Nov 05
Long, steep, escalator, Woodley Park Stop, Red Line, DC Metro.
Imagine this thing sliding free for 18 seconds…
The DC Subway system seems proud of a 90% escalator safety rate…. that’s right 90%. If you frequent the DC metro, as I did when I lived there, that means it is WHEN not IF an escalator will fail on you.
“After the distinct sound of a metallic ‘bang,’ ” he said, the escalator went into an 18-second free fall.
Passengers “piled up at the bottom” and six were injured; two declined medical attention.
Some of those DC Metro escalators, especially the Red Line at Dupont Circle and above are REALLY LONG, STEEP and HIGH. 18 seconds of free fall on one of those would probably be deadly.
Is DC Metro an example of one of those “many things government does that it can’t do well”? Can you sue DC Metro? Do you think DC Metro is wasting money on fat administrative bonuses and “learning junkets” and skimping on escalator brake funding? I do.