Violence and Getting to Know Metro

KHH from Middleburg facebook comment:

  "I grew up outside of Philly, in Cherry Hill NJ. People were thrilled when the train crossed the river into our town...until everyone living near the stops were being robbed during the day...things that could easily be carried, money, jewelry, etc. that were found in homes. Be careful!"

Real Life Violence may be one reason why so few people actually ride Metro.

What is the allure of Metro? Maybe some think it will make us more like Paris or Singapore. But in reality, the Washington Merto is anything but romantic, unless your idea of romance is being trapped in a closed space with a bunch of thugs who know they have power over you. The link below gives an account of this happening recently to a DC Metro rider. This is probably a unique occurrence, right?

The good people of Loudoun need to accept the reality that a one seat ride to WDC can also allow criminals to have easy access to your little home in the suburbs. Chances are that once a crime is committed in suburbia, whether it is a violent assault or a purse snatching, our local law enforcement people are not going to snoop around the radius of the Metro system to track down the perp.

How safe are you on Metro? UNSUCK Metro posted a firsthand account that will send chills down your spine if you imagine you in this persons place. When the anonymous person reported an incident to the Metro police, they were treated nicely and said,

"Horribly understaffed... "

Metro is broken and it is broke and there is no plan and no funding to fix it. It has long been understood  that WMATA’s recurring fiscal struggles owe in large part to its lack of a dedicated funding source. Still, a crisis appears to be looming. Throughout the region, transportation revenues are becoming increasingly scarce. According to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, “Many local property taxpayers are understandably concerned at the need to pay higher real estate taxes... because the state is not meeting its own targets for helping fund transportation.

The person who reported the incident also said, “I am struggling to understand how this can happen to me on a train full of people at 12:30 p.m. on a Thursday in a relatively decent part of the city. That’s not to say that violence at other times/locations is acceptable, but this is, in my opinion, a new and disturbing level of brazenness on the part of these thugs.

I’m going to twist this around and compare it to the selling of Metro to the trusting people of Loudoun County. There pro-railers are in our faces, criticizing anyone who disagrees in their polite message. They have the power and the phony message and lots and lots of money. They are playing a game of intimidation; especially with the leaders who are bold enough to question this albatross.

The people of Loudoun are beginning to wake up and pull together. But time is short and the stakes are high.
Email your supervisor today at bos@loudoun,gov and tell them that Loudoun has a bright future if they will give up the absurd notion that our destiny will only be achieved if we dump billions into a worn out Metro system. That is a pernicious lie.

David LaRock

Hamilton Virginia

“They also told me how horribly understaffed the transit police were and how they needed more police to adequately patrol the Metro. The most disturbing revelation was that these teens were getting their hands on guns more easily now due to a change in DC gun laws and that there was nothing stopping them from bringing them onto the Metro.”