Metro Etiquette

Metro Briefing for the One-day Tourist

2011-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

There are only 5 lines, which are named as colors. Here's a map.

Trains are labeled by their ending station. Some lines share the same track for parts of their journey. The touristy stops are Smithsonian for the museums (yes there are several), McPherson Square to get to the White House, and Capitol South to see the Capitol building.

On escalators stand to the right so others can walk on the left. Let people off the trains before you get on. Don't hover at the bottom of escalators or in the way of train doors.

I'm about to provide this advice to a friend who has about 5 hours to kill in the city today. Anything else I should share?

Metro Song

2010-09-14T09:53:00.000-04:00

To those of you who ride regularly, the new Metro Song covers many of our annoyances about metro and our fellow riders. This video is from the same guy who gave us the Arlington Rap. I couldn't stop laughing and I fully expect today's productivity to be inhibited by this video.

You can find him on twitter @goremy and online at goremy.com

Special Hours

2010-09-08T12:00:00.001-04:00

This weekend I traveled out to FedEx Field to see the Virginia Tech / Boise State football game. (For the record I didn't go to either school, but I love college football.) I went with some VT alumni who decided to metro out to the game. It was my first time taking this on for an event like this, and I learned a few things.

FedEx Field, after walking a mile from the metro

Being an 8pm game on a Monday night (that was really like a Sunday, since it was Labor Day), I wanted to make sure the system would stay open late enough for us to get home. I went to metro's website and saw a news release with their Labor Day hours, stating "Metrorail will operate on a Sunday schedule (7:00 a.m. to midnight)." That means the last train at Morgan Boulevard would be at 11:36, most likely while the game was still going on. Then I found an earlier news release that "Metrorail to stay open an extra hour for Sept. 6 college football game". I checked my calendar, and Sept. 6 was still Labor Day. Apparently nobody had coordinated Labor Day hours with football game hours.

I decided the extended hours were actually happening, since I know that special events organizers have to pay metro to make that happen, and metro wouldn't just forget. So Monday afternoon, we headed out to FedEx field.

As we were making our way out of the station, metro workers were herding us through the station and onto the sidewalk towards the stadium. One worker was on her megaphone, announcing repeatedly that the last train that night would be leaving the station at 11:30. This, of course, is not extended hours. We just shrugged our shoulders and walked away, but knowing metro, I was a little worried.

We made the mile-long trek to the stadium during which we passed an ice cream truck waiting to serve us, and a woman selling bottles of water off her front porch (for only $1).

At 11:30 the game was still going. I looked around at the 91,000 people in the stadium and didn't see a mass exodus to metro. Either no one else heard the announcements in the station, or they just didn't care. I was on the not caring side.

Finally after midnight we made our way to the metro (made difficult by the lack of a single sign inside or outside the stadium hinting at what direction that may be). Lo and behold, trains were running! And it was after 11:30!

I ended up on a blue line train and had to transfer to an orange to get back to my car. I switched at Rosslyn, and two more blue line trains came through before the final orange line of the night. I heard announcements in the system about trains holding, which I think was to make sure everyone catching trains from the stadium had a chance to transfer to the last trains on other lines. So, thanks metro for that. But no thanks for the lack of correct operating time information, either online or via the station manager that afternoon.

Moving Through the Faregates

2010-09-02T13:00:00.006-04:00

If you're a regular metro rider, you may have noticed by now there's a slight delay in the gates reading your SmarTrip card. This can dismally affect your typical routine of tapping and walking without slowing down, causing longer lines to exit the station. After seeing some people slam into the gates and emerge stunned by this slight delay, I thought we could share some tips to keep the line moving.

I've seen one strategy work if you're approaching a faregate with no one in front of you. The rider reaches their SmarTrip card out in front of them and lets it hit the sensor and stay there as their body catches up. That early tap of the card can sometimes give the gate enough time to read it and open before their body makes contact with the blocked gates. This, of course, assumes the reader recognizes their card at all.

If you find yourself in a line of people going through the faregate one at a time, please remember that you don't need to wait for the gate to close before you tap your card. Just wait for the person in front of you to get past the gates and tap away!

