Friday, January 6, 2012

Too Much of a Given


Original image: Matt Johnson

There are many Metro station managers who are helpful and seem to take pride in their jobs. On the other hand, there are far too many who are not only indifferent to customer concerns, but downright hostile and abusive to the very people who pay their salaries.

The reason? In many cases, the station manager slots are where Metro stores problem employees. One has to wonder about the logic of making your worst employees the face of the organization, but that's exactly what Metro does.

According to a very reliable source, here's the rap sheet on a guy who STILL, UNBELIEVABLY works at Metro as a station manager.
  • Hired as a bus driver and is involved in an accident
  • Gets "fired"
  • Gets reinstated as a bus driver
  • Gets "fired" again for another accident
  • Gets transferred to become a TRAIN OPERATOR! (Safety first)
  • Accumulates enough infractions (wrong side doors, platform overshoots, running signals) to be disqualified from ever being a train operator again
  • Becomes the face of Metro as a station manager and as such:
  • Gets a 5-day suspension for disrespecting a Metro Police Officer
  • Gets a 5-day suspension for using a cell phone while on duty
  • Gets a 5-day suspension for regularly taking 2-3 hour lunch breaks
  • Gets a 10-day suspension for locking someone in the station after closing (This was overturned because Metro lost, or couldn't find, the film from the video cameras at the station.)
  • Gets a 12-day suspension for falling asleep on the job after his picture was posted on this blog. (He apparently successfully fought that punishment off after going to the doctor and afterward claiming he had sleep apnea. The other station manager pictured claimed the same thing and got off as well, the source said.)
  • But none of that mattered because he took several months of disability leave after "spraining" his ankle.
He's back on the job now.

Every time you swipe, a portion of your money goes to him.

Thank you for "choosing" Metro.

Other items:
It has been 50 years since subways (not Metro) were automated (Railroad.net)
Cameras alone don't reduce crime in parking lots (Fierce Homeland Security)
Well liked operator unmasked (WJLA)