Photo: Getty Images
A top Washington, D.C. transit official issued an apology after sharing a photo of a commuter's crotch area while attempting to chastise him for "manspreading" while riding on a train.
Sarah Meyer, the chief experience officer at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), claimed she meant the since-deleted tweet "in jest" in a follow up post shared on Tuesday (June 6).
"My apologies for this tweet. It was meant in jest, but I understand how it might have offended some. I will do better and keep focused on what matters, better service, communications and wayfinding," Meyer tweeted.
Meyer had initially tweeted a photo of what appears to be a man wearing a collared shirt, tie and khaki pants with his legs spread wide while taking up multiple seats on a train.
"DC, do we really need to do a manspreading campaign on our trains?! I thought we were above this," the initial tweet read, according to a screengrab shared by the New York Post.
Meyer, who had previously worked as the chief customer officer with the New York City Transit, began working with the WMATA in April 2023.
“Sarah will focus on improving the delivery of timely and accurate information to customers at every touchpoint, through signage, search results, apps, and digital wallets,” said Metro CEO Randy Clarke wrote in a press release announcing Meyer's hiring via the New York Post. “She will also work to help make the system simpler to plan and pay for trips, to find buses or trains, and by reassuring customers that they are being taken care of by an outstanding, customer-centric workforce.”