John Kelly's Washington

John Kelly writes about the Washington that doesn't make it onto the front pages. His five-day-a-week Metro column, John Kelly's Washington, is about the normal -- well, relatively normal -- people who call our region home. It's about the joys and annoyances of living in the most important city in the most important country in the world -- as experienced by those of us who, frankly, aren't that important. His blog, John Kelly's Commons, is a place for readers to carry on a digital conversation.

Today: Do D.C. cab drivers discriminate against blind people? How do you stuff a horse? And what would God think about the ad war raging on Washington's Metro buses? Just some of the questions we'll ponder in this week's chat.

A transcript follows.

Discussion Archives/Recent Columns

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John Kelly: I admit I don't really know how to act around a blind person. "Normally" is probably the right answer, but I worry I may offend by being too forward or not forward enough. So when I saw Jim Dickson trying to hail a cab a while back I didn't know whether I should offer to help. I'm glad I did, because otherwise I wouldn't have learned about the difficulty he and other disabled people have getting a taxi. In his case, he says many drivers don't want his seeing eye dog, Pearson, in the car. Quite outrageous, no? I'll be looking to see what happens next. The DC Taxi Commission has promised a meeting, but unless you can communicate with all the cab drivers in town, that may not do much good.

In the meantime, I'm not going to worry about being too forward when it looks like cabs are bypassing people like Jim Dickson.

What else is on the chatters' minds today? Finished your Christmas shopping? Got your tree up yet? Or are you an atheist? (Not that there's anything wrong with it.)

Let's go.

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Falls Church, Va.: You may have seen that Metro will be turning off its escalators during the inauguration. This seems to me to be an admission that the system's reliance on escalators is in general a bad idea. Isn't it time they stopped struggling with endless repairs and started replacing their escalators with more walkable stairs?

John Kelly: How about they just get better escalators? Or just turn the existing escalators into stairs by turning them off? I'm not sure what "more walkable" stairs are. I don't think there's much you could to make stairs at Wheaton or Dupont Circle walkable. It's going to be a hike there no matter what.

As irritated as I sometimes get with Metro, it is easier on the disabled than the world's two oldest subways: Boston and London. Every time I ride them I shudder to think how I'd manage it in a wheelchair or on crutches.

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Washington, D.C.: John, here's a killer question that's been bothering me for weeks. I am a DCPS parent. I was frustrated by several teachers at our school who were hired during the Barry administration with flimsy credentials and degrees from minor HBCUs I never heard of. Several of these teachers were fired and new hires came from better schools with better qualifications, but they did not match the demographics of the fired teachers AT ALL. How does one actively push through change and progress when those opposing change have some evidence that it hurts their group (older, lower middle class African-American teachers without advanced degrees) and benefits a new group (younger, culturally diverse teachers with advanced degrees and a more sophisticated culture)?

I heard a teacher complain that Michelle Rhee is waging war on the "black culture" in DCPS and it makes me queasy to hope she eliminates as much of the anti-academic culture as possible even as it rests unevenly on the shoulders of Barry's political patronage hires.

John Kelly: Wow, that's a loaded issue. I imagine Michelle Rhee would not agree that she's waging war on black culture. She'd probably say she's trying to shake up a complacent culture that has not done good by most children. But in this city, and this country, you can't wade into areas like this without race coming up. I hope she's successful in improving schools but I recently heard a teachers union official on Marc Fisher's radio program and it sounded like that was at the bottom of his concerns. Foremost seemed to be making sure teachers got what they were entitled to, salary- and job security-wise.

Speaking of teachers, I interviewed a gentleman named Eugene Williams Sr. the other day for an upcoming column. He used to teach in DCPS and now teaches in Prince George's and at Southeastern University. He had this to say: "When I worked in the DC school system, everybody talked about teachers being incompetent and all that--and yes some of them are--but the incompetence comes with the parents. I'm sorry. And these parents are not doing [their jobs]." I don't think he was blaming all parents, but unless parents are actually interested in their kids learning, and provide the right home environment, it's hard for even the best teachers to do any good.

