I have done my good deed for the day, and it certainly makes me feel good…
March 28, 2006, 3:04 PM
First of all, hello from Washington, where I am doing a second black-and-white day. Depending on how things come out, you may see a photo set in Photography about this, where I took photographs around Washington Circle.
Now, for my good deed. I’d just gotten off of an Orange Line train (CAF 5157) at Rosslyn. A Breda train arrived on the lower level. I’m intrigued, curious to see if it had the new door chimes or not (it didn’t). Then I heard a woman yelling and pounding on the train as it took off. Part of her party had become separated when the operator closed the train’s doors. The lady was on the verge of hysterics.
While others were communicating with her from the upper level, I got on the escalator and went down to see what I could do. I told her to call Metro Transit Police. As a railfan, I have the phone number for Transit Police in my phone’s address book, just in case. So I pulled it up, placed the call, and passed the lady the phone.
Thankfully, I know some of the information that Transit Police would need to locate this woman’s eight-year-old daughter. Line (Blue), direction (Franconia-Springfield), time it left Rosslyn (11:23 AM), and what car on the train she got onto (fourth or fifth car). From that, Transit Police was able to locate the train on their system, and send an officer to hopefully intercept the daughter.
Then another bystander, who had previously run up to the kiosk to report this, came back to report that the daughter was found, and that she was at the kiosk at Arlington Cemetery. The woman relayed that to Transit Police, and was also noticeably relieved. Transit Police then told her to come to the daughter at the kiosk at Arlington Cemetery.
And that was the end of the call.
From there, I told the woman and her party how to get to Arlington Cemetery. Take the next Blue Line train from the level we were on and go one stop. From there, go down the escalator and you’re at the kiosk.
The next train was Orange, and so I told them to pass that up. Then the next train was Blue, and so I told them to get on quickly (lest they lose someone else). They got on, and presumably all was well.
And I just feel good, having helped some people out, who had never been to DC before, when they needed some help.
Web site: Arlington Cemetery, where the woman's daughter was located
Song: The old door chimes. This trip is turning out a lot like the last one - I've not heard the voice of Randi Miller at all today. I've only heard Sandy Carroll's voice announcing "Doors closing!"
Quote: Interestingly enough, after I was finished at Rosslyn and got back on the train, I got the same consist that the girl had gotten lost on earlier, from the upper level platform.