Metro wants you

This is excellent news. Now, Metro should also look to men and women with military experience for all other positions as well, especially station managers. One of Metro's biggest public relations disasters are the people who have day to day contact with customers -- when was the last time you asked a station manager (the people who sit in airtight glass boxes staring at their computer screens or standing about in little groups talking with other Metro employees) and got a friendly smile and a courteous answer?? Most of them barely grunt at you when you ask a question, and usually look peeved when you disturb their magazine reading or internet surfing or banter with fellow employees. If anything ever defined "attitude", it is the "station manager" inside the Metro system.

This is excellent news. Now, Metro should also look to men and women with military experience for all other positions as well, especially station managers. One of Metro's biggest public relations disasters are the people who have day to day contact with customers -- when was the last time you asked a station manager (the people who sit in airtight glass boxes staring at their computer screens or standing about in little groups talking with other Metro employees) and got a friendly smile and a courteous answer?? Most of them barely grunt at you when you ask a question, and usually look peeved when you disturb their magazine reading or internet surfing or banter with fellow employees. If anything ever defined "attitude", it is the "station manager" inside the Metro system.

This sounds like a good idea at first, but how are retired, former and transitioning military service members going to fit into Metro? Supposedly, these are people who are cable leaders with can-do attitudes. They will be totally and completely out of place in Metro unless the entire Metro system is taken over by the Army (or the newly hired veterans take the Darth Vader approach and start executing Metrocrats for their failures).

Military folks (such as myself, ex-Navy) would not fit into the Metro culture. We belive in getting the job done right, the first time. We believe in our teammates doing their job in a timely and proper manner. We belive in people being held accountable. We believe in a responsive chain of command. We know how to adapt and improvise when needed, not shrugging our shoulders and rolling our eyes. We believe in courtesy, and responding to "customer" questions and concerns. No, we would not fit in with Metro. But, thanks for the thought.

"when was the last time you asked a station manager (the people who sit in airtight glass boxes staring at their computer screens or standing about in little groups talking with other Metro employees) and got a friendly smile and a courteous answer??"

I have seen a lot of grunting and bantering, but in fairness, I will say that there is a station manager at Takoma in the evenings who does an excellent job being friendly and approachable. He stands at the entrance and smiles at each rider and tells them to have a good evening.