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Count me as another DMV resident who now avoids the hot mess that is the Metro. For me, the scary thing is that the multitude of issues the Metro has almost we
by GVIrish 11y ago
Count me as another DMV resident who now avoids the hot mess that is the Metro.
For me, the scary thing is that the multitude of issues the Metro has almost weekly means that another fatal incident can happen any day now. After the 2009 crash the trains all went to manual brakes so they could sort out the automatic braking system that failed. To my knowledge that still isn't fixed. That indicates to me that they're still way behind on getting safety under control, much less making the organizational changes required to avoid another fatality like the L'Enfant incident.
WMATA embodies the cautionary tale of an organization that has allowed incompetence, selfishness, and indolence to metastasize and paralyze a big organization to the point that it is killing people. It's going to take a whole new cadre of leadership to root out the blight at WMATA, not to mention the boatload of money that will be needed to pull out of the death spiral.
It's a shame, I bought my damned house partially because of its proximity to a Metro stop and now I avoid taking it.
- eli 11y agoI'm less worried about a train derailment or crash. Metro has well-documented safety failures, but if you look at the numbers you're far safer riding a Metro to work than riding a bike or driving a car. That said, I really think it's a matter of time before overcrowded rush-hour platforms lead to someone falling on the tracks or getting stampeded. I fought thought this crowd this morning: https://twitter.com/wowindc/status/676761566751105025 https://twitter.com/wowindc/status/676761566751105025
- GVIrish 11y agoYeah my rational mind tells me that with 600k people riding the Metro every day, the chances of me actually running into a dangerous incident are fairly small. However, the chances of me running into a lengthy delay are pretty high. The crowding thing at rush hour is a huge pain, usually on the evening commute. Haven't actually ridden Metro since Silver line started up but I can't imagine that has lessened the crush.