“The Miami-Dade Metro is Ruining My Life”
It’s no secret that the Miami-Dade County public transit system needs work. The Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works, which manages the system, has openly admitted that Miami Dade County did not adequately fund maintenance and replacement of transit equipment in the past.
This is causing headaches for those who use the system, including one University of Miami student who uses the MetroRail to get to work and school. She wrote an email to the director of Miami-Dade Transit, with the subject...
The Miami-Dade Metro is Ruining My Life
Dear Director Bravo,
My name is Ashley, and I am a junior at the University of Miami. Living across from the Coconut Grove Metro Station, I rely on taking the Metro to school and work at the University station on a daily basis. I am writing you today to express my extreme displeasure with my experience taking the Metro. As a student of political science, I have been encouraged to reach out to my local government officials with my concerns. You should know that the Metro has proved to be an extreme burden in my day, at many times making me feel uncomfortable.
This morning, I left my apartment and saw a southbound train go by before I got to the station. About a minute later I saw another train approaching and ran through the gate to try and catch it. I sprinted up the escalator and made eye contact with the train conductor only to have him pull away without me. I look at the screen, and the next train was nearly a half hour away. At this point, I already knew I would be late to work. But why should I have to leave and call an Uber when I pay $55 a month for a student pass? So I stay. I'm already annoyed but patiently waiting for this train, only to see that the ETA is steadily increasing. I've attached two pictures taken 20 minutes apart and the train arrival only decreased by 10 minutes. This meant I ended up waiting approximately 40 minutes for one train. 40 minutes which were docked from my pay today at work. Why make riders wait 40 minutes for a train because the trains are grouped together two a minute apart?
My second experience which happened earlier this week was not one of plain inconvenience. Rather, I was made to feel extremely uncomfortable to the point that I almost had a panic attack on the train. I was heading southbound from University to Dadeland after school at around 6 p.m. The train was delayed (once again) making me late to my destination. When the train finally approached I noticed how packed it was. A packed train is normal for rush hour, and I stand often for the duration of my ride. However, this was something out of a Holocaust movie. I made my way into the train anyway because I was too late not to. I was forced up against a man whom I had never met in my life. It wasn't his fault, but it was so tight that I felt his penis pressed up on the back of my thigh. At this point, I felt extremely violated and began to panic. I think I held my breath the entire ride to Dadeland.
The MetroRail has proved to be an extremely unreliable way to get to my job and to school. It has not only made me late to class, it has made me 40 minutes late to work, and it has violated my personal space. How is it that I pay $55 a month for a student pass, just to deal with this? Such a problematic system is not worth that money. I would like some answers to my concerns. Could I receive a refund on my pass for this month? It has caused me more stress than anything else.
Thank you for your time reading my letter. I hope to hear back from you soon.
Sincerely,
Ashley
Ashley’s letter has been edited for grammar and clarity. Miami-Dade Transit responded with a form letter detailing their plans to upgrade and replace parts of the aging system.