Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Car Pushed Into Anacostia River By Train
Devendra Banhart @ 9:30 Club
Via WTOP's Adam Tuss, looks like Metro General Manager John Catoe is worrying about more than just budget shortfalls. Catoe says he's about to launch a new initiative to crack down on eating, drinking and chewing gum on Metro trains.
"I have noticed (myself) and have received calls and letters that there has been an increase," says Metro General Manager John Catoe. "We are going to have a focused campaign from the standpoint of signs, from the standpoint of transit police notifying people and then citing people."Based on this photo from last April, captured on a camera phone by Flickr user iwantamonkey, Catoe would do well to remind his own employees of the rules before directing them to zealously enforce them for riders. Because we all remember how well imprisoning people for discretely chewing a candy bar in a station goes over with the general public.
Photo by iwantamonkey
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Seriously. Start with your own, Metro.
I have seen numerous Metro employees literally lay out a McDonald's buffet for themselves at some metro stops.
Good. So often I'm stuck on a bus or train in which someone decides they can't wait and they just have to eat their smelly-ass McDonalds or fried fish in that confined space. I know I love to smell like I just worked a shift behind the deep fryer.
I drank my coffee on the bus the other day. Come and git me, WMATA!
I think they just want to raise money through fines to pay off that insane electric bill of theirs.
I don't see anything wrong with carrying a drink as long as you are not actually drinking out of it. I can't tell if this guy is or not.
Reminds of times I see cops driving around talking on their mobile phones.
I don't think carrying a drink is against the rules either, and I certainly don't see it as a problem. Not to parse things too finely, but it just signs usually just say "no drinking" and "no eating."
But I've seen more than my fair share of people scarfing down Big Macs, etc. on trains.
But they're still cool with the backseat fellatio, right?
Wait, so you can't even chew gum on the metro? Are mints okay?
Sommer, thanks for linking to one of the very first DCist posts from July 2004, when we were in secret beta mode. The image, which if I remember correctly is from a Japanese children's art website, is priceless. Ahhh, the memories of the early days.
Now if only they could crack down on eating on Metrobuses.
When I first moved to DC, I saw so many people eating their nasty-ass fast food on the the bus that I thought Metro had a special partnership with McBurgerHut.
Wait a sec. I did not think that carrying a drink or food was illegal, nor did I think that chewing gum was illegal either.
You don't see how having a drink on the metro is a problem? It isn't really the eating (well, the smell is part of it) or drinking that is the problem. It is the potential to make a mess. So you may think you are being careful and you may not be drinking it, but it is only one quick stop away and you've made a mess.
I too am surprised about the chewing gum rule.
What about people who take metro to a grocery store? Are they allowed to carry their groceries home on the metro?
I think the biggest problem with the eating on the metro is the litter so many people leave behind. I can't stand seeing half-empty fountain drink cups and candy wrappers strewn all over the benches (especially with a trash can 2 feet away) or other trash stuffed between seats on the train.
Never mind the newspaper litter problem. I've actually had people throw their newspapers at me as they're leaving the train, as if someone with an open seat next to them is automatically a human trash can!
We need to keep in mind WHY the food is prohibited. While plenty of people are considerate with their trash, there are far too many people on the metro who are inconsiderate pigs. It's f****ing disgusting and it makes me want to shank someone.
That being said, while metro employees definitely need to observe the rules, I doubt the man in the picture left the empty cup as a "present" for the next person coming to sit there, or tossed the cup onto the platform as he left the train.
Monkey: only in the last car.
YES, BUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO "FRENCH FRY GIRRRLFREN'" ????
I'd like to see them fine someone drinking bottled water. What kind of mess would that cause?
I agree. Gum, while messy when disposed of in various places is not a good one to enforce! Let's flashback to my 12 years of Catholic School where gum earned you a detention! Ugh!
Suggestions:
chewing gum in your mouth - yes;
chewing gum wrapped around your finger - no; bottled water -yes;
reuseable water bottles (with cap such that won't spill) - yes;
any other container that is not reusable (i.e. won't become trash) or that may cause a spill - no.
If metro could assure us escalators and elevators are working at all stops, then maybe then can do an outright ban on all food and drink. Until then...
Once, I was horrified to see what I thought was a man masturbating on a green line train. Fortunately, it turned out he was just peeing.
The worst ones are the neecies who spit sunflower seeds all over the place. Then they look at you, like you have an attitude or something. Whatchoo lookin' at?!
With all of the concern about food, drinks and gum how about people that clip their nails on the metro? That's just nasty and there should be a rule forbidding that practice. Shoot.