You've probably also heard that you soon won't be able to go negative on your SmarTrip card. This means you need sufficient fare on your card when you enter the system, otherwise you'll have to add extra money at the exit fare machines, which only take cash. Can you picture the backups that can happen at rush hour at the end of the month? A simple way to avoid that is to look at your balance when you walk through the gate. I know, looking down at the display might take another fraction of a second, but you've been gifted the time while you're waiting for the machine to read your card. If your balance gets down to $5 or maybe $10, add some extra money on your way out. You know you don't want to bother with those exit fare machines anyway, since there's usually just one, and who knows if it'll work.

[Update: Greater Greater Washington just posted this article on alternatives to banning negative balances.]

What other tips can you share to smoothly move through the faregates?

Quick and Dirty Metro Etiquette for Tourists

2010-08-25T08:00:00.009-04:00

Photo from flickr user o palsson

In light of this weekend's upcoming events, here are some quick metro tips for tourists.

Do not eat in the metro system. This includes trains, platforms, and the areas in front of the farecard machines. We don't need little critters to start inhabiting our system (any more than they may already be).
Figure out where you're going before you go. Metro has been kind enough to post their map, and I've even tried to help you use it.
When going up or down escalators, please stand to the right. Crazy locals like to walk/run on the left.
When you get to the bottom or top of an escalator, don't stop! The escalator keeps depositing people on the ground, and if you're stopped they have nowhere to go but into you. Move to the side while figuring out which way to go.
You need your farecard to get in AND out of the metro system. Don't stare down the gates on your way out, wondering why they don't magically open like some other cities.
If you've got large suitcases or strollers, head for the elevators. Most stations have working elevators, and it keeps you from trying to balance your kid in their stroller on the escalator while above-mentioned crazy locals walk/run on the left.
Let people exit the train before you get on.
The pole in the train is not for your kids to swing on, you to wrap your entire body around, or a foot rest. Please just use it to hang on.
Since it is a weekend, the normal rush hour unwritten rules are relaxed. Feel free to speak on the train. (Yes, we tend to have silent rush hours. I like to believe that we're spending that time mentally solving the world's problems.)
Become the best-informed metro riding tourist by reading all my posts for tourists.

The Old Cane in the Doorway Trick

2010-08-19T12:45:00.008-04:00

Riding home late the other night, we had a little adventure on the train. We sat down and heard a bit of a commotion after the doors shut. One of the passengers walked up to the intercom and asked the driver to open the doors. We looked around and realized that someone's cane was stuck sticking out the door. There was some confusion as the train sat. And sat. Then the driver did one of those super quick open and close routines where the doors moved about an inch in a split second and closed again. That trick works when you're trying to get your jacket back inside, but not for a cane stuck halfway into the station.

It's a cane! On a train!

Then a metro maintenance employee jumped up from his seat to try to help out. He looked to be heading home and probably didn't want to deal with this, but he did anyway. He went to the door and seemed to look around for one of those magic key holes that will open the doors if you have the maintenance key. Not seeing one he went over to the intercom himself and asked the driver to open the doors.

At this point, it seemed the intercom didn't work. The train still sat. Then the driver said "whoever is holding the doors open, please do not hold the doors open. If you have something stuck in the doors please remove it. This train is already late. Please remove whatever you have stuck in the doors," and repeated this three times. Now we were rolling our eyes at the absurdity of a cane holding up an entire train.

Finally someone went over to the doors and pried them open enough for the guy to pull his cane through. It became apparent this wasn't the most coherent man, as he tried to push his cane out further several times before pulling it in.

At last the doors were happily closed and we were on our way.

Lessons learned:

Some riders are quick to help out.
Intercoms don't ~~always~~ ever work.
Maintenance guys can't always make the doors open from the inside.
The driver would rather sit in his room than look down the platform to see something sticking out or walking back to the problem doors and seeing the problem.
Incoherent people shouldn't rush to get on the metro.
Canes don't slide in through doors that are shut on them.
More interesting things happen later at night on metro than during regular travel.

Any other lessons you see in this?

Bloggers Unite!

2010-08-16T17:04:00.000-04:00

I posted my own person list of DC metro-related blog reading. And by metro-related, I mean they have posts about metro at least once in a while.

See it here.

Contact me at metroetiquette at gmail dot com if you think yours should be added.

The Aisle Seat Shuffle

2010-08-11T13:30:00.006-04:00

It's your turn to decide what the metro etiquette should be in this situation. You're sitting in an aisle seat in a train that has a number of people standing in the aisles (not jam packed like sardines... yet).