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Arlington, Va.: Forget the religion/atheism bus ads. Have you seen the big bus ads showing a car colliding with a pedestrian and rolling him up onto its hood? It's portrayed as comical, oddly enough, and apparently it's meant to either discourage cars from hitting pedestrians or pedestrians from flinging themselves onto car hoods.

John Kelly: I haven't seen that one. Is it disturbing? The English love really gross public service announcements. At the movies in England, before the coming attractions, they always show disturbingly graphic PSAs. There was one on the dangers of talking on your cell phone (your "mobile" as the Brits say) while driving. It's a split screen. On the left is a man behind the wheel. On the right his wife at home. She rings him up and asks "Are you on the way home, then?" He's barely answered when he pitches forward against the dash in a crash, then flops back against the headrest, unconscious. His face starts to bruise and bloods starts trickling from his nose. His wife is shouting, "Darling? Darling?!" Grim.

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Daydreami, NG: What do you suppose this guys is thinking?

Gargoyle

John Kelly: He's thinking: "I wish I had a groin."

Any other suggestions?

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Michelle Rhee is waging war on the "black culture" in DCPS : She is waging war on crappy education in DCPS, I hope nobody regards crappy education as black culture. I don't.

John Kelly: I heard someone raise the point the other day that in most professions experience is valued but that Rhee seems to value the energy of new teachers. It may be she thinks much of the status quo is too calcified to change. And that opinion was pretty much shared by the principal I visited at Webb/Wheatley, the school we're raising money for through Giant and Safeway frequent shopper cards.

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National Shopping Season Tree: Next year, President Obama could set a social trend by waiting to light the National Christmas tree until Christmas Eve. It would go to the hearts of old-fashioned, sentimental people all over the country and we might see the old tradition come back. This isn't of earth-shaking importance, but it's just something nice he could do, in the spirit of combining reform and old-fashioned values.

John Kelly: But would retailers get upset, arguing that such a move would hurt the economy? Remember that FDR moved Thanksgiving back to jump-start the holiday shopping season, so there's plenty of precedence for presidential meddling. While I agree that it'd be nice to get more old-fashioned, waiting till then could deprive tourists (and residents) of a lighted tree to look at. If you show up on Dec. 23 and there's a dim tree, are you going to be disappointed? Of course, you could still keep the trees lighted but not have the "official" lighting until the 24th. If, that is, there's enough electricity to light it.

And how about Montgomery County cracking down on Xmas tree lots

that open early

? I love how MoCo is being called a "Grinch" for enforcing an "obscure" law. It's always people who don't like a law who call it "obscure." And where are the people supporting the county? Doesn't everyone complain that Christmas comes too early these days?

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How does one actively push through change and progress: A simple, partial answer: Refrain from referring to the culture of young, ethnically diverse, advanced degree people as "more sophisticated" than is the culture of old, homogeneously ethnic, basic degree people. Your argument will be much stronger if you don't call people unnecessary mean names like "unsophisticated".

John Kelly: Did Rhee do that? Oops.

I wonder what a faltering economy will do to her plans. I know that schools everywhere will be hurt, as the tax base falls. Will bad teachers dig in even deeper, afraid to be cast into an unfriendly employment environment?

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How about they just get better escalators? : Yes! Why on earth do some places have no problems instantly repairing or replacing defective escalators, and Metro can't seem to get its act together? Find out the cost, make it part of the budget. Raise the darn fares if necessary.

John Kelly: Sometimes I daydream about ways to improve Metro (better lighting; more signs). Raising fares hasn't been on my list but I do like the idea of a single uniform fare, no matter where you go. Five stops on the Red Line? $1.50 (or whatever). One end of the system to the other at the height of rush hour? Same thing. Could we save money on farecard machines and turnstiles that have to calculate all kinds of different fares?

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John Kelly: Gargoyle caption #2:

"I can see your house from here."

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December 26: There will be no day off. We're officially in a recession and the job loss numbers for the last month were brutal. As my pops used to say, it just wouldn't be prudent.

