Monday, January 28, 2008

I was among hundreds of Metro commuters stuck in a mess along the Orange Line on Thursday morning.

Days such as that really worry me, not so much because of the inconvenience but because I don't think Metro could handle a real emergency.

What if there were a terrorist attack? There would be sheer chaos.

Conductors tell us there's an emergency situation when there's a fire, and then we sit there and wait. A witness told me that on Thursday a train pulled in to Clarendon Station and came right up to the fire but its passengers were not permitted to exit the train. What if there had been an explosion?

I hate to sound alarmist, but the way Metro manages very minor situations such as Thursday's is downright irresponsible. It doesn't give riders accurate information when something is happening. Congress should hold Metro accountable -- before we have a real emergency on our hands.

JESSICA HAUSMAN

Arlington