I can handle the peeing and masturbating on the Metro. Hell, the occasional Green Line fellatio helps break up the monotony.
But the guy in the brown suit who gets on at Twinbrook and clips his TOENAILS has got to go.
To hell.
Anyone know where the statute/regulation is that bans eating on the metro? From what I understand, it is only forbidden to eat or drink on the metro, not to carry food. Otherwise you couldn't go grocery shopping and use public transportation, which is clearly not the case.
and in sept 2005 remember the train that broke because the operator spilled coffee on the controls? that was talent.
You can carry drinks and food on the metro, you just can't drink or eat them.
I actually saw a woman today carrying a large iced coffee in a pint glass from her kitchen on the Ride-On bus. All of the rest of us were watching in fascination, convinced that she was going to spill the nearly full glass all over herself. When we got to the Metro stop, she walked right into the station still drinking from her glass, and when a Metro employee approached her about she looked completely astonished. She must have claimed she didn't know about the policy, because she accepted her "warning" and then continued on up to the platform before slowly and patiently finishing her drink.
People need to shape up (no beverage is good enough to be worth a $300 fine), but the Metro staff need to actually enforce the policy a little more rigorously. I'm not saying that everyone gets a ticket on a first offense, but if a Metro staffer "pulls someone over" for eating or drinking, that person need to get rid of or finish the item before you let them mosey along.
http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/railrules.cfm
Near as I can tell these are the rules. Just says you can't eat, drink, smoke or litter in the Metrorail system.
I'm pretty sure you're OK to carry groceries. I've done it. Never heard of anyone getting busted for it. Not sure why some people on here are making an issue of it.
I'm all for it. Ticket, arrest, whatever. Why should I have to risk you spilling your crap all over me just because you couldn't wait five minutes to eat? Not to mention the trash and rodent issue.
Last summer, some tourist kid dumped her Hawaiian Punch all over my skirt. Thank God I had a Tide Pen in my bag. The worst part? Her parents didn't even apologize or make her apologize. They thought it was funny.
I can think of a better use for that Tide Pen.
"Last summer, some tourist kid dumped her Hawaiian Punch all over my skirt. Thank God I had a Tide Pen in my bag. The worst part? Her parents didn't even apologize or make her apologize. They thought it was funny."
I hate stupid tourist. Entitlement mentality and just plan inconsiderate behavior should get you killed.
As for the policy, I'm for it. I have seen many a seat that have had trash/food/or G_D knows what on it which prevented me from sitting on a METRO ride.
Funny, on the Tube in London they don't care if you eat or even if you drink alcohol. And their trains have a lot less trash than DC.
I remember riding the Tube outside Ealing, surrounded by chavs swigging Boddingtons, expecting at any moment for them to start acting like loudmouthed yobbos. Instead, they just quietly drank their drinks and when we got to the station, they threw their empties in the trashcan.
Even their louts have better manners than ours.
sunflower seeds are the worst!!!!
According to this website, a passenger in Virginia has an absolute right to eat or drink on the subway. Apparently Metro never got the "no coffee rule" approved by Virginia legislature, which is a Virginia constitutional requirement:
- Virginia citizens 1
- Metro 0
As that web article states, Virginia's stations have more than enough space for coffee kiosks, which would go a long way to addressing the "budget shortfalls" Mr. Catoe describes.But since someone else taxpayers pays for budget shortfalls, this isn't Metro's problem!
He's wrong on both counts! First off, the eating and drinking "rule" only applies to DC (and maybe Maryland, although their enabling legislation was repealed 1998.
According to this website, a passenger in Virginia has an absolute right to eat or drink on the subway. Apparently Metro never got the "no coffee rule" approved by Virginia legislature, which is a Virginia constitutional requirement:
* Virginia citizens 1
* Metro 0
As that web article states, Virginia's stations have more than enough space for coffee kiosks, which would go a long way to addressing the "budget shortfalls" Mr. Catoe describes.
None of this information is accurate.
Look at the County code of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince Georges, Montgomery, as well as the city code of Alexandria and the District of columbia. In each jurisdiction you will find public ordinance or public conduct laws that have been passed at the local level prohibiting various behavior, including eating or drinking while on metro facilities or on a metro conveyance.
All of these charges are criminal, meaning that you will have a misdemeanor violation on your record if you eat or drink on the metro system and are charged by a transit police officer.
The web article explains it.
The Virginia county codes are totally invalid. (Maryland also withdrew its state enablement statute in '99, but the effect of that is unclear.) Incidentally, Alexandria City is the equivalent of a county in Virginia.