Metro Saves The Lives Of Oversight Committee Inspectors

We should be holding metro officials in high regards these days. They have helped save a few lives. Not the lives of passengers, and not the lives of employees...rather the lives of the members of the Tristate Oversight Committee whom repeatedly requested access to the active rails to perform safety inspections. In the wake of fatal accidents involving four metro employees being struck and killed in 2005 & 2006, the oversight committee. Years later, this appears to be a case of "same shit, different day".

According to the post, The TriState oversight committee had been repeatedly denied access to the rails this year by metro officials. "In July, the oversight committee made a plea in writing, telling Metro that without access to live tracks, it couldn't ensure workers' safety. Shortly after, a track vehicle on the Orange Line struck and killed Metro worker Michael Nash.

On Sept. 9, committee members met with Metro officials, telling them that if they were unable to get onto the tracks they would "elevate this issue," according to notes of the meeting. The next morning, a train near Reagan National Airport struck and fatally injured Metro technician John T. Moore. "

It's quite evident that being on the active rails to do ANYTHING is a hazard to one's health. Metro realizes this, evidenced by the four rail-induced deaths of employees in the past few years. By denying access to the rails, they effectively saved the lives of oversight committee members. I tip my hat to metro for their heroic efforts. [insert sarcasm here]

Yet again metro is being called out for being unsafe. While nothing has been really exposed yet, it definitely appears as if they have something to hide by the denial of access to safety inspectors. In an attempt to mop things up, metro officials are playing the "miscommunication" role...one of which they know all too well. They're citing that access can be granted on certain conditions; conditions which include taking a rail safety course of some sort, and that the rails be inactive. News flash...all train tracks look safe when there's no train running!

In other news, the union is taking metro to court...filing a lawsuit for raises for approximately 7700 employees...