Comments on: Sick People on Orange Line

By: brownpau

brownpau — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:56:15 +0000

Actually, Baracus, that’s exactly what happened — the guy was walked off the train by the station manager. I was surprised. I’ve heard that it’s policy to not move sick customers, but today both times on this trip that I saw sick people on trains, they were quickly removed to the platform as soon as it was evident that they were well enough to walk. There was still a delay, but not for as long as I thought there would be.

By: Prof. Baracus

Prof. Baracus — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:48:07 +0000

@tiffany: for example, the photo for this post shows a metro employee with a hand held radio standing on the train next to the sick passenger. Can’t these two move to the platform and let the train and the system get back to work?

By: Prof. Baracus

Prof. Baracus — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:45:45 +0000

@Tiffany: My question is why aren’t sick passengers moved off of trains while EMT etc are on the way? If the train has been delayed for a sick passenger, some metro employee somewhere knows of their situation.

A station manager, metro police officer, dc police officer, etc. should get them off the train and if possible help move them closer to ground transportation.

If the person’s condition is so bad they can’t be moved, that I understand. I’ve never heard of such a situation though.

The EMTs aren’t coming to fix the train so why is it sitting there waiting for them?

By: Tiffany Bridge

Tiffany Bridge — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:09:48 +0000

@Prof. Baracus: Probably because it’s paramedics who give the aid to sick passengers, who arrive in said ground transportation. Metro stations are not routinely staffed with EMTs/paramedics.

The delay is in waiting for the arrival of emergency medical services, not in the provision thereof.

By: Me

Me — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:28:16 +0000

A woman fainted on our red line train this morning. I’m not sure if it was health-related or due to the fact the train was at ABSOLUTE full capacity and we were stopped in the tunnel (between Woodley and Dupont) with only one announcement that there was a door problem in the entire 20 minute span.

…20 minutes may not seem all that long, but after yesterdays unfortunate catastrophe it was more unsettling than usual.

By: Peter Smith

Peter Smith — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:05:05 +0000

sounds like a terrorist attack to me. people dropping like flies? um, yeah…might want to check that out.

By: Prof. Baracus

Prof. Baracus — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:02:38 +0000

Why aren’t sick passengers removed from trains and given help on the platform while ground transportation to a medical facitlity is arranged? I’ve never understood the whole delay due to sick passengers phenomenon. Can anyone shed light on this?

By: TheDenverite

TheDenverite — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:57:01 +0000

I just got back to my desk from lunch, and Rosslyn Metro has ambulances and a fire truck parked in front of it as well. No idea whats going on there, but it looks like whatever it is can’t do any good for the Blue and Orange lines.