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| Rev. James T. Clemons (source: FindAGrave) |
The real tragedy besides the obvious loss of life is that this could have been easily prevented. MTA cost-cutting measures eliminated Gaithersburg’s station master who used to alert inside passengers when the train was at Metropolitan Grove. This gave everyone time to get across the tracks. A working PA system might have helped but we’ll never know. Gaithersburg’s was out of order for the past two years! Finally, it was restored October of 2011 but too late for Rev. Clemons.
As one would expect, MARC officials were and are quick to blame the passengers saying we take too long to leave the shelter to catch the train on the other side. If we are inside the station and have no prior notification and can only hear the train when it’s almost on top of us, how is that our fault? If the trains speed into the station like the devil is chasing them, how is that our fault?
MARC claims the trains always approach the station slowly. Baloney. Little more than a week after Rev. Clemons death, trains sped again into the station. A year later, the morning trains are still approaching too quickly. Last week, twelve of us almost got mowed down by the P876. We waited and crossed behind the train so MARC can’t accuse us of trying to “beat the train”!
What does it take to get train engineers to realize being late is better than being dead?
Rest in peace Reverend Clemons. We are still thinking about you.
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