Metro may go back to the late-night service hours it ended (perhaps temporarily) earlier this summer. But if those 3 a.m. trains return, they’ll do so at a cost, with Metro opening at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and noon on Sundays.
So what does this mean for people who rely on Metro to get around? Sure, the late-night service hours could allow millennials to get home from concerts or bars. But the later opening times on weekends could prevent those same millennials from rolling up to hungover brunches on Sunday mornings. (Granted, several new restaurants that Washingtonian recently recommended stop serving brunch at 3 p.m., so “Metro and mimosas” could still be a thing.)
But what about the 11 percent of Metro riders who earn less than $30,000 a year? Ubers and cabs may not be the option for them that they are for the brunch crowd. Churchgoers may have to figure out other ways of getting to Sunday morning services. And what about the 21 million tourists who descend on DC every year, and everyone who relies on Metro for weekend activities like going to the National Zoo? The later weekend opening times could prevent them from seeing the adorable ball of cuteness that is Bei Bei.
People on Twitter, of course, had much to say about Metro’s proposed opening hours. Here are some of our favorite angry tweets:
1. Wining about it
More cuts coming to late-night Metro service, are you ready? #wakeupwashhttps://t.co/QMXjvZxqWd pic.twitter.com/RLyTHmVLh3
— WUSA9 (@wusa9) September 9, 2016
2. Something worse?
Holy sh*t @WellsFargo is worse than Metro!
— Unsuck DC Metro (@unsuckdcmetro) September 8, 2016
3. Breaking up is the hardest part
Must-read break-up letter to @wmata https://t.co/tMROe9qG66 Sorry, Metro. I’ve been seeing someone else @ggwash pic.twitter.com/PzdYhEDSog
— Island Press (@IslandPress) September 8, 2016
4. Sadly not satire
#nottheonion #wmata pic.twitter.com/Xh9hc3VKuU
— Unsuck DC Metro (@unsuckdcmetro) September 8, 2016
5. Slides over rides
Option E #wmata pic.twitter.com/pFtp04N0SK
— Unsuck DC Metro (@unsuckdcmetro) September 8, 2016
6. Ben Franklin saw this coming
"But in this world nothing [is] certain except death, taxes and that #WMATA will screw you." — #BenFranklin @unsuckdcmetro @dcmetrosucks
— Satan's Chariot DC (@SatansChariotDC) September 9, 2016
7. We’re jealous of this schedule
New @WMATA hours:
M: 9a–5p
T: 9p–5a
W: [off]
Th: happy hour! 4–7p
F: As the thrush knocks at the last light of Durin's Day
Sat–Sun: Brunch— Kriston Capps (@kristoncapps) September 8, 2016
8. Because logic
Metro sees its declining ridership, decides to ponder closing early or opening at noon on Sundays (!!) https://t.co/iXoB0lrMsy
— Mark Berman (@markberman) September 8, 2016
9. “Y’all are not slick”
WMATA… what are you doing? Y'all are not slick. Do not play us. Full stop. https://t.co/o3ce9wqWNh
— Ernest Ezeugo (@ErnestEzeugo) September 8, 2016
10. And finally…the ultimate throwback
Option E: close metro all day Thursday for the ultimate #tbt
— sharrowsDC (@sharrowsDC) September 8, 2016
Maxine is an editorial fellow passionate about covering food, news, and politics. Her work has also been published in Forbes, Marie Claire, and Inside Higher Ed. She recently graduated from Brown University with honors in nonfiction writing.
