Baby boy born on Washington metro platform
L'Enfant Plaza D.C. Metro train station entrance. Washington, D.C. 2011. (photo by Jareed via Flickr)
It's a boy! Washington Metro authorities announced via Twitter on Thursday that a 23-year-old woman gave birth to a baby boy on the platform of a busy downtown metro stop.
A baby was just delivered ON THE PLATFORM at L'Enfant Plaza. MTPD on scene. Additional details will follow. #WMATA
— Metro Transit Police (@MetroTransitPD) August 1, 2013
While "L'Enfant" refers to Pierre L'Enfant, the French-born architect who designed the layout of nation's capital, his last name means "the child" in French.
L'Enfant update: It's a boy! More to come. #WMATA
— Metro Transit Police (@MetroTransitPD) August 1, 2013
L'Enfant update 2: Mother and baby were transported to a local hospital. Both appear to be doing fine. #WMATA
— Metro Transit Police (@MetroTransitPD) August 1, 2013
Metro authorities identified the mother as Shavonnte Taylor, 23. They said the baby was named Amir Mason, and weighed in at a healthy 8 pounds 5 ounces. Mother and son were helped by an off-duty emergency medical technician, a woman who happened to be on the same train, according to a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority spokesman, Philip Stewart.
Congratulations to Shavonnte Taylor on the birth of your new baby boy, Amir! pic.twitter.com/TRAN9Ca1uh
— @wmata (@wmata) August 1, 2013
That’s a note from WMATA General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Richard Sarles. It’s not easy to read. It says:
"Congratulations on the birth of your son! I am sure that the delivery did not go exactly as you had imagined, but I hope that our employees and customers who assisted you were a source of support and comfort.
Please accept the enclosed SmarTrip card worth $100 in Metro fare preloaded as our gift.
Sincerely
Richard Sarles"
Some Washingtonians reacted to the initial tweet with practical advice. Mike Madden, editor of the Washington City Paper, noted this on Twitter:
L'Enfant Plaza, as it happens, is the closest Metro stop to the American College of OB/GYNs. Send over the response team, ACOG!
— Mike Madden (@mikemadden) August 1, 2013
(His wife works at ACOG).
Other Washingtonians seized on the opportunity to poke light-hearted fun at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. One referred to the way metro riders are charged upon exiting.
.@wmata if the baby was delivered on the platform, will you still charge he/she exit fare?
— Charlie Heimerdinger (@CharlieHeimer) August 1, 2013
Nicely done, but as it happens:
.@KidPoetic @jmp_nyc No exit fare required; kids under 4 ride free. ;-)
— Metro Transit Police (@MetroTransitPD) August 1, 2013
Stewart, told Yahoo News that he did not have a figure for the number of babies born on agency-run metros or buses. But "it has happened before, both on the train and in the station," he said.
