Last year, we saw a 23 percent reduction in HVAC issues across our fleet, but we are not resting on that success.Sounds good right?
OK Metro. You've raised my fares and taken away my Blue Line with a lie about Rush+. You've made me late again and again with every day, multiple offloads, and I've probably sweat 20 pounds off this month alone in your broken hot cars.As a footnote, in 2004, Metro did partner with ING bank to offer for something appearing like a customer appreciation day by offering free rides. The funny part is ING paid the fares and Metro, well here's what they said:
You've left riders to fend for themselves when a train broke down, you've derailed, and your computers caused the whole system to stop two times. The brakes fall off, and if they don't, they smell like rotten fish, and you've tried to sneak by increased headways under the guise of helping the riders.
All of this you've done this summer alone!
All the while, you keep painting a rosy picture of how things are improving.
They're not, but you win.
I have no other choice but to take you to work. I'm stuck with you.
But I have a request. How about showing just a little customer appreciation?
I did some looking around on the web, and a lot of transit agencies do customer appreciation days, usually offering free rides for a day, partnering with a business to give away prizes people actually want or, at the very least having senior staff come meet and greet customers on the rails.
As far as I can tell you show absolutely no appreciation for the people who pay your salaries. You know only deflect and evade. Even your "improved" twitter has a lot of attitude.
Here's my idea. How about a Richard Sarles dunk tank? It'd show he is a good sport, that he was on our side, that he could take a joke, and man, it'd be a relief to hit that cool water in a hot station.
I'd even pay to have a shot and dunking him, and who knows, It might even energize the old guy.
Of course, I don't think he'd really do that but come on, Metro. Throw us a bone! Show us you care just a teeny weeny bit.
Every day, I feel like I'm handing over my money to a bunch of crooks who are laughing at me.
"It has been a pleasure for us to work with ING DIRECT as promotional partners," said Metro General Manager and CEO Richard White. "This promotion is a win-win for Metro and its customers as well as for ING DIRECT. Metro is delighted to have the opportunity to give this little thank you gift to our regular customers for their loyalty to our Metro system. It’s one way for Metro to show our faithful riders that we value their business, and we hope they" ll continue to rely on Metro."So very Metro. They got all their money yet claimed they gave something back to the riders.
"code 34" is in effect on @wmata right now. Entire system is at a standstill... does anyone know what a code 34 means? @unsuckdcmetro
— Ohmygoshi (@Ohmygoshi) July 15, 2012
I saw the story about the couple who got married on Metro. I can't see myself ever getting married on Metro. Divorced, maybe, but not married.Other items:
Actually, I think there are probably a lot of "missed connections" on Metro. I wonder if that has anything to do with the overall levels of stress and anger.
This might sound a little corny, but I wanted to share a Metro/non-Metro story.
I used to take Metro every day to work. It was miserable even though I only went a few stops down the Red Line.
Finally, it got so bad that I gave up and started walking to work. I'd say on average, the walk takes me about the same amount of time the Metro did.
But this also takes into account a little treat I gave to myself for walking: a stop for a cup of coffee (to go).
One day, while I was waiting for my coffee, I noticed a very attractive woman. We exchanged smiles, but that was about it.
Right there, that's more than I think we would have exchanged on the depressing Metro. There, it probably would have been a glare, if anything at all. Everyone is so zoned out or downright unhappy.
Anyway, I ran into her again a few weeks later, and struck up a conversation.
I'm happy to say that one thing led to another, and now we're engaged.
I know there are a lot of variables at play here, but my choosing to not take Metro is definitely one of them.
So, Metro. Thanks for sucking so bad. Leaving you in the rear view mirror saved me a lot of money and changed my life for the better.
At approximately 4:15 p.m. on July 4, my friends and I returned to Huntington after the Nats game. We got up to the vehicle when my friend B, realized that his phone was missing.
The train was still in the station, so he ran down the escalator and back to the car we were in. He returned without his call phone.
We went home to track his phone using the "Find My iPhone" GPS tracking software online. It told us that it was still at Huntington, so B and another friend, K, went back to the station to find it.
B spoke to one attendant, and another remained in the booth. He asked if anyone had reported a missing, white iPhone 4S. He said, "No."
So, B called me using my fiance's phone (that he borrowed) and asked us to refresh the "Find My iPhone" link. This time it said it was in Eisenhower station. So, B asked the attendant how we could get to the Eisenhower station where they take the trains out of service.
I was on the phone with him the entire time and could hear the conversation.
Well, [at the same time] B's cell phone received a text message. His text message tone is the very distinct "Go, Go, Power Rangers" tune.
He heard it and immediately knew his phone was in the pocket of the attendant who had been in the booth, and now was standing and talking to them.
I heard B say: "That's my phone." And, the attendant say: "Take your hands off me" after K had reached for it.
The attendant gave him some b.s. about how he usually likes to hold lost phones for a week to see if anyone claims it, even though he heard B looking for his phone.
If his ringtone hadn't gone off, B would NEVER have gotten his phone back.
Happy 4th of July from WMATA to a Navy veteran. How horrible!
I've left my wallet in a grocery store and had my wallet and all of its contents returned to me the NEXT day. My friend left his phone on the Metro for LITERALLY moments, and it was taken without the intent to return it.
I think this week's Board document is there to set the stage for service reductions necessary as cars are taken from other lines and put on the Silver Line.Hopefully someone form the Board will ask some good questions to shed light on this potentially troubling issue.
We single out Pepco not only because of its sluggish response after the recent storm — and its inexcusably spotty communications — but also because of its woeful record in maintaining and restoring service following earlier storms.Maryland State Sen. James C. Rosapepe blasted Pepco, saying:
It's no longer an excuse for the utilities to say that we are shocked, shocked, shocked that the wind blew hard, or that it rained a lot or that it snowed for three days. It's unpredictable what weather event will take place on what day, but it is more predictable that we will continue to have them.Sounds like the Post and Rosapepe could have been talking about another, failing and completely reactive, organization we all know too well.
I know that sometimes a power line is going to fail, or Metro riders are going to be stranded for a while, and that most people are working very hard to make sure that people get where they're going on time.Here are @nataliedell's tweets from the scene:
Most of the riders on my car had a good attitude about the inconvenience on Tuesday, and only a few seemed irate. I looked at it as an adventure and a story I'd be able to tell my friends.
The thing that burns me up is that the story that's being put out there isn't true, and that riders (who were charged at the Metro fare gates when we finally got out) are being blamed for part of the inconvenience.
The Washington Post story implies that the rescue train was shut down deliberately because people started getting off the train and walking on the tracks, but that's not what actually happened.
Rather, people started leaving the train and walking on the tracks AFTER the rescue train lost power and after the conductor told us we could leave. There was very poor communication from Metro - only three or so announcements in the 30 or so minutes that we waited on the train. I was tweeting and following #wmata on Twitter during that time, and the only way I learned that the rescue train had failed was from other folks on Twitter.
Here's what I posted in the comments on today's Washington Post story - many other commentators on the train that day tell a similar story:
I was on the train about mid-way back, and had to learn via Twitter rather than from the conductor, that the rescue train had also lost power. Lost power - not had it shut off.
There was very, very little communication coming from the conductor at all during those hot 30 or so minutes.
The conductor eventually told us that we could leave "if we wanted to" because the third rail had no power, not the opposite way around, as WMATA is claiming in the article.
February 21, 2012
June 9, 2010
Posts
All Comments
Oct. 11, 2012
March 4, 2010
.svg){kind=link}