6 years ago
It all began last September with what was supposed to be a $1.30 round trip ride on the Metro Rail. But when 56-year-old Lydia Trezevant put her 10-dollar bill into the machine, she only got 70 cents back, so she called the NFTA. But after weeks on the phone with customer service, she had no success, so she called 2 On Your Side.
2 On Your Side's Tracy Jacim says, "A lot of people watching this Lydia, would say, 'Come on, it's 8 bucks, and this woman has been fighting for it for two months?!'" Lydia responds, "Yes, but it's my eight dollars, and what I do with it is my business. I have a grandson I'd rather give it to than the NFTA."
So we called the NFTA, and the Public Affairs Director pledged to give Lydia her money by the end of the week. But they did even better than that. Tuesday morning, they called Lydia, and said they would hand deliver it. According to Lydia, they did, but not until later that evening. Tracy Jacim holds up the 8 dollars and asks Lydia, "It really was never about this, was it?" Lydia responds, "No, but how it began and ended is telling I think."
Lydia has three daughters, one of whom is in the Peace Corps in Botswana. She tells Channel 2 she plans to send the eight dollars there so her daughter can buy a turkey to celebrate an American-style Thanksgiving.
Lydia Trevesant is the real thing. Tracy Jacim says, "Some people watching are probably saying, 'Go Lydia!'" Lydia earnestly responds, "There were days I had to search for a quarter, so why shouldn't I think eight dollars is important."
And Ms. Trevesant may indeed have a point. Also, it's worth noting here, the NFTA also issued a written apology. Trevesant says she has continued to ride the Rail since the incident, but now she always uses the correct change.
