We always thought Metro was safe. Really safe. We may have been wrong. Two recent incidents on Metrorail have area commuters questioning Metro’s ability to respond to or prevent criminal activity, or, more seriously, terrorist attacks, notes NBC 4. In one case, a woman was groped by a man, and in another, a woman had her iPod and SmartTrip card stolen by a group of teenage girls. Both incidents occurred on the Red Line, and in both the victims claim that Metro Transit Police did not respond quickly nor adequately. But are these two incidents simply unfortunate and isolated acts, or are they part of a larger trend? Is Metro getting more dangerous? Do DCist readers feel comfortable riding the rails, and if not, do they trust that Metro Transit Police can do its job?

Cell Phone Bandit Captured: A woman who calmly spoke on her cell phone while allegedly robbing four area banks is in police custody this morning, reports the Post. Candice R. Martinez, the 19-year-old suspect, was detained this morning in Centreville. Martinez fast became famous when bank surveillance cameras caught her chatting away on her cell phone as she robbed banks of anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000, never much breaking a sweat, much less raising her voice or resorting to violence. Police do not know if anyone was on the other end of her conversations.

District Officials Demand Money for Stadium: District officials are set to demand that MLB grant them a $24 million line of credit to guarantee interest payments on construction bonds and $20 million to cover the construction of 1,200 parking spaces at the new stadium, writes the Post. City officials are concerned that rising costs may derail the stadium project altogether, whose construction must come in under a price cap of $535 million imposed last year by the City Council. The move is a surprising one, given MLB’s apparent refusal to agree to a $6 million annual rent payment over the course of the stadium’s 30-year lease. Baseball’s chief negotiator, Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, is expected in the District today to resume negotiations over the stadium lease. Should those go south, Reinsdorf may fast find out how good city residents are at pegging a runner with an egg from 30 feet.

Area Club Closed in Wake of Violence: Residents of the Shaw neighborhood had called for the club’s closing in June, after a man was killed outside its doors. Today, after a round of shootings outside the club this weekend landed four people in area hospitals, their wish has finally been granted. District police invoked emergency powers last night and closed Kili’s Kafe, a Northwest nightclub called an “imminent danger to public safety,” reports NBC 4. As DCist readers may recall, city officials took similar actions against Club U in late June, revoking their alcohol license after several violent incidents left patrons injured or dead. The club’s closing — which will last 96 hours while the city considers further options — is sure to spark debate over the links between certain clubs, their clientele, and violent acts in or around them.

Briefly Noted: Thanksgiving rush to begin this week at National … Controversial charges against GMU student who protested military recruiters dropped … Whitehurst open houses start today … GWU student body president accused of sexual harassment.

Picture snapped by Pak Gwei.