Confused by D.C. Metro's Incoherent Tweets? That's Probably Because

Because they've been cut short by bumbling implementation of what ought to be a dead-simple feature. According to the Washington Post, the D.C. Metro system has been sending out alerts via 140-character messaging system Twitter for months—and still hasn't figured out the whole "140-character limit" thing. 

In March, Metro set up a Twitter account and configured software to tweet onto the popular social networking site all of the advisories about service disruptions already e-mailed to subscribers.

Because a majority of the alerts are longer than the 140-character limit, Twitter has been truncating them automatically. As a result, Metro's updates sometimes leave the agency's 1,507 followers scratching their heads.

What did Metro mean, for instance, when it posted: "No Line: There is no Blue line train service between Rosslyn & King Street. Shuttle bus service is established. Customers are encouraged to"?

"Encouraged to take cab," perhaps? Or maybe "encouraged to unsubscribe?" Or here's a thought: What if it's just a 

 

(You didn't see that one coming, did you?)  

Thankfully, D.C. Metro employees think it's a gas, too: 

"We find humor in that as well," Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato said.

Asato also tells the Post that D.C. metro wants to make its feed "be the most useful thing it can be." You mean more useful than an object of ridicule and a symbol of governmental incompetence? I can only think of one thing that meets that description, and it's

Michael Moynihan wrote about how Twitter affected the recent demonstrations in Iran here.