-W

John Kelly: Here's an idea: If you have a job, you get Dec. 26 off, without pay. If you DON'T have a job, you have to work. See, the unemployed would get a day's pay--and something to put on their resume. What jobs would they do? Well, we'd have to match them up. On Dec. 26 some unemployed guy would write my column, do a blog posting and host this chat. Another would be a bagger at the Safeway. Another would be head of NORAD. Etc.

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Woodbridge, Va.: I don't know who else to ask -- I haven't yet read the whole article, but I see the headline that says Health and Human Services is going to try and re-make the entire U.S. health care system.

Do I understand that correctly? Is it even possible? Are the insurance cos. going to help out (I doubt it)?

washingtonpost.com: HHS Will Be Shepherding Health-Care Reform (Post, Dec. 5)

John Kelly: Obama promised to do something, now we get to see what that something is.

Our health care system has worked fine for me. I have a good job, with good insurance and so I've never worried. Yeah, I have to pay a little more out of pocket now, but it's worked out okay. The problem is there are millions of people not in my situation. I can't imagine how awful it would be if I had to worry about whether I could get treatment for myself or my kids.

Of course, we seem to be nationalizing the mortgage industry, the banking industry and, perhaps, the auto manufacturing industry. Why not have national health?

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Joisey: It's not a gargoyle, it's a chimera. Gargoyle, from the French gargouille, 'throat,' is one of those functional beasties at the end of downspouts. This guy just sits there looking pensive.

John Kelly: You say pensive, I say constipated.

Could he also be called a "grotesque"?

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Helping the Bli, ND: I'm glad you raised the issue of how to deal with blind people. I have two blind friends who I socialize with on a regular basis due to mutual club participation. There are several things. First, you should not avoid any mention of seeing or blindness. They are aware of the situation. You should discuss it as if it is a normal condition, which it is to many people. Also, you should just be perceptive of what can ease things. For example, if the discussion is centered around something that is visual, make sure SOMEONE in the group takes the time to describe what they're looking at. If you are helping the blind person to move, you should offer your arm, elbow or hand to guide them and they should hold onto you. This way, they are in control of the contact. Do NOT hold them by the arm, elbow, hand or other appendage because that puts you in control draggin them around. They need to be able to control the contact so that they feel comfortable with the contact. There are more tips, but this is a good starter.

John Kelly: Thanks for the suggestions. They make perfect sense, but I bet many people overlook them in their flustered desire not to do something wrong. I know I was mindful of how much of our language revolves around visual metaphors and I wondered whether to employ them. Even something as simple as "I see" as a way of saying "I understand."

I will say one thing: It's amazing how good those guide dogs are. Can you imagine literally trusting an animal with your life?

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Gargoyle: "I wish someone would wash all this pigeon poop off me."

John Kelly: "It's bad for my complexion."

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washingtonpost.com: On D.C.'s Streets, Blind Injustice (Kohn Kelly's Washington, Dec. 4)

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Washington, D.C.: On Monday night's Fox News, a reporter stated that there were 140,000 daily taxi trips in Washington. I do not know how expansive an area he was including as Washington, but the rest of the report focused on the D.C. taxi fuel surcharge. Can it possibly be 140,000 taxi trips per day in D.C.? For comparison, how may Metro trips per day are taken?

John Kelly: Someone can check my math, but here's my estimate: Metro had 215 million Metrorail trips in fiscal year 2008. That works out to an average of about 589,000 a day. That doesn't include bus trips--133 million in FY 2008. The highest subway ridership day was June 25, when 846,388 trips were taken. There was a baseball game that day and Folklife Festival. There are 6,500 licensed cabs in the District. They're probably not all working at the same time, but let's say 5,000 are. Each would have to do an average of 26 trips in a day. Does that sound a high?

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Stone guy: "I wonder why the transition team hasn't called me yet. I sent in my application early and I could use some change."

John Kelly: That's good. Where could he work? Department of the Exterior?

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Atlanta, Ga.: NYC subway is no better than either of the ones you mentioned...

John Kelly: It's been a while since I rode that one.

