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There had been some speculation about whether Jeanice McMillan, the Metro operator who lost her life in Monday's Red Line crash, had been using her cell phone at the time of the collision, but Metro says she wasn't, WTOP reports. "We know where her cell phone was -- it was not on her. It was in a backpack," Metro General Manager John Catoe said. Investigators have also reportedly found evidence on the rails at the crash site that the brakes were activated several hundred feet before impact.
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We went to the Macy's at 12th & G this morning for the Black Friday morning specials. There was a sh
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So far it sounds like she did everything she was supposed to do. Hate to think she may have died because Metro couldn't get off their collective arses and get rid of the series 1000 cars, keep things maintained and generally not run a transit system held together with spit and bailing wire.
Agreed. I really thought Metro would try to "throw her under the bus" but so far there is nothing other than he dedication to her job that can be discussed.
It's highly unlikely that she would have survived if it was a 5000 or 6000. The main culprit at this time appears to be the track circuit.
The accident could have been even worse without the 1000 car in front. Imagine a car with a steel frame and no bumper -- the force would all be transferred to the occupant who would fly forward with much more force. Modern cars are designed to crush on impact to reduce the blow in the passenger cabin. The 1000 car, by crumpling, may have saved dozens of other lives elsewhere on the train.
This is just speculation of course but the idea of a metro train that is designed NOT to crumple in any way seems to be robbing Peter to pay Paul. The result in a serious crash would be different, but would it be better? Why can't there be an unoccupied compartment at the ends of trains (maybe not as big as a whole car) that's designed to absorb impact in a collision?
The NTSB said in 2006 that the newer cars are less lethal in crashes. Period.
Also, I don't want to get into a physics argument here, but in this instance a sturdier car may well have pushed the train in front of it, rather than crumbling to 1/3 its size.
All transit systems in the United States operate at a pittance because Americans who don't ride public transit don't see the common good and therefore don't think they should pay a nickel for it. Their elected officials, a short-term-thinking, self-serving lot, follow step. In Chicago we have cars that are over 30 years old and not accessible to people with disabilities. Some of our stations are also inaccessible and are nearly 100 years old. All of our trains are still manually operated at all times. Every year, fare hikes and service cuts are a recurring possibility. And we're the third largest city in America, with the second-largest system.
This issue isn't as simple as blaming WMATA. It's more about blaming ourselves, and getting Americans to change the way they think. Our country was founded on great lofty ideals, but when I see the way Americans really treat each other (online, on TV, on the sidewalk, on the street), I've sadly concluded we're a bunch of self-absorbed, greedy, ignorant, blameless assholes.
it's humbling to know she wasn't being negligent in the most common way people are these days. after seeing the wreckage on the front of the paper this morning this is a bit of a relief to hear.
May she rest in peace.
It's tragic to think that when this all shakes out it'll be the fault of a computer or circuit and the driver, who loved her job and passengers, died doing everything correctly and saw it all helplessly happening.
How many people really love their jobs and the people they interact with that much? I wish I did. It's been a sad week for the DC area community, it makes me even more sad to think about it as the details emerge.
Metro's recent comments appear to suggest that a single sensor or circuit could be to blame for this crash. If that's the case, they need to seriously rethink the design of their safety systems and add some redundancy.
it costs $3 million to replace one train car. where is metro supposed to get the money to replace all of the old cars without the funding?