New Word Added To Dictionary

When a word becomes really popular, it eventually becomes a part of the English language. A really popular late addition to the Oxford Dictionary is "unfriend", popularized by the life-altering social networking site Facebook. Well I have a proposal for a new word to be added in addition to unfriend.

My proposal is that we add the word "Metrocide".


Metrocide (n) [Met-ROW-syde]: the intentional placing of one's self in the path of an oncoming WMATA subway car for the purpose of taking one's own life.

My push to get this word added to the dictionary comes in the wake of yet another metrocide, taking place on Friday evening. According to WMATA.com, a woman was struck and killed by a Shady Grove-bound red line train at the Brookland-CUA station at 9:18pm on Friday. If my records serve me correctly, this makes the elevententh* (see footnote) metrocide this year. It's very sad to know someone's life is so shattered that they feel that ending their life is the only viable option. I can't imagine how loved ones must feel with the holiday season practically upon us. May God bless all that are affected by this metrocide. Metrocide has been a recurring issue affecting thousands of passengers on each iteration. Some argue that it is a selfish way to go, not only physically inconveniencing thousands of passengers, but also emotionally scarring all whom may be there to witness the act. It's not only disheveled passengers that commit this act, metro employees have committed metrocide as well.

In other news, there was a metro fire yesterday afternoon, snarling Green & Yellow line service. (Service is always fucked on the weekends anyway, so you may not have even noticed!) The fire, reportedly due to a burning insulator, occurred near the Gallery Place-Chinatown station. Burning insulator? Is said insulator an infamous Wee-Z Bond?

*From looking in the iMetro archives, it appears there was a miscount on my behalf somewhere along the lines. I recently did an entry on what I thought was metrocide #9. But I believe this was in fact #10. The REAL NINTH METROCIDE occurred back in September. I think confusion ensued when the kid almost survived...he succumbed to his injuries later. So this makes this entry metrocide #11. I went to college, got a degree and all that...but I apparently still fail at basic math.