Image from DC Metro People

The person in the window seat asks to get up to leave at the stop before yours. Now you're left lurking in the aisle deciding what to do next since you've only got to go one more stop. You know you can't be a seat hog and just sit back down in the aisle seat with an empty window seat.

Do you scoot over to the window seat and have someone sit next to you only to surprise them and ask to exit a minute later? Do you advertise that the window seat is free and try to get someone to sit down so you can end up back in the aisle seat? Do you keep standing in the aisle hoping that somehow two people will squeeze by you to take up both of the seats? Or do you have a totally different approach that I haven't thought of?

And how would that change if it's just for two stops?

Spotting the hot cars

2010-06-24T12:30:00.003-04:00

With temperatures reaching near-record highs in the DC area this week, and no relief in sight, we've all become much more aware of metro cars without working air conditioning. If you've found yourself on one of these cars after the doors close, it's not just hot, it's stuffy and stale. It feels like the oxygen has been depleted and you need to hold your breath until you can take a gulp of real air as soon as the doors open again. And you find yourself dripping sweat while just sitting there, and no matter how much you try to distract yourself or fan yourself with the newspaper, you can't stop thinking about just how HOT it is.

Photo from DC Metro People

Here's your first tip. If you find yourself on one of those cars, switch cars at the next stop. Most of the time it's just one car that's having issues, not the entire train. Place yourself at an end door so that at the next stop you can hop out of that car and into an adjacent one. You probably won't be the only one doing this.

But there are a few clues to help you spot these cars before you get in. If a train pulls into the station and there's a car that's unusually empty, especially if the car to the front or back of it looks more crowded, it may be a problem with the air. Also, look for people fanning themselves with newspapers or whatever they're holding. In this heat with the air not working, it'll be at least half the people in the car fanning themselves for relief. Finally, if you see a group rush to get off that car only to walk over to the next car, save yourself the trouble and follow them to a better car.

In heat like this in a system known for maintenance problems and broken trains, try to carry a bottle of water with you. You never know where or when you'll get stuck, and as we saw this week on MARC, you never know how long it'll be.

Share your tips below.

Aisle Encroachment

2010-06-17T08:00:00.002-04:00

Another recent story told to me. A woman was riding in an aisle seat but taking the liberty of keeping her legs in the aisle. As others were getting ready to get off, the train took one of its signature halting stops, throwing passengers around like jumping beans. Of course that led to someone landing on aisle-encroacher's feet, which happened to be in open-toed shoes. A loud "OH #$*@#" was heard by all.

Moral of the story? If you get one of those aisle seats you should probably stay within the seat as much as you can. (I know, sometimes your seatmate takes over.) Aisle-encroachment can lead to stomped toes, knocked elbows, and tripping passengers. And if you're standing, be ready for the hard stops metro is known for and try not to step on any toes.

You don't want to mess with me

2010-06-02T13:30:00.003-04:00

Maybe there's a lesson in this story from a coworker, or maybe it's just another example of unhappy metro riders. Anyway, here's a recent metro commuting story:

I was waiting on the platform waiting for the train this morning. The train stopped with the doors right in front of me. I started to move to the side to let everyone out. All of a sudden I heard a stern voice say something behind me. I took out one of my ear buds and (in a non-jerk voice) said, “I’m sorry?” It was a 40-50 year old black guy wearing a suit, sunglasses, and a porkpie hat. Who wears a porkpie hat?!

Guy: You can’t just step on my foot like that!
Me (still staying calm): I’m sorry. Just calm down.
We started boarding the train.
Guy: What did you say to me?
Me: I said sorry…
Guy: Ok…
Me: …and calm down.

Guy (getting close to me): Do you know who I am?
I can’t believe he just said that.
Me: I don’t care who you are. I’m just trying to get to work.
Guy: You don’t want to mess with me.
Me: I’m not. You need to grow up.

By this time I think he realized I wasn’t intimidated and he gave up.

Did anyone else google porkpie hat?

Metro for Tourists: Farecards and Passes

2010-05-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

Before I even begin this post let me say that the fare structure looks like it will be changing this summer so this post will have to be updated. But until then, here's how we roll right now.

Let's go back to our travel scenario from the previous post. You're getting on at Rockville and off at Smithsonian. Now, you've parked your car (yes this is important to note) and walked into the station. You'll want to head to one of the fare machines, like these people have done.

