Metro opens doors ... to danger and irresponsibility

*ahem*

I shall now tell you a very sad tale, particularly on a weekend where equality and differences in humanity are not only accepted, but celebrated.

9:15 on a Sunday evening in the friggin' bitter cold of a windy January (honestly, Dear Wind: we get it. It's windy. You blow. CUT IT OUT !!!! ... so obnoxious ...). Our train pulls into Judiciary Square when a slight ruckus breaks out on our Metro car. One man comes to my side of the car and pushes the call button, informing the train operator that there are two men harassing him and requesting that someone come immediately.

Indeed, they were harassing him- with anti-gay slurs and explicitly sexual remarks that were far from positive. They continued yelling at him from across the car. Everyone else froze- unsure whether they should intervene or not, and wondering how much they could tolerate ignoring this disgusting scene.

After a few minutes, the man pushed the call button again and said "Please help, please help" in a calm but insistent tone. Our train was holding on the platform due to maintenance at another station. The train operator asked for clarification as to what was happening in the car. 5 minutes had past, and no one from the transit police had arrived.

One of the harassers come over to my side of the car, pushed the call button, and said "Don't pay any attention to this mother fuckin' nigga". Still no response from the operator.

Another few minutes passed. The train was still being held at Judiciary Square. The two harassers, continuing their slurs and degradation, finally exited the train and went about their merry business.

By this time it had been 10 minutes since the man's first report to the operator. And still nothing. Then, the car doors closed and our train proceeded to the next stop. Only then did the operator make a loudspeaker call to transit police to come to our car for a reported assault. Two uniformed officers dashed into our car asking who had been assaulted.

The man and I explained the situation-- there was no physical assault, and the harassers had exited the Metro several minutes before and at another station. The officers' response: "Oh ... I'm sorry that happened."

Now ... should it take over 10 minutes for someone to intervene when a man is being harassed on the Metro? What can happen in 10 minutes? What happens when you close the doors on that person and take them to the next Metro stop, not knowing whether or not his harassers are still in the same car with him?

Appropriate letters to Metro supervisors and others are currently being drafted ...

I have a dream, too ... but last night I definitely woke up to reality :-( It's sad.