Letters to the editor

Better ideas for Metro

The article “Metro altering payment policy for parking” (Metropolitan, Thursday) points out a problem at Metro.

The fact that “savvy” parking customers can park for free is nothing new to the workers who are closest to the everyday parking operation. The workers in the parking lots have known this for as long as the SmarTrip cards have been in use.

The problem is that Metro and its parking contractor, Laz Parking Ltd. of Hartford, Conn., treat their parking employees like second-class citizens who have nothing to offer when it comes to helping the Metro system maximize the revenue it can get from this “cashless” system.

When a parking customer swipes a smart card, the amount deducted is shown on a digital display that the parking worker reads. When a parking customer does not have enough money on his or her card, a negative amount is displayed. The parking workers often see this. Did anyone bother to ask them? No. Why? Because Metro and Laz view them as just low-wage workers who have nothing to contribute to Metro’s well-being.

As long as Metro and Laz Parking seek no input, have low expectations and pay very low wages, they will get very low results. It is time to raise all of these for the parking workers.

EMIL ABATE

President

Parking Workers Union, Local 27

Washington

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After reading the article “Purple Line appears doomed” (Metropolitan, Monday), I’m struck with a question.

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