Photo from flickr user thisisbossi

Each person must have their own farecard. Sorry, no matter how attached at the hip you are with your bff, there's no way to share. There are two kinds of farecards: paper and SmarTrip. The paper card is pretty simple and disposable, the SmarTrip is a more permanent card but the only way to pay for parking. This post will only be about paper farecards and passes, but the next post will sing the glories of SmarTrip.

So you're staring at the machines and realize there are two types: the more simple "Farecard" machines or the "Passes/Farecard" machine with more options. Let's start with one of the Farecard Machines, which only takes cash and only spits out farecards.

Photo from flickr user garrett.farlow

The chart at the top of the machine tells you the price of your ride from the station you're in to any other station in the system. Look up Smithsonian and you'll see two prices: regular and reduced fare. Regular fare is 5-9:30am, and then again from 3-7pm. Reduced fare is any other time. Each fare is one-way so you'll have to decide if you want to put your round trip value on now, or add more later when you decide what time you're coming back. Metro farecards have monetary value on them, not a number of trips or a zone. You can always add more money later if you need to, though you might be fighting crowds to get to a machine later.

You've finally decided how much money you want to put on your paper card. So at this machine you put your cash in (bills and/or coins). Then you can adjust the value you want on your card by using the up and down buttons for dollars and cents. This way if you put $5 in and only want $4.90 on your card, it'll give you the ten cents back. Step 3 is hitting the button that says "Push for Farecard" and out will pop the farecard from the slot below, and your change will drop at the bottom. All done!

Now let's follow the steps on one of the blue machines. It has the same fare chart at the top.

Photo from flickr user afagen

The screen gives you three options. A - Passes, B - Single Farecard, C - Multiple Farecards. We're going with the Single Farecard, so push the B button. (We'll talk about passes later.) In this machine you choose the value of your card first, so press the (+) and (-) buttons for dollars and cents till you get the value you want. Press C to view your selected value, then C to confirm it. Then you pay, either with cash through the slots on the left, or with a credit/debit card with the slot by the keypad on the right. If you're using a card, insert it then quickly pull it out, and follow the instructions. It'll take a few seconds to process the transaction, then spit out your card!

Now you may be wondering what these magical passes things are. Well, the most useful pass for you may be the One-Day pass, which allows you unlimited rail travel after 9:30am on weekdays or all day on weekends and major holidays. If you think you'll be traveling around a bit in the system, this may be the card for you. Just remember, you'll need to start your day after 9:30am if it's a weekday (you don't want to deal with rush hour anyway), but it's good for the entire rest of the day. A one-day pass is currently $8.30, so you may want to do some math to see if it's worth it for you. To buy a pass, you need to be at one of the blue "Passes/Farecard" machine. Just pick option A, pick the kind of pass you want, then pick the number of passes (remember, each person needs a farecard). Payment is the same as a regular farecard.

Now that you feel like an expert tourist who can buy paper farecards and passes, the next post throws a wrench in the whole concept to talk about SmarTrip cards and paying for parking.

Metro for Tourists - Step 2: Navigating the map

2010-05-21T07:22:00.001-04:00

In our first post about Metro for Tourists, we figured out our starting and ending stations. Now let's look at how to get from one to the next.

In the example we've already found the Holocaust Museum and decided we're going to the Smithsonian Station. Let's say we're starting out at the Rockville Station. By looking at the map you see that Rockville is on the Red Line (upper left), and Smithsonian is on the Orange and Blue lines (around the middle of the map).

Click the above map for a larger version. See below for a zoomed version showing our stations circled in red.

Rockville and Smithsonian stations

Uh oh. Did you notice our first complication? Since Rockville is on the Red line, and Smithsonian is served by Blue and Orange lines, we're going to have to change lines. Don't panic, because metro has conveniently highlighted stations where you can transfer. See the big double circle two stations above Smithsonian? That's not a carousel, it's a a transfer station: Metro Center.

We're armed with our third clue, our transfer station. Now, how to get there?

Trains running throughout the system are named for their ending station. For the most part, that's the last stop on the line. You'll see Orange line trains either going to Vienna (out on the western end) or New Carrollton (eastern end). Red line trains will be going to either Shady Grove (northwestern end) or Glenmont (northeastern end). However, red line changes up a bit at rush hour. On the red line about half of the western side end at Grosvenor, and half of the other direction end at Silver Spring. But you get the gist. To head into the city from Rockville, you'll take a train that says either Silver Spring or Glenmont. They'll be on the same track heading in the same direction, making all the same stops (until one ends early up on the other end).

