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I've decided to take buses with the family instead of Metro Subway trains.
Other moms I've spoken with are doing the same thing. I am blessed that I don't need metro to commute to work. The DH commutes the subway stops no problem but has had to walk to work several times in the past year due to evacuations
I know I'll probably get into a car accident before a metro smoke emergency-its the stuck in the tunnel with no way out. There have been too many emergencies with subway stops- esp in April. I am claustrophobic so I'm scared I'll freak out with my kids during an arcing emergency.
Any other riders taking buses only?
No. The Metro obviously needs a lot of backlogged maintenance but those smoke incidents are so rare, it's completely irrational to actually change your behavior for fear of them.
This is like refusing to fly because you think the plane might crash or refusing to swim in the ocean because you think you might get eaten by a shark. Actually I wouldn't be surprised if those two things were MORE likely to happen to any individual than a Metro smoke emergency.
But I've seen a lot of comments both in and on Washington Post articles to the effect of "I won't ride the Metro, it's too dangerous." It's head-smackingly stupid when you realize most of these people are probably driving instead - a mode of transportation that is many times over more dangerous than the Metro.
I get having irrational, emotional fears. I've dealt with fear of flying before. But I still will get on the plane when I need to fly somewhere, no matter how anxious I feel, because the logical side of my brain knows it's safe.
I don't live in DC anymore, but I do come down every so often for work and to visit friends. I wouldn't freak out about Metro trains' safety (frankly DC and suburban drivers are far more dangerous since they refuse to yield to pedestrians). Yet I'd definitely skew my travel plans toward buses during nights and weekends because of Metro construction work.
The last time I was in DC, in November, I took Metro from Union Station to Braddock Road to visit friends. It took me almost an hour and a half to get down there - wait 20+ minutes for Red Line, take it to Gallery Place, wait 20+ minutes for Yellow Line. Screw that.
The country as a whole has an aging infrastructure, putting more cars on the roads will be just as bad for the roads, highways, etc. And as another poster said, you'd more than likely get into a car accident than something happening to you on metro, but it is what it is at this point.
No matter how bad metro gets, it will never be as bad as driving to work in this area during rush hour.
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