Comments on: Public Transit Woes: How Safe Are We?

By: Transitguy

Transitguy — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:22:05 +0000

Not only is the point of this column ridiculous, but the facts are wrong. Only one of the victims was a PRTC employee and the other victim was the roommate (not an employee) of the person in custody for murder. The person in custody is a PRTC employee.

With all the people out of work, how does this reporter still have a job?

By: KCinDC

KCinDC — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:58:14 +0000

Also, why on earth would a poll in the Examiner be a reliable source for data on how common Metro suicides are? (Not that I actually see any poll on the linked page.)

By: KCinDC

KCinDC — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:56:17 +0000

An employee at a bus terminal has a crazed or criminal roommate, and that's somehow the fault of the transit system? Get back to me when you have comparative statistics showing that random shootings like that are more common in transit systems than other areas that are open to the public. What exactly is your proposed solution for such shootings and for Metro suicides?

By: Key

Key — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:24:48 +0000

"What is it about this area?"

Well, I for one would take any poll that the Examiner does with a HUGE grain of salt. Secondly, we ride transit! So, then it follows that more good and bad things happen to us...on transit. Third, we need to hire less homicidal people to work in transit.

What truly gets little fanfare is the HUGE amount of pedestrian deaths we have.

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:47:39 +0000

This column is stupid even by City Paper standards. In the first place, Woodbridge (Prince William County) is a far suburb about 20 miles from DC proper. Secondly, the fact that two people committed suicide doesn't really buttress your point. Yes, it's tragic that two people took their lives, but to be frank their decision to jump in front of a train doesn't make anyone else's life any less safe. As to your contention that people in DC aren't fazed, well, why would they be? The DC area is one of the most violent, dangerous metropolitan areas in the entire country. The thought that somehow the transit system would be immune is frankly rather odd.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:58:18 +0000

Any discussion on safety should compare public transit accidents to car accidents.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:27:50 +0000

There isn't fanfare because these examples, while coincidentally happening at the same time, are difficult to prevent. I would say "omgz you're right" if people were getting shot on the Metro. There's little that can be done if someone really wants to kill themselves by jumping in front of a train.