When you get to your transfer station, you'll want to know what train to find. From Metro Center you can take orange towards New Carrollton OR blue towards Largo Town Center. Both lines will get you the two stops from Metro Center to Smithsonian.

Congratulations. You now know all your stations and the correct trains to look for! Next up, financing your journey.

Metro for Tourists - Step 1

2010-05-11T12:15:00.003-04:00

With tourist season ramping up in the DC area, it might be helpful to share a step by step guide for a first-time tourist riding the metro. Today we'll tackle the first step, otherwise known as "where the heck are we??"

There are three main ways a newcomer finds a metro station: look it up on a map, ask someone (friend, concierge, the homeless man who you actually gave money to), or walk around until you see one of the Metro signs.

Local transit ~~geeks~~ enthusiasts call these pylons.

Photo by flickr user jfholloway / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The metro map itself is great for navigation, once you're on the metro. If you want to find out what's actually closest to you I suggest using Google maps (or your preferable mapping source) to find the station closest to your starting address. But just to confuse any unaware tourists, many stations have more than one entrance. To find the closest access to your newly adopted metro station, a more detailed map like StationMasters is the way to go. Go to their Metrorail System map, and click on a station name to see a detailed map of the entrances for that station.

If you've already been directed to the nearest station, good for you. Not everyone has had such friendly encounters.

You can use your new mapping method to figure out where you want to end up. Say you want to go to the Holocaust Museum. Your search comes up with a few nearby stations: Smithsonian, L'Enfant Plaza, and Federal Triangle.

View Larger Map

See the Holocaust Museum on the bottom left? It looks like Smithsonian is the closest station, but it has two exits. Rather than standing on the platform flustered and confused when you get to the station, and nearly being trampled by a hurried commuter, find which exit you want now. On the Stationmasters page, you've navigated to the Smithsonian station and see this map.

It even shows the US Holocaust Memorial Museum (on the left, along Raoul Wallenberg Pl.). It looks like the Independence Ave. Exit is the closest, and the arrow shows that when you come out of the station, you'll be facing away from 12th St, which happens to be the direction you want to walk.

Now you're armed with your starting and ending stations as well as some simple walking directions. Next up, navigating the metro system map.

Luggage

2010-04-27T12:30:00.005-04:00

Unfortunately if you find yourself needing to bring luggage onto the metro, there are no overhead bins or conveyor belts that carry it away to be checked. So what can you do?

Luggage from flickr user nhanusek / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Generally blocking the path for others to exit or enter the train is an unpopular idea, so try to not use your luggage for crowd control. When you're ready to get on the train, aim for one of the two end doors of any car since there is usually more room for maneuvering there. The middle doors can be a hotbed for crowds and discomfort. If the car isn't completely packed, try to grab a spot along a wall, helping keep you and your bag out of the commuter escape route. If you find yourself in the aisle, be ready to shuffle around when someone needs to get up from a seat.

If you're lucky enough to actually snag an aisle seat, you can keep your bag next to you without it taking up the entire aisle. Some bags can even fit under seats, though the least awkward place for this would be the more open seats near the door. You may even find yourself and your luggage on a pretty empty train (yes, there is a short period of the day not deemed rush hour) with your choice of seats. If that happens head to one of the seats near the door where you can keep your bag in front of you, making sure it doesn't fall down and simultaneously keeping it out of the way.

Through all this try not to run over anyone's toes, get your bag caught in the train doors, forget your bag on the train, get caught in a turnstile, or let the bag knock over a small child.

Or share your own luggage suggestions below.

Hey, whatcha reading?

2010-04-22T11:59:00.004-04:00

I've seen this happen enough times to prompt a blog post, but each time I see it it makes me cringe a little.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iwantamonkey/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Recently I saw it like this. Someone was sitting on an aisle seat, reading a book, while someone in the aisle was hovering above them, staring intently at that same book. When the reader turned the page, the hoverer continued reading, still not broken out of her trance. I thought the flip of the page would let the hoverer realize that she was invading the reading space, but she seemed oblivious to how rude she was being. I almost wanted to tap the seated woman and whisper that the hoverer was reading everything over her shoulder and unless she wanted a shared experience she may want to readjust herself.

