the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Feb 21, 2011
A woman almost fell into a collapsing escalator at the Foggy Bottom Metro station in Washington, D.C. The metal treads literally fell off leaving a gaping hole. The woman was pulled to safety by other riders just before her leg was about to get mangled in the mechanical parts of the escalator.
This was the third serious incident reported on a Metro escalator. An escalator with worn and oily brake pads slid backwards at L’Enfant Plaza station causing passengers to land in a pile at the bottom. And in November, riders at Tenleytown station encountered a hole where steps should have been.
Metro’s escalators either don’t work at all or they become vicious and horrifying like something from a Stephen King movie, attacking unsuspecting riders.
This is absolutely unacceptable–but predictable!
Metro’s workforce for maintenance has dropped relative to the growing number of machines, leading to two-thirds of the escalators and elevators breaking down. No matter which party is in control–Congress and the White House have been starving it for money while providing big bucks to the banks and the wealthy.
There is no justification for government if it can’t provide needed public services.