WARNING: Escalator IN Service

I guess I'm pretty late to the party on this issue, as there is no shortage of video commentary on the subject out there, but it was a direct message I received from a fellow mom and Metro rider that brought the issue to my attention.

PARENT WARNING: if you are taking your child who is wearing Crocs onto the Metro and it happens to be a day when the escalators are actually working, be cautious!
The following excerpt is taken from my friend's email:

"Several of you have asked after her, so I thought I would send you all a note to let you know that my [precious daughter] is fine, and to let you know what amazing teachers and administrators we have.  

En route to [a field trip] today, [daughter's] left Croc got sucked in the escalator down to the Metro.  [Teacher #1] -- thinking and acting quickly -- got her out of harm's way, all the while holding on to another student, ensuring both of their safety.  [Teacher #2] swung into action with latex gloves and first aid kit, cleaned her wound, bandaged her up, and carried her back to school where they talked and read books until we arrived... At the doctor, [my daughter] received an elaborate bandage...her left toe nail is gone and ...she will be on antibiotics for several days.

But while [Teacher #2} was administering to [my daughter] at the Metro station, not one Metro employee stopped to ask if they could help. [Teacher #1] filed a complaint with Metro about their employees' lack of interest in a wounded rider...and...Metro informed her that injuries caused on escalators by Crocs-wearers is a huge issue..."

I feel the need to mention that Metro escalators aren't the only potentially dangerous ones, and Crocs are not the only shoe that could cause an injury. Ok, I mentioned it. Oh, and I also should mention that I believe any Metro worker that sees an injured child and does nothing, deserves to be puked on.

And with our first set of stitches for the summer already under our belt (Princess #1 is doing fine but her forehead lost the battle with the edge of a desk), wanted to pass this along to any other parents that may have missed the numerous reports of this phenomenon.

xoxo - stay safe!

The Metro Life Cycle

It’s always fun for me to do things for the first time with one of the princesses. Especially things that are ordinary to me. It rarely fails in bringing about some level of appreciation for things that I have not considered, or have become jaded to over time. Like riding the metro.

Princess #1 and #2 have now ridden the metro a number of times to take special trips with mommy, but Princess #3 has been impatiently waiting to be “big enough” for her own journey. (To be clear, she could have ridden the metro at any time, I just wasn’t prepared to handle a toddler and the metro at the same time. Not even the most precious observations are worth that kind of headache.)

This past Sunday it was finally her turn. We met up with some friends to wander the Eastern Market, and it really is simple* to get there via metro. Despite the added travel time of one-track running of Orange/Blue lines, it was a successful adventure for us.

[*Note: by simple I mean there is no changing of trains necessary. This is not to be confused with being either faster or easier than driving.]

Sassy Princess #3 -- ready to spend the morning searching for treasures at the market.

{still sporting her stylish, self-inflicted "cropped" bangs from Mother's Day}

I was struck by how her little 3 yo observations summed up the life cycle of most metro experiences: 

“I want to do the ticket! I like these stairs that are moving!”

“I like this train! I like these orange chairs! I want to sit by the window!”

“This train is moving fast! More people are getting on this train with us!”

“What is that smell? I don’t like it.”

“We keep stopping, can we get off yet? Are we there?”

“This carpet is dirty. I can’t see out my window, I don’t like this tunnel.”

“Are we there yet?”

“I can still smell something. I don’t like it. This train is dirty.”

“Are we there yet?”

“This train is loud. Can I lay down?”

“I want to do the ticket! Why are these stairs not moving? Can you make them move?”

“Can we be done with the train now?”

Ahh, how quickly they learn.

 xoxo -- Enjoy the daily adventures!