Reading over someone's shoulder on the metro is not ok, but it's even worse to then make a comment on it. I realize we're in a public place, but generally people aren't reading so that you'll strike up a discussion with them. A lot of times when I'm reading, whether it's the Express or my new favorite novel, I'll angle it so that most people can't read it. It feels like an invasion of privacy when I look up and catch someone else staring at the words on my page. When I'm reading, I'm in my own world, not thinking about the commute or the crowd or how late I'm going to be for my appointment. It's a soothing way to get through the commute, and when my little bit of private space is invaded with an over-the-shoulder reader, my little world collapses and I'm back riding the swaying jerking metro.

Something about over-the-shoulder reading is creepy, I guess for its invasiveness, even though you are in public. But those of you who read anything on the metro - the newspaper, a book, a textbook, a report from work - expect that someone will view what you're doing. It's a tight space and even if others aren't trying to read it, eyes will roam. If there's anything you'd like to keep private (such as a confidential corporate document), don't bring it out to read on the metro.

Q&A about Platforms

2010-04-08T10:19:00.001-04:00

I recently received a question about some waiting for the train platform etiquette. I provided my opinion, but what do you think?

Hello, I have a situation that maybe you can help me understand.

Twice now I have been accused of cutting in front of someone waiting for the metro train. I realize that some times people wait for the train at a particular spot believing that the train door will stop close to them even though the train may stop a few feet one way or the other. I even had someone tell me that they were "here first" as if the space next to them was somehow reserved by their presence and proceeded to tell me that was why people get their **tt kicked on the metro.
My opinion is to stand aside and let people out of the train and other than that the platform is an open space for people to line up.

Do you have an opinion?

Thank you

Hi,

I think this is a really good point. Here's my thought. Anyone can stand anywhere on the platform they want while waiting for the train. Most regular riders have learned where the train doors usually end up and they'll choose to stand there while waiting. A lot of times I'll see a few regular riders clustered around the same spot, because they all know that will be a door. Nothing wrong with that.

The only thing that has irked me is when there's a very empty platform, someone's standing at their "door spot", and another person comes to stand only inches away from them. I've actually had someone lay their bag on MY feet! It's an empty platform, we can all take some breathing room. Plus, with the trains operating in manual as they have been for a while now, you're not guaranteed that the door will end up at the exact same spot every time. Some days you're in the sweet spot, and some days you're a couple feet off. It's ok.

As you mentioned, they will have to move out of the way of the doors once the train stops wherever it does. The other rude behavior I've seen is when a few people stand back to let the train empty out and someone else shoves their way in front of the waiting people. In that case, they were there first and since they are politely letting others off the train, you should politely take your turn getting on.

DC Ladies: Metro Etiquette

2010-03-18T08:45:00.000-04:00

This week I took a little break from the regular blog to write a guest post over at The DC Ladies. The topic was basic metro etiquette for local riders. Check it out!

DC Ladies: Metro Etiquette

And if you want to read more about the topics I covered you can find them here:
Stand right, walk left.
Giving up your seat.
Talking at rush hour.
Letting others out.

Eating and drinking

2010-03-05T13:00:00.002-05:00

Today we're sharing a cardinal rule of riding the metro. Do not eat or drink on metro trains or in stations.

Yes, that's Ben's Chili Bowl. Delicious, but not good for metro.

Most riders will adhere to this without worrying about it. Then there are those riders who think it's just a stupid idea. I mean, other subway systems let people eat and drink all they want. Yes, but have you see the creatures that lurk in those systems, living off the leftover foods of subway riders?

Not a fellow commuter I want to be near.

It is actually against the law to eat or drink in the system, and you can be issued a citation for not complying. Locals may remember that time a girl was arrested for eating french fries in a station. It prompted a change in their policy of dealing with snacking, but that doesn't mean it's a free-for-all now. Even metro employees need to keep stray food out of the stations, and for goodness sake, don't feed the raccoons!

This doesn't mean you can't take your restaurant leftovers home with you or carry around a soda you bought at a concession stand. It just means that you can't consume these items while you're in the metrorail system. I mean really, is your ride so long that you can't go without munching on something or sloshing your beverage around? Wouldn't you rather consume your delicacy in a setting that's not swaying, jerking to stops, and filled with grime anyway? And if you find yourself hurrying and needing to eat, plan your time better. Eat that granola bar on your walk to the metro, not inside the system.

