Metro Riders Deserve Blame for Terrible Rail Situation: Union Boss

Everyone from Metro management to legislators to rank-and-file union workers have been blamed for the current Metro mess, but the head of the union has determined that one other group may be unfairly escaping the finger-pointing: Metro's customers.

Jackie Jeter, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 which represents Metro workers, tweeted Dec. 4 that you can "add passengers who haven't paid attention in the deterioration of the system" to the list of those responsible for the current state of Metro.

The remark drew a firestorm of angry comments from Metro riders asking how they could possibly be even partially to blame for the safety and maintenance problems in the Metro rail system. Jeter didn't back down, tweeting at one user that he was a "joke" if he didn't think that riders had a part in the situation as well.

Pressed for specifics, Jeter only stated that "every stakeholder on the system plays a part in its glory and decline."

In a response to another user, she wrote: "I think that workers and riders are the only people who haven't been given a serious position in the discussion. I'm not blaming anyone particularly but neither of us have made our voices heard as loudly as they should."

She later denied that she blamed passengers, but still said that they were also responsible for the system along with workers, managers and legislators.

Jeter seemed at least somewhat taken aback by the response, tweeting Tuesday: "I have realized that Twitter is only for announcing things, not discussing or conversations! No more conversations for me @ATULocal689."

Metro's problems have only deepened in recent months as the SafeTrack effort has dragged on, bogging down Metro lines with "Surges." The dire situation has led management to move to reduce operating hours throughout the system and fire hundreds of workers.

Image via WMATA