Bayside Monorail's Phantom Umbrella: A Fourth Appears, Even Under Two-Crew Watch
A fourth unrecorded umbrella has been confirmed on the Bayside Monorail's last outbound run, this paper has learned, discovered on the night of September 6 — the second such find since two-person crewing began on August 20. The operator says it will take the seat in question out of service for the time being.
This paper has learned that a fourth unrecorded, navy-colored long umbrella was found during the closing inspection of the Bayside Monorail's last outbound run, on the night of September 6. It follows the three previously reported incidents — August 24, 28, and September 1 — none of which match any crew log, lost-and-found register, or in-cabin camera footage. As before, the seat in question was on the left side by the window.
Rain fell through the day and into the evening of the 6th, and staff say the floor of the outbound car was wet with passengers' umbrellas and shoes. Yet the umbrella found this time was, like the previous three, completely dry. A company spokesperson said only, "This is the first time we've found a dry umbrella on a rainy day. We assume it's coincidence, but—" and did not finish the thought.
As previously reported, the company moved to two-person crewing on the last outbound run starting August 20; the third incident, on September 1, occurred after that change, and now so has this fourth one. "The original theory — that this was a lapse in record-keeping — is getting harder to sustain," a crew union representative said. The union raised the issue in its safety report in late August, and the official admitted, "Frankly, it's unsettling to watch the count keep rising with no explanation."
On the 10th, the company said it would take the specific seat out of service for the time being, taping a "under inspection" notice over it and considering additional cameras nearby. "This is a measure taken out of consideration for passenger unease, not an acknowledgment of any particular phenomenon," an official said. The "items that could not be recovered" field added to the closing-inspection form, previously reported, had remained blank since the third incident on September 1; it will now carry its first entry.
TDA maintains its previously reported position — "no corresponding observation event; the index remains normal" — and police likewise have not changed their view that there is no indication of a crime. As with the previous three, the umbrella has been turned in to police as lost property, to be kept for three months before disposal if no owner comes forward.
A maintenance worker in his forties, speaking anonymously, said, "Among us, it's already got a name. We call it 'left it again.'" He declined to elaborate further. The company said it was "not aware of any particular term having taken hold internally." Neither the count, the cause, nor the truth of the matter has been resolved.
