Metroid(iot) rant.
Under a cut for those sick of hearing about the crash on the Red Line. I'll admit I only care because issues with the Metro genuinely affect me now.
In 2006 the NTSB recommended that the WMATA replace the 1000 series cars and questioned how well they'd hold up in a crash. In 2007 they issued a report saying it was "unacceptable" that WMATA hadn't started replacing them. Now I'll say this in WMATA's defense, they supposedly don't have a dedicated funding source. They've asked the federal government for cash, but that hasn't shown up. That's a whole other rant, though...you can give money to car companies that are imploding, but not to the transit system that keeps your employees showing up on time? Really?
Anyway, here's the quote from the Metro Board chairman that makes me want to pull my hair out.
"...The way the car was crushed was a consequence of the accident. If you can control the consequence, you don't have the issue of the cars.
"The cars themselves, absent this type of impact, are safe and they have been operating safely."
So, wait, hold on. The 1000 series cars are safe because they're safe if they don't get into a crash? Seriously? That's your cunning retort? I guess if his point is "They're safe if you get into an end-to end crash and the car doesn't jacknife", then I sort of see it. But on a casual read through it sure comes out as "The 1000 series are totally safe as long as you don't crash." Funny thing, so are a lot of other things that go fast.
Unrelated to the above, I've got a question for WMATA. There was a crash outside of the Takoma station. You had the red line shut down all night on Monday, 3 stations closed yesterday, trains that usually run 1-2 minutes apart are now running 5-15 minutes apart, and pictures of the accident all over the local news. Unless someone's living under a rock, they know what the hell happened. I daresay even tourists arriving in town today will know what happened before they depart the airport/bus station/union station. There is absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind that Very Bad Things happened.
What do those LED signs in your station say? "Trains stopping at Ft. Totten becuase of a situation outside Takoma". A situation? Are you serious? A breakdown is a situation. A screwed up switch is a situation. An orangatan escaping the zoo and swinging along a metro bridge is a situation. This is a crash. Boom, smash, fire, flying trains, death. I get you don't want to panic people, but we're not idiots. Can't you at least say "Investigation outside Takoma"? We all know that's what's really going on out there. Ugh. I dislike PR speak.
In 2006 the NTSB recommended that the WMATA replace the 1000 series cars and questioned how well they'd hold up in a crash. In 2007 they issued a report saying it was "unacceptable" that WMATA hadn't started replacing them. Now I'll say this in WMATA's defense, they supposedly don't have a dedicated funding source. They've asked the federal government for cash, but that hasn't shown up. That's a whole other rant, though...you can give money to car companies that are imploding, but not to the transit system that keeps your employees showing up on time? Really?
Anyway, here's the quote from the Metro Board chairman that makes me want to pull my hair out.
"...The way the car was crushed was a consequence of the accident. If you can control the consequence, you don't have the issue of the cars.
"The cars themselves, absent this type of impact, are safe and they have been operating safely."
So, wait, hold on. The 1000 series cars are safe because they're safe if they don't get into a crash? Seriously? That's your cunning retort? I guess if his point is "They're safe if you get into an end-to end crash and the car doesn't jacknife", then I sort of see it. But on a casual read through it sure comes out as "The 1000 series are totally safe as long as you don't crash." Funny thing, so are a lot of other things that go fast.
Unrelated to the above, I've got a question for WMATA. There was a crash outside of the Takoma station. You had the red line shut down all night on Monday, 3 stations closed yesterday, trains that usually run 1-2 minutes apart are now running 5-15 minutes apart, and pictures of the accident all over the local news. Unless someone's living under a rock, they know what the hell happened. I daresay even tourists arriving in town today will know what happened before they depart the airport/bus station/union station. There is absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind that Very Bad Things happened.
What do those LED signs in your station say? "Trains stopping at Ft. Totten becuase of a situation outside Takoma". A situation? Are you serious? A breakdown is a situation. A screwed up switch is a situation. An orangatan escaping the zoo and swinging along a metro bridge is a situation. This is a crash. Boom, smash, fire, flying trains, death. I get you don't want to panic people, but we're not idiots. Can't you at least say "Investigation outside Takoma"? We all know that's what's really going on out there. Ugh. I dislike PR speak.