Peeved at Purple Line pontification? Why not take a poke at an MTA bureaucrat? That’s what one pugnacious Purple protestor did last night. Perish the thought, people!
Last night, Silver Spring anti-train-on-Wayne activist Jonathan Jay roughed up Purple Line project manager Mike Madden at a meeting of the county’s advisory group for the project. In a widely circulated email, Madden said:
Thanks for your concern, I am fine and not at all hurt. Obviously, Jonathan is not able to control his emotions and I would certainly recommend that members vote him off the advisory group. I simply went over to him after our part, shook his hand and said, “Jonathan, take it easy.” That is when he told me that I could go to hell as he swung my arm back forth as hard as he could. If I was less sturdy or if he did this to a woman, I believe he would have caused harm.
Jay is the Vice-President of the Seven Oaks-Evanswood Citizens Association and favors a Purple Line tunnel under Wayne Avenue. Perhaps when he found out that MTA wouldn’t build a tunnel, Jay decided it would be best to throw Madden into one!
But Jay is about to be thrown overboard himself. Specifically, sentiment is building to toss him off the Purple Line Advisory Group. If that happens, Jay will receive a harsher hit than hiker harasser Isaac Hantman, who was allowed to remain on the Capital Crescent Trail board after strangling a saucy-tongued slur slinger.
Now we know that some anti-Purple people are purring pussycats. You know who you are, you softies! And let’s also recognize that Jay is a Silver Spring resident who has nothing to do with the Chevy Chase rail opponents. The latter prefer to sue rather than slug, a key cultural difference with Silver Spring.
But you all have to be more creative, folks! Will rail antis do a mass mailing of purple Kool-Aid packs to MTA? Will rail supporters park ten buses on blocks in the middle of the Connecticut Avenue – Jones Bridge Road intersection?
Come on, you Purple pooh-poohs. Help a blogger in need!