is to take a detailed description of the offender. Take pictures if you can, but look for things that set that person apart from anyone else and things that are likely not to change overnight. Complexion, tattoos, moles, hair color and cut, facial hair, glasses, eye shape, height, weight, build, things like that. Clothing helps, but it is likely that clothes will change the next day. Honestly, I got lucky that the man who assaulted me had a penchant for neon-hued track suits. Be as specific as you can, because every little detail will help the transit police to track the person down. Also, pre-program the WMATA transit police number in your phone- that way you won’t have to hunt for it in the moment; it’s 202-962-2121.

I hope that you will include an enormous collective thank you to the WMATA investigator and detective that worked my case. They went way above the call of duty in reading this blog on personal time and taking the initiative to act on the description, showing enormous compassion while taking my report and doing the photo lineup, and then following up with me and offering support during the entire criminal process. They are tremendous assets to the Metro community, and it is good to know that such dedicated people are out there working to make our transit system safer.

Sincerely,
Allie

Other items:
Repairs cause delays (Examiner)
Metro board awaits McDonnell appointment (WaPo)