Not to sound like an alarmist, but I haven't exactly felt safe on the Metro in years. There's the freaky burnt metal smell (which I always found disturbing), the fact that they have so many accidents and incidents (esp. compared to other major cities)...and the fact that they never seem to learn from the problems. I used to be a huge fan of the Metro, now I only take it when I really need to. It's felt like a downward spiral for years.