You know, this single fare system I mentioned is used in other cities. Berlin, for one. I don't even think they have ticket gates. Instead, they have guards who can ask to see your ticket and if you don't have it, fine you. Hey, jobs for the unemployed!

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MoCo, church and state: Well, a part of me likes MoCo's rule because I wish people would stop celebrating Christmas all December and instead focus on Advent, however, I like the separation of church and state more. The rule seems inappropriate.

John Kelly: I see that Fairfax County doesn't say when you can start selling trees, just that a tree lot is limited to 21 days. So you could sell them from July 4 to July 25 if you wanted.

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Reston, Va.: Hey John -- any recommendations as to what brand of deodorant I should wear so that I don't offend Sen. Ried's olfactory senses?

John Kelly: "Napalm, new from Mennen. For when you want to smell like victory."

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Former Londoner: John,

What did you think of the National Health Service in the U.K.? I remember thinking the hospitals were appalling because they were painted soylent green in 1952 and never redecorated. But, I also remember picking up a year's supply of birth control pills free of charge at my local pharmacy and paying 4.50 pounds for each prescription. I also remeber not minding paying my National Health tax because I knew exactly where it was going.

John Kelly: I had only one experience with the National Health and it was favorable. But I just had a sore foot, not a tumor or anything. An Australian friend we knew had to go to a hospital for stitches for her son (several times, I think; the toddler was a bloody menace) and said it was great. Saw him right away, stitched him up and sent them off without a bill. But if you had a chronic condition I think it would be different. And there were all these stories in the paper about what was called the "post-code lottery." Basically, there were quota-type things involving experimental medicines, so you might get it if you lived in Sheffield but not if you lived in Oxford.

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New York, N.Y.: (Sigh)

Some folks, both Christians and non-Christians, do not celebrate Christmas. You should know better than to refer to them as "atheists."

John Kelly: I didn't mean to imply that anyone who didn't put up a tree was an atheist. I was just referring obliquely to the bona fide atheists who sponsored bus ads in DC, ads that are now being countered by a Christian group. But maybe I need to work on my oblique muscles.

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Rockville, Md.: Calculating the fares?

We already paid for that equipment.

John Kelly: And I suppose it works better than the escalators. Although why are there only one or two SmarTrip machines at each station, as compared to a half-dozen DumbTrip ones?

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Metros: The metro system in Budapest is one of the oldest in the world -- yet when I was there I thought it was run much better than our poor D.C. Metro.

For one thing, you don't have to stand in lines swiping a card or going through turnstiles. Everyone is on sort of an "honor system" you buy your ticket ahead of time and occasionally the metro "control" officers will ask to see them. (There was a movie about them called "Kontrol")

ALSO -- their escalators move VERY fast. Why they couldn't implement the fast-moving escalators here, I'll never know...

John Kelly: My Lovely Wife and I saw that movie while we were in Oxford. It's a very odd film about a murderer in the system and, being Eastern European, about all sorts of other things too, existential ennui apparently first among them. What I loved about the film was an opening segment, where the head of the Budapest subway is on screen and delivers a message. Basically he says that knows he's going to be criticized for allowing the film to be made in the subways system (the filmmakers worked each night from like 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. while trains weren't running), but that it's important for artists to explore the human condition. Can you see John Catoe doing that? Those crazy Hungarians!

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More walkable stairs: I think the poster meant ones with better sized steps to climb. Escalator steps are much higher and more difficult to scale. It blows my mind that Dupont doesn't have walkable stairs (better height, wider little platforms every story or so to rest if needed) down the middle instead of three escalators.

John Kelly: You have a point. And when there's that odd little half step stuck emerging from the plate at the bottom or top it can throw your whole rhythm off. But I'm willing to make a fairly large wager that Metro will never replace an escalator with stairs.

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Rockville, Md.: " For when you want to smell like victory."

For Senator Reid?

What does he want to win?

I would think he prefers "Surrender."

Just like Rep. Murtha.

John Kelly: I didn't know Stephen Colbert read this chat!

