How Free is the Free Speech on WMATA's Twitter Account?

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has more than 46,000 Twitter followers, but one of its most passionate followers, Chris Barnes, under the handle “FixWMATA,” is no longer one of them, according to Washingtonian.

Barnes, who has a background in traffic reporting and works in broadcast media in the DC area told Washingtonian that he wants to “help riders who aren’t getting help [from WMATA]” by offering his 3,700 followers as up-to-date service information as possible, relying on riders as his sources.

Barnes said believes he's been blocked from WMATA's Twitter feed because of one of his tweets to WMATA following the May 14 fire on the Silver Spring Metro station tracks. The tweet in question included the phrase “STFU,” an acronym for asking the recipient to, ahem, be quiet.

He said he feels that's unfair.

“I am a taxpayer. I ride Metro. I don’t see how a government agency can block someone.”

WMATA spokesman Dan Stessel did not respond to Washingtonian’s questions about Barnes’ situation.

The issue comes at a time when WMATA is under fire, with The Washington Post’s editorial board calling the rail service a “slow-rolling embarrassment” with “bewildering, maddening, soul-sapping” service.

Stessel defends the WMATA Twitter feed and said it would compare favorably to other transit systems' social media efforts.

Review some of @WMATA’s recent tweets and tell us what you think of its social media efforts in the comments below.