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The Crash & The Day After
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That Metro crash weighed on me this morning as I rode the light rail to work.
I later found out the train ahead of mine was having all sorts of mechanical difficulties...
I later found out the train ahead of mine was having all sorts of mechanical difficulties...
That's what METRO announced at the stations - mechanical or technical difficulties. Did you get to work on time? OPM has a 2 hour excused absence for those in the effected area.
I remember this happening once in Chicago...Man, those trains in DC clearly hit each other HARD. I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often, and I guess it speaks to how safe the trains are that it doesn't.
If the trains hit any harder, more cars would have been affected. Lucky it was the one. This morning's report referred to accidents in Boston and San Fran. Apparently those conductors were text messaging.
The rush hour Metro trains are supposed to be on autopilot -- the "driver" is only there to manually open and close the doors, but has the power to brake. Apparently a crash was narrowly averted a few years ago when the driver noticed a train ahead of him, even though the sensors said there was none. The driver in this case does not seem to have tried to hit the brakes.I couldn't reach a friend of mine who travels that route home every day, and got worried until I checked her Facebook. My sister freaked out a bit because she was on that train at that time a couple of days ago.
It's hard not to play "that could have been me" -- but it only makes you paranoid.
That said...glad you're ok, Tanja!
*nods at Sarah Pi*Thanks. Glad that your friend is ok, too! It's a very frightening time. But it doesn't make me any less paranoid NOT to ride the METRO. This week will be hell getting to and from work.
My daughter rides that line home, and would have been on that train except that it was her normal Monday, work at home day. The collision happened at the next stop after where she usually gets off.
Wow. Is she kind of freaked out, sir? I would be.
I rode the METRO as normal (well with a lot of detours). Because the red line is closed off from my regular commute, I hitch a ride to a station near work. The way home, I go to a different station, hitch another bus, then either walk home, pray someone is home to pick me up OR hitch another bus. Wheeeeeeeeeeee. Think I may splurge and taxi :P
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For those who aren't aware, yesterday was the second Metro crash to involve fatalities in the 33-year history of the transit authority. In January 1982, a derailment killed three people. The only other collision between Metro trains occurred in 2004.
I ride that route every day. Was fortunately slow on my way to the station which placed me two trains behind. Very frightening experience for my loved ones and myself considering my cell phone had died. The amusing part is I knew more about the crash, saw photos and news reports, well before I got home hours later than my father did who got home about 10 minutes before I did.