Do You Know These MARC Safety Tips?

Listening to MARC's safety announcements can be like listening to the stewardess tell you how to hook up your oxygen masks in the event of an emergency. However, I've been paying attention this year and guess what? There is an order to the evacuation process.

First, if possible move to the next car.
If you can't, then open the door using the emergency switch.
Finally, if all other evacuation routes are blocked, exist through the Windows.

See, it's easy as 1-2-3.

Gaithersburg Police Offer Tips for a Safe Holiday Season

The Gaithersburg Police Department would like to remind citizens to be safe during the holiday season with some of these safety tips:
If you are traveling:

• Get an automatic timer for your lights.
  
• Ask a neighbor to watch your home and park in the driveway from time to time, if possible.
  
• Don’t forget to have mail and newspaper deliveries stopped.

If you are out for the evening:

• Turn on lights and a radio or TV, to give the appearance of someone being home.
  
• Be sure to lock doors and windows, even if you’ll only be gone for a few minutes.
  
• Do not display gifts where they can be seen from the outside.

If you are shopping:

• Stay alert and aware of your surroundings.
  
• Park in well-lighted areas.
  
• Be sure to lock your car and hide shopping bags and gifts in the trunk.
  
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay with a check or credit/debit card when possible.
  
• Deter pickpockets and purse-snatchers. Don't overburden yourself with packages. Be extra careful with purses and wallets. Carry a purse close to your body, not dangling by the straps. Put a wallet in an inside coat or front pants pocket.

In an effort to be proactive during this holiday season, the police department will be deploying its theft from auto “Bait Car” in various shopping centers. The “Bait Car” is a vehicle operated by the police which contains valuable items to draw attention to it. In some cases, the vehicle may be left unlocked. The “Bait Car” is equipped to immediately notify officers when a theft or attempted theft from the vehicle is made, and the criminal activity of the suspect(s) is video recorded.

For more information please contact the Gaithersburg Police Department at 301-258-6400 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/police.

Source:
http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/poi/default.asp?POI_ID=309&TOC=107%3B85%3B309%3B&id=6524

MARC@Gaithersburg – Approaching a Sad One-year Anniversary

Rev. James T. Clemons (source: FindAGrave)

Just before 8:00 AM on January 14, 2011, Reverend James Thomas Clemons was struck and killed by a MARC train as he tried to cross the tracks. Like many other passengers that chilly morning, he waited inside the Java Junction and left as soon as they heard the train’s horn. He was last out of the station, not because of his age, but because he was dragging a suitcase so he could spend the weekend with his daughter. Ironically, Rev. Clemons was taking the train because he felt, at 81, he was too old to drive safely.

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.

References:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/man-81-killed-by-arriving-marc-train/2011/01/14/ABwYKkD_story.html

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=64523397 

http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/01192011/olnenew231415_32547.php 

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Man-Struck-Killed-by-MARC-Train-113600159.html 

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/capital-land/2011/01/marc-officials-warn-walk-dont-run 

http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/01142011/montnew103741_32555.php