Rising Crime/Safety Issues on Metro - concern for your HS student?

[Anonymous]

were the six Wilson students Black?

[Anonymous]

My son rides the metro every day with his lacrosse stick. He has not had any issues yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
my 17 year old nephew was on red line after school (afternoon) and was approached and told to hand over his phone by a group of males. He didn't have his phone out - but I guess they expect every teenager has a phone now a days. There were plenty of other people on the train, but no one was going to stand up to the group.


No idea about this alleged incident, but no one is going to put their safety at risk for a stranger's phone.

The hell? In New York city, former Kitty Genovese territory, that shit WOULD NOT FLY.

Because people are nice there.

God, I miss it. Is it something in the water, that makes y'all so mean? Aside from the lead? Is it just hte lead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are daily Metrorail commuters and so is DC. Safety is not a concern, especially since we're not afraid of public school students. Plus DC is not traveling at peak youth travel times that might increase the chances of petty beefs. A Wilson student was stabbed today after driving to school. It would be absurd to worry about driving as a result or to fear Cleveland Park and Tenleytown as hotbeds of crime.

Actually six Wilson students were accused of attacking someone violently on the metro so maybe Tenley isn't as safe as you think. There are numerous attacks and assaults on commuters or near metro.

The incident with the Wilson students actually happened at Gallery Place, not Tenley.

We do live in a city and it is a pretty good idea to teach your child early about safety. Crime isn't metro specific or city specific. They should always be aware of their surroundings and NOT glued to their phones.

[Anonymous]

I think the incident that most got my attention was the murder of the AU grad on the red line July 4th last year. Totally random murder. Amazing thing was the suspect had been in custody for another robbery on Metro and was released the day before. Sort of a perfect storm of no police presence on Metro plus violent criminals being released back on the streets after committing crimes.

Basically, you cannot count on any part of the government to function the way you would expect - that trains are kept mechanically and physically safe, that criminals get locked up. It's all just not working anymore.

[Anonymous]

A regular Red line rider for nearly a decade now and considering letting my DC commute to MS (two of the schools on our list are Metro accessible). As others have said, we live in a big city and crime happens. Smart, street-savvy kids who understand a little self-defense and self-aware should have little problem commuting by Metro on a daily basis. It is a matter of education and practice. DC occasionally takes Metro with me and we've role played various scenarios of being separated or some other emergency. In 18 months, when DC starts MS, I think DC will be ready to commute by Metro.

[Anonymous]

Why is this on the private school forum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is this on the private school forum?

Because Metro is a principle method of transportation for many private school kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously? I've been riding the red line since 2003 and wouldn't be concerned with letting my kids use it. They're still too young to go to school alone but I don't think metro is appreciably more dangerous than taking the bus, and way safer than biking. If they had a long walk I'd probably be concerned about a car hitting them while they crossed the street absentmindedly.

MY DC rides Metro daily and has seen a couple assaults and arrests in the last year.

Statistically speasking...that seems far fetched.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously? I've been riding the red line since 2003 and wouldn't be concerned with letting my kids use it. They're still too young to go to school alone but I don't think metro is appreciably more dangerous than taking the bus, and way safer than biking. If they had a long walk I'd probably be concerned about a car hitting them while they crossed the street absentmindedly.

MY DC rides Metro daily and has seen a couple assaults and arrests in the last year.

Statistically speasking...that seems far fetched.

That's ludicrous. Whose statistics are you talking about? Of course it's possible to see two arrests and assaults in the course of a year of taking the metro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously? I've been riding the red line since 2003 and wouldn't be concerned with letting my kids use it. They're still too young to go to school alone but I don't think metro is appreciably more dangerous than taking the bus, and way safer than biking. If they had a long walk I'd probably be concerned about a car hitting them while they crossed the street absentmindedly.

MY DC rides Metro daily and has seen a couple assaults and arrests in the last year.

Statistically speasking...that seems far fetched.

That's ludicrous. Whose statistics are you talking about? Of course it's possible to see two arrests and assaults in the course of a year of taking the metro.

I've seen at least 3 people in handcuffs on the street in the last year while either walking or driving. I don't think seeing some police activity on metro or on the street is such an odd occurence.

[Anonymous]

here are some stats:

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/transit_police/ytd_stats.pdf?nocache

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:here are some stats:

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/transit_police/ytd_stats.pdf?nocache

Kind of crazy to see it laid out like that - it's really up across the board from last year.

[Anonymous]

While safety is always going to be a concern, I know my children can't live in a bubble forever. I've let my high schooler take the bus to the metro for the past two years to attend an after school class in Tenley and plan to keep doing so unless she tells me she's uncomfortable. I rode the T in Boston when I was in high school and loved the freedom it afforded me. I saw a lot more (in terms of crime and unusual people) than my friends who had parents driving them everywhere but I was also much more self sufficient than others when I got to college and that was a good thing. Talk to your kids about dangers and give them strategies to confront situations but let them figure things out too. I'm not advocating dropping them off in a high crime neighborhood at midnight or anything but I think allowing them to metro or bus to school or activities in high school is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are daily Metrorail commuters and so is DC. Safety is not a concern, especially since we're not afraid of public school students. Plus DC is not traveling at peak youth travel times that might increase the chances of petty beefs. A Wilson student was stabbed today after driving to school. It would be absurd to worry about driving as a result or to fear Cleveland Park and Tenleytown as hotbeds of crime.

Whoa! What does that mean?

It means what it says. I am not the OP, but the city is doing the public a tremendous disservice by not prosecuting the thugs that attacked the guy on the Metro a few months ago. I don't think it is a coincidence that they are Wilson students and there has been an apparent spike in violent crime in the vicinity of Wilson and the Tenleytown neighborhood.