Woman Arrested For Chewing Candy Bar In D.C. Metro Station (Grab the mace!)

WFTV ^ | 7/29/04

[paul51]

to protect and serve

[freeeee]

It's in post 7.

[rabidralph]

The victim, looking for her payday.

[Alberta's Child]

One of the wisest men I ever met was a bus driver for New Jersey Transit who drove a commuter bus on a busy route between northern New Jersey and New York City. NJT has an official policy that prohibits passengers from eating or drinking, but this guy steadfastly refused to enforce the rule.

He had an unwritten agreement with his passengers (most of whom were daily riders) -- they could eat and drink as they pleased, but this accommodation would come to an end if he ever found a scrap of litter or a spilled liquid anywhere on the bus when he got back to the garage.

At the end of each day, I can assure you that his bus was so clean you could practically eat off the floor.

[f zero]

Yes, but at least the escalator was working!

[Gunrunner2]

Went into the Metro, carrying a pastry. Was stopped by the Metro police and told food/snacks are not allowed. Said, "Okay," and ate the pastry and went on (no problems noted, the cop was polite).
I suspect there is more to this than the news report states.

[paul51]

It's a good thing they cuffed her. She looks like the type that would try to stuff another candy bar in her mouth

[curlewbird]

Ya know what would be humerous?? Leave little piles of Sugar Babies candy around the terminal and then convince them they have GIANT RATS in the tunnels!! BWAHHHAAAHAAHAA!

[freeeee]

I suspect there is more to this than the news report states.

The difference:

"Was stopped by the Metro police and told food/snacks are not allowed. Said, "Okay,"

vs,

"The comment she made to the cop was, "Why don't you stop following me and go find some real criminals?"

They arrested her because they didn't like what she said.

[cinFLA]

It's in post 7.

Someone you don't know posts what they think they heard someone they don't know say on the on some radio talk show you have no idea which one and you state it as facts.

[Gunrunner2]

Comment: Why are people accepting, unchallenged, any statements from the very media we don't trust and view with skepticism given any other subject?

"Why don't you stop following me and go find some real criminals?"

I'm thinking there is more to this than the story says, and I'll bet this person said/did some other awful things she is not going to admit to. . .and the media (you know, the same people we don't trust on any other issue) print this alleged statement as a stand-alone fact and people think, "Well, that's it then, that's all she did and the police are 100% wrong on this." (?)

[steve-b]

If the account in the ComPost is accurate (a big "if", I realize), Willett was warned to finish the candy bar before entering the station, and put the last piece in her mouth. The transit rentacop followed her because she hadn't yet swallowed the last piece before entering the station.

IMO, any rational person would agree that Willett had complied with the warning, and there was therefore no cause for the rentacop to start an incident.

[Salgak]

It gets worse. She was on the ESCALATOR entering the station.

It has previously been established, in law, that Metro Police and their jurisdiction is on the trains and in the station. You do not legally enter the station until you cross the fare line, i.e. insert your MetroCard or flash your SmartTrip card at the sensor, and go in the gate that opens.

She had been finishing the candy bar, admitted taking the last of it out of the wrapper and throwing it in the trash bin, and eating the last bite, SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EATEN WHEN SHE ENTERED THE STATION, when Barney-Fife-of-Metro accosted her. Outside of his/her jurisdiction.

My guess: Metro will do an apology and settlement FAST, or they're going to get sued and lose badly...

[Gunrunner2]

>>a professional who works for the EPA <<

I can see you haven't much experience working with the legions of low-level (and in many cases high-level) toads in government. Trashy attitudes and elitist behavior is the norm in a lot of places, and the EPA (a true nanny-state organization) is one of the worst.

[freeeee]

You're both right. We should get some more on this before coming to hasty conclusions. Media is notoriously unreliable.

[Gunrunner2]

Civility is key.

However, see Post 51/54/55.

[mak5]

I thought I remembered them at Farragut North, Metro Center, and out by East Falls Church (whatever the real name of that station was). Of course, I haven't been on the Metro for several years.

[rabidralph]

LOL!

[BSunday]

transit officer = real cop wannabe

[rabidralph]

I've never been to Farragut North, nor East FC. Metro Center is just a zoo that I run through to get to my train. Anyway, all the signs clearly state that there is no eating or drinking allowed. Certainly, someone can hold onto a snack, during their commute, until they are out of the Metro station.