[Blindtlk] Questions about riding the metro/subways

Sun May 29 19:53:20 UTC 2016

Hi from Wheaton/Kensington, Maryland, home of the longest escalator in the 
Western Hemisphere. I take the Metro every day to go to work at NLS, using 
the Red Line and sometimes one stop on the Green/Yellow Lines.
I have a lot to say, and I might not remember it all in one message. You 
could always call Judy and me at 301-946-8345.
I wouldn't worry about finding the front car; I don't think this makes much 
difference. However, since some trains have 6 cars (450 feet length) and 
some have 8 (600 feet, the full length of the platform), you don't want to 
be at the back end of the platform. For particular routes you will find it 
advantageous to board near the center or front of the platform, depending on 
the positioning of the escalators at the target or transfer station.
Metro employs Brigid Doherty, an NOMC-certified travel instructor, to help 
people learn the system and take full advantage of it.
I wouldn't hang back from a train door. Often people tell me when they are 
the last out. I may get to one side of the door and stick my head partway 
into the opening to gauge what is happening. You're right, you don't get 
much time to board trains in most cases.
You are coming here at an awkward time, as Metro is going to do a lot of 
rolling shutdowns and single-tracking over the next year to deal with safety 
problems that have been allowed to accumulate over the last 20 years or so. 
So you might want to look at the Safe Track program web pages and PDF files 
on wmata.com .
If you chose to live in Maryland, I hope we an see you at a Sligo Creek 
Chapter meeting.

Lloyd Rasmussen, Kensington, MD
http://lras.home.sprynet.com
-----Original Message----- 
From: Arielle Silverman via blindtlk
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2016 11:58 AM
To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Arielle Silverman
Subject: [Blindtlk] Questions about riding the metro/subways

Hi all,
I just moved to Washington, DC this week and this is my first time
living in a city with subways, although I am a seasoned bus traveler.
I have been getting acquainted with the Metro system but have mainly
been following my husband (who is sighted) and I've discovered a few
issues that I haven't yet figured out how to resolve. I am hoping that
some of you with experience using subways (not just DC Metro, but
subways in general) might be able to suggest nonvisual techniques for
dealing with the following potential issues.

First, a recurring challenge I have faced with public transit is
knowing when people have stopped exiting the vehicle and it's my turn
to enter. I can hear people exit, but can't always tell when the last
person exits and I can go in. This is magnified when the metro station
happens to have other loud noises like announcements or a train moving
in the opposite direction while I'm trying to listen for the train
door opening and see if people are exiting. With buses, a few seconds
waiting to see if it's my turn isn't a problem, but with the subway,
the doors only stay open for a short while and we have observed other
passengers getting stuck in the door when they ran out of time to
board. What strategies do you use to ensure that you give yourself
enough time to board, without cutting in front of people trying to get
out?
Related to this, I have heard that it is easier to board the subway
through the frontmost car where, presumably, the driver can see you
and wait if you're a little slow getting on. Is this true and if so,
what's the best way to find the frontmost part of the train/what
happens if you walk past it?
Finally, I have noticed that at some busy stations, it is impossible
to hear which train line has arrived. The announcements are often
unclear and there are multiple announcements going on at the same
time. Also, if a train is going the other way when the train I want
arrives, it can be really hard to hear the doors open and locate them.
How have others handled this?
I apologize if these sound like extremely basic questions, but I
always appreciate practical tips from other blind people whenever I am
learning something new.

Best, Arielle

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