Managing Director
Los Angeles
Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
One Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, California 90012 - 2952
6/3/2018
Dear Sir,
Let me introduced myself, my name is Allan H. F. Palmer; I am a Vincentian by nationality, I have been living in Los Angeles County for the past four years. I use the Metro Subway and bus system on a regular basis. Everywhere I go on Metro system, I have observed that metro facility has a high security presence; there are members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff department, there are members Los Angeles Police Department presence, there is a private security and there is the Metro Security and fare enforcement officers also.
This not a is bad thing, for it is vital to ensure that your riders are given the feeling of safety and security while utilizing any of Metro facility. I have also noticed that Metro facility also have a state of the arts surveillance system that gives exceptional visual coverage to monitor the train stations, on board the trains and buses. On the regular basis I hear members of Metro staff shouting instructions to patron, within the stations to get behind the yellow line, not to encroach behind the security gates, or to get off the tracks. This gives me the impression that your surveillance system is not just in place and is used on a review basis; however, they are properly and are constantly monitored.
However, it seems that too regular when I am using your facility I am required to go out of my way, as a passenger, to render help to people in distress. I will bring to you three of those times that I was forced to get involved to aid patron of metro subway system.
Incident # 1:
In 2017, I did not pay attention to the date; because I was just doing what is right, not knowing I would have written this letter. I was at the Civic Center awaiting the train Purple/Red line terminal; where I was minding my own business. While there, I heard the loud voices of two males arguing, which was followed by a lady was shouting hysterically, I went to see what was going on. I saw an African American male and a Caucasian male in a scuffle.
At this point the African American male was attempting to throw the Caucasian male onto the train tracks. By this time, I have resolved myself not to get involved in other people’s business as was my norms. There was other people looking at the incident and no one got involved; however, the Caucasian male looked at me and stretched his hand towards me and said help me. Even though I was doing all in my power not to get involved; I honestly could not ignore a fellow human, in a dangerous situation, making a plea to me to help. So I went over to the two men and I broke the grasp the African American had on the Caucasian male and by extension took him away from the African American male and abort what could have been a tragedy. However, and for reason unknown to me, the African American male was quite upset and he insisted on throwing the Caucasian male on the train tracks, as a result, once again I had to unwillingly intervene until they both parted ways on the coming trains.
Incident # 2:
One Sunday morning in the month of March, I cannot remember the exact date, (however, this incident can be reviewed because the Ambulance was summoned to the Metro facility by metro staff on my request); I was standing on the lower level of the Seventh Street - Metro Center platform, in the vicinity of the platform number one escalator, that brings people down from platform number 1. During this period of operations, the elevator on platform number one was closed and cordoned off and was declared out of service.
I was standing on the platform minding my business. while I was standing there, I heard a tumbling on the escalator. I turn around and I say an elderly Caucasian male, with a walking aid: a walker, head down feet up, sliding down the escalator with the escalator’s help. I cannot in all honesty say what happened, or how he ended up in that position; but a review of your surveillance cameras can gave an accurate account of what took place. The man was literally chapped, in a kind of semi fetal position, between the two sides of the escalator, and was calling for help; as the escalator stairs bang him as he lay helpless caught. Everyone looked at the elderly handicap as the escalator continues to pushed him off; but his awkward position, being securely wedged between the sides of the escalator and his previous injuries prevented him from helping himself.
There were other people standing around, there was even members of his own race, standing right in the area, not too far from the disabled and old man, still trying to stay out of other people business; Unfortunately, everyone ignored the man who needed help as well as his loud cry for help, they all blankly looked at the fallen man but did nothing. It came down to me to do what was right. I went and I took the fellow off of the escalator and I lay him down on the floor try to get him to lay on his back just in the event that his fall, roll, and banging of the elevator resulted in an injured or if the incident aggravates some injury that may require him to use the walker, it is them he informed me that he cannot lay on his back because he has an injury to his back. I asked on lookers to use the intercom to informed Metro personnel to send the ambulance and no one did that either. I had to left the man find an intercom, update metro and then return to the victim.
Incident # 3:
On the morning of Sunday, 20th May, 2018, I was on my way to Santa Monica, I was standing on Plat form number one, in the general vicinity of the Flower Street, exit waiting for the train to Santa Monica, when I saw two Asian young ladies, running along the platform, they were trying to get to platform number 2 to get the train to Long Beach. Although one of the ladies were ahead of the other, they appear to be running in unison. The young ladies ran up the escalator, which was moving in their direction of their travel. This would have allowed them make their way over to the Blue line. By this time, they were almost to the top of the escalator, I noticed the ladies suddenly turn around and began to run down the upward moving escalator. I also notice there was someone on the top of the escalator who appears to be sitting, which was the reason for the girl sudden decent.
To be honest, I though the whole series of event was funny, as a result I began to smile at the sudden turn of events. I thought it was one of the many characters were just finding something awkward to do again, like sitting on the landing of the escalator to inhibit patron. One never know what to expect. After the ladies left the escalator, and upon closer inspection, the person on the top of the escalator was not sitting but was lying face down, I asked the person who were standing there if that is an emergency situation and no one answered, it was then I saw the person’s head and shoulder area going up with the upward movement of the escalator and then down after the stair that send his head up had pass.
So I went over to the escalator and I saw that it was someone lying face down on the escalator who appeared to be unresponsive. So I quickly ran up the stairs, and I held him by neck of his top and the back of his pants in an effort to lift him off of the escalator, he did not appear to be a particularly big man and I should not have had any difficulty lifting him off the escalator. However, I was unable to. It was then another fellow saw me struggling to move the man from off the escalator and came by to render some assistance. Both of us could not lift the man off the escalator, it was then I noticed that the top the man was wearing was caught between the escalator which made it impossible to get him off the still moving escalator. It then turned off the escalator using the emergency shut off switch, after the escalator was turned off the fellow who was rendering help left. I once again had to find an intercom and informed the metro personnel of the current situation and request that they send the ambulance, to the location.
They call members of the Los Angeles Police Department who was on duty at the station to deal with the matter. There was one thing I recognized when I was dealing with these incident was no one care enough to say thanks. The man at Civic Center who begged me to get involved when he was about to be hauled onto the tracks did not say thanks, it was more important for him to recover some book he had in his passion, the Caucasian elderly/ handicap fellow who fell down the escalator who everyone was ignoring did not say thanks, I did not expect a thank you from the man who was trapped because of his current situation and state of mind. The police who came to the scene did not say thanks or took my name, and the Metro operator who I reported the incident to did not say thanks or took my name.
It was as if I am obligated to get involved when I did, and I was only doing what was expected of me. I have seen many instant when police officers, fire personnel and others who were acting in the capacity their paid profession who acted in the line of their required and paid duties are acknowledges and rewarded for doing their work. Yet I was not even thanked for endangering my life, risking injuries to render help to total stranger, and in so doing, I relief Metro from, delay in service (in the instant of the Civic Center incident) and obvious increase liability, and a bad reputation.
It is these type of behavior from your employees on all from that is probable responsible for the general reluctance of patron to get involved and render help even to people in need.
In pursuant of appreciation.
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