Ben's Chili Bowl lunch: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Genuine NYC subway rat: http://www.flickr.com/photos/_tim/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Giving up your seat

2010-03-01T13:15:00.002-05:00

So you're traveling to town on the metro and with luck on your side you snag one of those coveted seats near the door, with all the legroom. It seems like a big accomplishment and you can relax with your book or ipod, or chat away with friends. While your body is in contact with that seat, it's yours. All yours. But when should it not be yours?

Apparently his feet get the priority ride.

Ever see the signs at the seats near the center doors of every train car? They say priority seating. That's not just referring to the quick-exit location or the unlimited legroom. To you that means it's your seat until someone who actually NEEDS it arrives. Not only does etiquette require you relinquish your metro throne for disabled or elderly passengers, WMATA requests it, and the law requires that they have them. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that priority seating is available on public transit. This doesn't mean WMATA has to enforce it (so no you won't be ticketed for sitting in that seat), but wouldn't you want that seat if you had problems standing for long periods of time, especially on a swaying jolting train ride?

There's a big message at the top with signs pointing to each seat, in case you weren't sure.

I'll even go one step further and provide some more etiquette guidance. Relinquishing those seats to a pregnant woman is not only thoughtful, but it will keep all the other women on the train from scowling at you while a pregnant woman is standing. Also, giving the seat up to someone carrying a kid or dealing with a stroller is great, and will probably keep that kid from falling all over the floor or touching their drooly hands to the poles. Giving the seat up to someone in a cast or brace is a nice gesture as well. A younger person offering the seat to an older person, not just an impaired rider, spreads the good karma too. And my favorite thing to see is men giving those seats up to women. That is by no means necessary, and not every woman will accept the offer, but a chivalrous gesture can brighten the day for the recipient of the gesture, as well as those witnessing it.

So go ahead and claim the priority seats when you want them, but keep an eye on fellow riders and be prepared to offer it to someone more needy than yourself.

First photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alykat/ / CC BY-NC 2.0
Second photo by the author's obviously sub-par camera phone.

Sitting on the Floor

2010-02-18T10:00:00.003-05:00

With all the grime, mud, salt, and general grossness visible on the floor of the metro, you'd think we wouldn't have to breach this subject. Unfortunately, a recent ride on the train actually prompted this post.

This image (from Mr. T in DC on flickr) beautifully illustrates the area of the train where this happens most often. On the right and left of the image, see those radiator-type boxes on the floor? They distribute air in the train, but for some people they're an invite to 3" of butt space. Then when that gets uncomfortable, they just scoot down to the floor.

First off, I should not have to say this about the floor, but it's disgusting. I wouldn't want any part of my body besides the soles of my shoes touching it. Second, if you're sitting on the little air distribution boxes, it's going to get uncomfortable, especially since you have to sit slouched over to fit under the grab bar, which people would love to use if you weren't blocking it. Third, I can't guarantee that the ledge is not as disgusting as the floor. Why would you want to park yourself on it?

But the real problem comes down, once again, to space. If you're sitting down on the floor of the train, that probably means all the seats are taken. Which also means the train probably has people standing. And no matter what, there are people entering and exiting the train. If you're sitting down on that ledge, you're taking up at least two people's worth of floor space. If you spread out your bags around you, that's even less room for others to share the joy of a metro ride. And finally, when people try to get off, at best you're blocking a possible route to the door and at worst they'll need to step on your legs, feet, hands, bags, etc to get to the coveted open door.

On a regular, partially empty (and by that I mean only 2-3 people standing) train we'll tolerate your floor-sitting. But when things start to fill up, or when a lot of people are entering and exiting, please share your floor space with others. We'll thank you by not stepping on you or your things.

Snow

2010-02-03T09:04:00.020-05:00

If any of you have used the metro on a somewhat regular basis this winter, there's no doubt you're all too familiar with dealing with snow. For the non-seasoned veteran, here are some tips for taking the metro when it snows.

In the event that it snows about 8" or more, metro will run a reduced system, cutting out outdoor stations and only servicing indoor stations. For years I thought this was an urban legend, but the SNOpacalypse of 09 proved it to be true. Metro actually has a nice graphic showing what an underground service only system looks like.

With significant snow on the tracks, be ready for trains to run slower on those outdoor stretches. Metro may also run snow clearing equipment down the tracks between trains. This leads to increased times between trains within the whole system.

