(TBD)

We never turn down a free goodie bag here at TBD. So when a WMATA employee was dishing them out inside the Rosslyn station during yesterday afternoon's rush hour, we went out of our way to get one. The bag was ginormous and the goodies were, well, slight. The little boy inside of us was disappointed. But the blogger inside of us who occasionally covers Metro safety issues was trembling with excitement. Our fun-bag contained the following items:

• Metro Pocket Guide. Small rail map, hours of operation, "points of interest" (Freer Gallery: Yes. NTSB headquarters: No.)

• Metrobus Safety Guide. Fire extinguisher is behind the driver. Use the little red hammer to break the emergency door release. "Don't run for the bus. That's when most accidents happen." Didn't know that!

• Metrorail Safety Guide. Hold the handrail on escalators. Don't try to board a train after you hear the chime. Fun (and useful) fact: If you fall onto the tracks as a train approaches, you can roll beneath the platform edge to safety.

• Metro Guide to Planning Your Alternate Route Home. Increasingly important, this one. "If your regular route home is not available, what are your options?" Annoying scenarios to consider: "Your station is closed," "Several stations are closed," "Metrorail is not available or not practical."

• Antiseptic towelettes, adhesive bandages, antibiotic packet, courtesy of WMATA's Department of System Safety and Risk Management. Towelettes useful for sterilizing wounds, cleaning up after eating ribs.