From: elizabeth_haile@hotmail.com

cc: Mary Cheh

I had an absolutely horrifying experience at the Tenley town metro
stop with Wilson senior high students Monday afternoon. I made the
mistake of trying to take the metro elevator with my infant daughter
in her stroller around 3:30. Access to the elevator was being blocked
by a group of about 20 students who were screaming and pushing to get
on. They were shoving my stroller and screaming at me, with no regard
to the fact that I had an infant with me. My daughter started to cry
and it only got worse once the doors closed and we were trapped with
them on the ride down. They screamed in my face, while I held my
daughter's face into my chest to try and avoid her seeing them and to
try and cover her ears, while she sobbed in terror. They were mostly
incomprehensible, but along the lines of "Just cuz I'm black doesn't
mean I don't get to ride wherever I want....you b----." None of these
students had visible physical disabilities or were carrying roller
bags or any sort of cart. When the elevator doors opened they all
used the gate to avoid paying the fare. I was so shaken and in so
much distress for the experience that my child had just gone through
that it was all I could do to jump onto the next train going north
and try to get my cell phone out.

When I exited at Friendship Heights and felt safe I immediately called
the Metro police and spoke to a sergeant, who was very sympathetic,
but essentially told me that there was not much more they could do. He
explained they have two officers assigned to the station at this time
of day because of all the problems with students in the past, and
their main concern is in the station and trains, not the elevator,
which is understandable if they only have two man.

He asked me to call Wilson's principal because he says that they get
no cooperation from the school and this is a constant problem. I got
voice mail when I called the school but left my number yesterday
afternoon.

There were also two MPD officers and a car stationed right outside the
elevator. Yet, they were simly leaning against their car and did
nothing about the throngs of screaming kids blocking acces to
elevators and escalators, and did not attempt to intervene with the
students started yelling at me. When I returned to the Tenleytown
station abotu 1/2 hour later (I was too upset to actually complete my
errand) they were gone, so i could not talk to them or get their car
number.

Surely between the MPD, Metro Transit Police and school security,
there can be a much larger presence at the metro for the 1/2 hour that
the kids are there, at least for a few days, until they get the
message about what is proper behavior and not. I am now scared to use
the metro anytime the students are there, nor would I be comfortable
sending my child to Wilson or Deal, or coming across any of these
students elsewhere. If something serious had happened, I am not at
all confident that the officers that were supposedly present would
have been able to do anything.

Elizabeth Haile