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Gargoyle: If it were in Alaska, it could be thinking "I can see Russia from my house!"

John Kelly: Very good, comrade.

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Laurel, Md.: John, did you see that a special Metro day pass for Inauguration Day would have Mr. Obama's picture on it?

I'm not against treating I-Day as major, in fact it's our city's once-a-quadrennial defining event. But it seems that this time, it's more about The Man than about the event or the office.

John Kelly: I read in Fisher's chat yesterday that Bill Clinton's signature was on commemorative farecards issued before one of his inaugurals. And I know I've seen giant pandas, those Communists. I think in this case, it's hard to separate the office, the event and the man.

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What is this guy thinking?: "If I wasn't cemented to this rooftop, I could really have some fun down there."

John Kelly: "I could get stoned."

Or:

"I could get my rocks off."

Or:

"Please don't take me for granite."

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Metro Escalators: They need some sort of hig pressure people chutes -- like the ones that moves the money containers at the drive-thru areas of banks.

John Kelly: There we go, a pneumatic tube system. Would it make your ears pop?

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Reston, Va. -- Fire on Metro last night?: Why no word from Metro or the Post on the explosion and fire that many of us witnessed last night in the Ballston station? I mean there was a loud explosion, a visible fire in the tunnel and smoke filled the station -- at which point we were ushered out.

Seems like with the Inauguration coming up these are the kinds of stories that would be good to read.

John Kelly: I just talked to Metro. It sounds like they had quite the excitement there last night: billowing smoke, station evacuated. The problem was a fire on Track 2 in the Ballston station, caused when a stud bolt shorted out (doncha hate that?) and ignited a third rail insulator.

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Does anybody know where Atheist Trees are for sale?: I'm all for the Metro ad disputes. They seem to generate counter ads, which should mean more money for Metro. Then perhaps they could fix those elevators.

Ooh, maybe Metro should get companies to sponsor the elevators and be responsible for their upkeep!

John Kelly: I got an e-mail that some atheists are gathering in Dupont Circle this Sunday from noon to 2, handing out literature and donating sweaters to the homeless. The sweaters are described as "Atheist in Foxhole sweaters," whatever that means.

I like the back and forth too--our First Amendment at work!--but I do find it amusing when people against organized religion get organized.

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Washington, D.C.: Really? The honor system for the Metro? Somebody really suggested that?

With escalators, I always tend to cut the Metro some slack. It seems to me, that the escalators that are out of service are the outdoor ones. I think some of these escalators are some of the largest outdoor escalators in the world. Seriously, let's give Metro some props. Of course, spending money to put a lid over the stations would be wise too.

I live in Dupont, so I climb those stairs all the time when they are out. But the elevator works too, folks.

John Kelly: Do we know whether those coverings they've installed have done any good? I like the way they look, like some sort of spacecraft.

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Fast moving escalators: Border's at White Flint has fast escalators. I'm terrified half the time that I'll fall and be eaten by the escalator monster!

John Kelly: The basement at White Flint is filled with the bones of its victims.

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McPherson Square, D.C.: I have blind coworkers. I cannot tell you how many times we will be walking down the street and countless people will get annoyed that they are "forced" to walk around my blind friend. It's called compassion, people. Try it sometime.

John Kelly: Ditto to motorists who fume while waiting for pedestrians to cross the street. You're sitting in a moving box and can make up your "lost" time by just putting your foot down a little further. Me? I'm walkin' here!

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Swift escalators: I think Budapest Metro also gets lots of complaints from the elderly that the escalators are difficult to use. Best speed depends who you want to inconvenience, the elderly or the young.

John Kelly: Not so long ago I would have voted to inconvenience the elderly. Now I'm not so sure.

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Arlington, Va.: I can sympathize with Sen. Reid! In college, I worked summers for the Smithsonian Gift shops. It was great in quiet places, like the Hirschorn, but was hardship duty in crowded shops, especially Air and Space. Not only was there a miasma of BO, it seemed as if all the kids crowding around the register to by cheap trinkets kept their money in their sneakers. Handling wet, smelly currency is not pleasant!