If you're using an outdoor station, dress warmly and be ready to stand outside longer. On the train, be prepared for water and salt-covered floors from the snow tracked in by riders.

Platforms will be slippery. This is especially true for outdoor stations where snow falls on the platform, but it also occurs at indoor stations where riders track snow in from the outside. Unfortunately the tiles in the metro stations have horrible traction when wet. Take it easy.

If you take metrobus, know what the snow emergency routes are. Often the rail system can be unaffected by snow, but buses using side streets will be.

Check for updates through your local news source, metro's eAlerts, or metro's news page.

Riders who have been in snowy conditions - what are your tips?

Newspapers

2010-01-06T10:38:00.007-05:00

One of the great things about DC is the amount of reading that takes place each day. Some newspapers have figured this out and decided to distribute free versions of their papers at metro stations each morning. Always wanting to be in-the-know, commuters pick up copies of these papers to read on the train. But it seems there that the intelligence of the reading community fades as people deposit their used newspapers in various locations. Here are some tips, bulleted for quick reading:

Don't leave your papers behind, shoved between the seat and the window. Thanks for sharing but it's a free paper; we can get our own.
Don't leave it on the floor for others to slip on while walking down the aisle.
Leaving your paper on the floor under your seat is also a nuisance, since it eventually moves its way to the walkways.
Don't leave it sitting in the station so it can eventually fall on the tracks, catch on fire, and cause a system-wide delay.

So what CAN you do?

Make an effort to deposit it in the newspaper recycling bins, even though the slots are annoyingly small and take more concentration than dumping it in a trash can.
You can bring your free newspaper into your office to complete the sudoku throughout the day.
You can make some awesome tri-cornered hats and be the envy of your coworkers.
Use it as wrapping paper for your coworker's anniversary gift.
Mix it with some water and plaster of paris and make yourself a lovely paper mache model of your home, office, or the metro train you ride each day.
Use your own creativity to reuse your paper if you don't dump it in the recycling bin. But please, don't leave it behind on the train or anywhere else in the metro system.

Images:

Reading: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iwantamonkey/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Newspapers Only: http://www.flickr.com/photos/krossbow/ / CC BY 2.0
Sudoku: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elswifterino/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Reading while walking

2009-12-09T12:26:00.001-05:00

Some people are talented at doing several things at once such as walking and chewing gum or talking and texting. One type of multitasking being seen more often in metro is walking and reading, not to be confused with standing and reading. Reading a book while standing on metro is easily accomplished (by most) by using the wall-leaning or one-hand-on-the-pole method. Walking through a station with your nose buried in a book is another story. You create a slow-moving, unaware, and often clumsy bump in the flow of people through a station. Not only could you potentially run into someone else, but those pesky posts and faregates in the station could interrupt your reading. Don't get me wrong, I understand the pain of putting down a book at its climax can be tough but reading a book is best saved for moments when you are stationary.

All the above also goes for newspaper readers, because while obnoxiously opening your full-sized paper and wrapping it around your face while walking through the station may entertain onlookers, it really does cause the same problems as the book reader-walkers.

a fine example of reading while stationary

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/takomabibelot/ / CC BY 2.0

Running

2009-11-10T11:46:00.000-05:00

I realize in this society everyone needs to get somewhere quickly, myself included. We all have our ways of shortening our trip, from taking physical shortcuts through town to having our farecards out and ready to go when we get to the turnstyle. There is one time-saving action that doesn't sit well with others: running through the station to catch your train. While you may cause the occasional chuckle as you jog by, coattails flying, briefcase in hand, the riders you've shoved out of your way in the process don't appreciate your style. Running down escalators, through stations, practically jumping over the faregate when it takes a millisecond to open, and then sprinting full speed onto the platform to catch the train is not an acceptable behavior. Everyone's trying to get somewhere and we don't appreciate your gymnastics because you think your schedule is so much more important than ours. You know there's another train coming, right? The message board on the platform is there for a reason. Please again remember that respecting your fellow passengers will go a long way.

There is, however, one time that I think it's perfectly acceptable to break the rules and run through the station: to catch the last train of the night. Most times you can expect another train to come along if your timing isn't quite right when you arrive at the station. The last train of the night is a different story. Rather than be stranded in a part of town you'd rather not spend the night, I'll turn the other way as you sprint for your train. I wouldn't want to get stuck at the end of the night either.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samirluther/ / CC BY-SA 2.0