Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Car Pushed Into Anacostia River By Train
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Devendra Banhart @ 9:30 Club
First out of the gate to grandstand over the recent news that a Metro operator was suspended without pay for five days after being caught on video sending a text message while driving a Blue Line train: Kwame Brown (D-At large)! "I am shocked that an operator would be callous enough to risk the safety of passengers by texting on a cell phone," Brown said in a statement today. "Metro didn’t go far enough in the disciplinary action against the individual. The operator should be fired and anyone caught in the future should face the same consequences." Brown is a member of the D.C. Council's Committee on Public Works and Transportation, which has oversight over WMATA.
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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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I think he's in the right to call for the operator to be fired, however - lets not ignore that this is merely public evidence of something all of us metro riders have suspected all along - that metro is driven by people who probably don't give a crap about how many people are on board and what the consequences are if they're distracted. It's hardly a problem with metro - there are apathetic workers everywhere. But metro workers, in particular, like pilots and taxi drivers, hold lives in their vehicles. This is hardly the same as the guy in the next cubicle over doing the daily crossword instead of work.
I know this particular worker is going to be made an example, but there's a larger problem here - distraction and metro workers who don't care, don't think anything could happen to them (and now THEY'RE afraid to be on a metro train?) and metro workers who really do care, follow the rules, and are being lumped in with their apathetic peers.
I'll say what we all think/know. That DC city jobs (or any municipal-based service, transit included) are the domain of of under-skilled black residents. Seriously now- the city is 55% black but I don't think I've ever seen a non-black working a municipal job.
I think you're comments have some truth behind them, however unpopular that truth may be. And I do agree that this operator needs to be terminated...
However, I think that if what you say is truly the case here, then we must ask WHY the workforce is so under-skilled. Is it possible that the few whites who are at the top simply don't care enough about the "poor block folk" working under them to give them proper training, pay, and motivation to learn the skills? There is no reason other than political and socio-economic trends that prevents a person of one race from learning a task and demonstrating the same proficiency at that task that a person from any other race is capable of. Not to mention that there ARE a lot of very skilled people working for Metro who don’t get the recognition they deserve because the media and public only focus on the bad ones. I probably send as many compliments in on Metro employees / service as often as I do complaints... you have to look at these things objectively and with unbiased eyes! We know that some of these operators are texting while at the helm; I’ve heard their phones make noise in the background of announcements they make on the intercom many times--but there are some operators that could be tapped to train others and serve as examples. There is one operator, a woman, who operates on the yellow line during weekday morning/afternoon hours. I have sent in several commendations for her because she speaks clearly and loudly, announces stops consistently and with accurate information about each one, and she is understandable because she cares enough to enunciate!
Why aren’t these good employees coaching the crappy ones who don’t care!? Is WMATA management giving these “under-skilled blacks” the tools they need to succeed? For that matter, is the fact that there aren’t more whites working for DC Government a sign of a larger problem? Why don’t whites want to work for WMATA? Perhaps the conditions of working there are so poor that only blacks are willing and able to endure them (unlike us pussy whites who run at the first sign of job stress).
If you’re not paid well, and not appreciated; it’s only natural to give that much output on your job. Nobody works for peanuts people! Perhaps Metro needs to do a better job of publicly recognizing it’s talented employees who actually do enjoy their jobs--and they are out there!
In the meantime, I think that DC Government in general needs a SERIOUS shake down; from top to bottom, stern to stem! There is no reason that such gross incompetence (due largely to the above mentioned lack of training, support, and motivation) should be running amuck in the public service--and the blame is equal all the way around--but starts with the upper management!
oops...meant to reply to the OP
The very first that that I thought after the recent Red Line crash was that the operator was texting. How else can you explain why she didn't pull the emergency break when the other train was in view?
I hate people.
As everyone (except you, apparently) knows, the NTSB investigation found evidence that Ms. McMillan did in fact pull the emergency brake. Your knee-jerk assumption was wrong.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/26/dc.train.driver/
...and that her cell phone was found in her backpack at the time of the crash.
Read the facts before posting something quite this careless... the NTSB proved that the operator did break but that the brakes would not have been sufficient at any point leading up to this collision. Plus, as stated, her phone was in her backpack locked up her locker and was discovered there long after the accident and her death...
i couldn't agree more, kwame brown. i'm glad someone has stepped up to force metro to take safety seriously.
Kwame, without a doubt, texted his statement while driving to work this morning.
"Grandstand"? How many more people need to die on metro before you take this seriously?
Everyone calm the frick down. There's absolutely no tie in between this situation and the cause of the Red Line crash. At least so far. So any argument that the crash highlights the need for the operators to follow the rules is misplaced - the red line operator in the crash apparently did and this blue line dude didn't. Ergo, Yar and Baracus are flat out wrong.
However, if the overall gist of Kwah-meh's message, and the commentarants, is that Metro should generally be focused on safety at a time like this - whether it be fixing malfunctioning switches or staying on top of errant operators, then it is well put.
And Wizzy, I miss your flaming lips...
Aaaaaaaaccckkk!! Seems that Loretta Swit and I will never be taken seriously in a room full of men. Pucker up!
Texting didn't play a role in the red line crash. But it did play a role in the Metrolink crash that killed 23 people in California.
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0152835520081002
Ergo your stupidity has officially become hazardous to the safety of yourself and others.
Wow, you're relying on an event that occurred over a year ago across the country to justify your comment that people are dying on "metro", which last time I checked was here in D.C., and grandstanding doesn't help. Focus on the topic at hand - what's going on on Metro - and when you get caught, don't weasel by saying 'but it happened in California.' Just say yeah, OK, and then go ahead and point out a parallel situation that you failed to mention before, but might actually support a more general thought. It just cheapens your argument.
Who's going to stand up and call for Jim Graham to be recalled for parking illegally?
Council members are allowed by law to park anywhere they want within the city. This is pretty clearly a stupid law, Graham may be a particularly frequent abuser of this Council privilege, and it might be far better for his public image if he stopped doing it. But by definition he can't be parking illegally.
I agree with Kwame. Which is why I'm sure he's never texted, used his cell phone, or used his BlackBerry while driving his car.
Yeah and I wonder how many people making the most stink about this are also the ones that go texting in their cars all the time. I know a guy at work who texts ON HIS IPHONE in the car! I mean come on, the iPhone doesn't have keys so you'd have to be looking at it to text on it! WTF people?! People need to just hang up and pay attention, your texts can wait a little while longer!
For safety, I only leet at red lights.
OMG 83CKY 700k @ 43R 8Utt! 1337!