John Kelly: Anyone who's been a substitute teacher in a high school is aware of odor de teenage boy.

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Alexandria, Va.: THANK YOU for the article on the blind man not being able to get a taxi. I have a hearing dog and can see those empty taxis whiz right by me. I've filed two formal complaints with the taxicab commissions but nothing's changed re: the cab drivers' behavior. I have to either hide my service dog behind a jersey barrier to get a cab, or ask complete strangers to hail the cab for me. If you're still in touch with the taxicab commission chair, please ask him to get input from people like me who have service dogs for disabilities other than blindness.

SO GREAT to have you back at the Post.

John Kelly: I'll check with them next week to see how their meeting went and what plans they have for the future. I think the best thing for people to do is note which cabs refuse to pick up such passengers. For that, you probably need to be talking about cabs at cab stands, where it's obvious they see you. Or ones that refuse to take you after you've called for a pickup. The blind people I've spoken with say the complaint procedure is imperfect, but occasionally fines are levied. And sighted people can obviously help, as far as taking down information, etc.

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Atheists in foxholes: I believe the expression is "There are no atheists in foxholes," and I think it dates from World War I.

John Kelly: What's worse to have to wear if you're a homeless person? A sweater that says "Jesus Loves Me" or one that says "There ARE atheists in foxholes" (or whatever will be given out on Sunday)?

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NoLo, D.C.: I found your comment about your own medical insurance interesting, because 10 days ago I would have said the same thing. Then I got the '09 plan info from my company and learned that for essentially the same type of coverage, I now "get" to pay 300 percent more in premiums, 50 percent plus more in prescriptions, and 50 percent more in my deductible. And my out-of-plan coverage goes down by 10 percent.

This came after finding out over the summer that I need to find a new internist, because my old one has gone "concierge" and if I wanted to continue seeing him, would have to pay $1,500 a year for the privilege!

I'm still grateful for whatever coverage I get, because I know what my health care bills would otherwise be. But it becomes more and more clear that health care in the country is broken and need serious rejiggering.

John Kelly: My suggestion: Don't get sick.

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Metros (again): I sort of thought the murderer was Bolscu (the main character). BUT THEN I thought it was the "Big Boss" of the metro with the crazy mark on his face. And THEN I thought it was like Bolscu's dark side again... You're right, it was odd. I liked it because it was set in the metro system that I actually found really cool, quaint, and eclectic. Anyway, no one's making movies about the D.C. metro system -- they're too busy trying to add money to their SmarTrip cards!

John Kelly: And when a movie does feature DC's Metro, it's actually filmed in Baltimore.

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"Early" Christmas tree sales: This moronic law is a prime example of nanny government at its "finest." And it is "obscure" because it wasn't enforced, so nobody knew about it. And it has few, if any, defenders because it's stupid and pointless. If you don't want to start your Christmas early, you can simply drive by any tree lot and wait until a few days before Christmas. But why should you force your views on me? I'm just surprised that MoCo hasn't regulated the sale of Hannukah candles. What's next a price limit on Christmas gifts? Bah, hambug.

John Kelly: That's one view. Here's another:

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Silver Spring, Md.: Commercial activity in areas zoned residential is illegal. The Christmas tree sale from 12/5 to 12/25 is an exception. Perhaps enacted as a compromise between residents and vendors.

The article was not well-researched, IMO.

John Kelly: The article hinted at that. If you live in a residential area, you might not want commerce going on next to you, regardless of what they're selling.

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RE: Gargoyle caption: "Unfortunately, Lothar did not have Singular Wireless and was forced to perch himself upon this ledge in order to get three bars on his cell phone."

John Kelly: "Can you hear me nowwwwwwwwwwwww?"

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John Kelly: My, look at the time. (There, in the corner of your computer screen.) I have to dash. Thanks for stopping by today. Remember, in addition to my column, there's also my blog, "John Kelly's Commons." And if you have an idea for a column, don't be shy. Shoot me an e-mail: kellyj@washpost.com.

Enjoy the weekend and play nice.

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