MSM confused about what is actually changing

There are a few news sites reporting this story wrong.

WUSA9's headline reads "Folding Bikes Allowed On Metro At Any Time, Officials Say." Which is true, but the policy in place for years and years. And it's not just the headline, the whole story keeps emphasizing that folding bikes are allowed on at all times.

Folding bikes are now allowed on the metro but must remained folded during rush hour, officials said.

The new policy will now allow folding bikes on at any time but need to remain "folded and securely fastened," the press release stated.

ABC7 makes the same mistake "Metro now allows folding bikes during rush hour", which again, was always true.

Metro says it is allowing folding bicycles on its subway trains during rush hour.

Examiner gets it right, and implies that the policy may have changed due to a push from Office of Planning Director Harriet Tregoning (which may be true - and there would be nothing wrong with that). 

Kudos to DCist for their reading comprehension skills. 

Comments

[Greenbelt]

I always thought the carrying case requirement was a pretty big deterrent, so this might be functionally like lifting a ban for the many caseless folder riders.

[SJE]

MSM doesnt know what to do: a bike story that doesnt fit into pre-prepared narratives.

[Richard Layman]

FWIW, I was bad last week, and got on the Metro with my bike even though I knew I would be exiting after 7am. Since I was reverse commuting (going to City of Fairfax), I thought I could get away with it.

The station manager/people didn't hassle me, just handed me the Metro & Bikes brochure and said I should read it.

Anyway, you know it says that foldling bikes have to be in carry bags, but I don't imagine that's actually enforced.

[Jim Titus]

@Richard Layman: Does that brochure clarify the matter that leads you to say you were "bad"?

There is a certain ambiguity in that closing times often refer to that last time you can enter rather than the time by which you must exit.

And as you point out, if one is able to get onto a train that crosses the Anacostia river before 7PM or 4PM, it scarecly matters to the system whether you get of at Anacostia, RFK, or Ft Totten at 1 minute before the hour or take the train to the end of the line.

I'm pretty sure I've exited the system at 7:10 or so many times and just assumed that this was ok. But maybe they have a 10-minute grace period for when you exit.

[Jim Titus]

Typo: Above I meant 7:00 AM