Is it unreasonable for Metro's communications staff to know all cars' status?

[SchuminWeb]

Let me know if I'm off my rocker here, though I think I'm not.  This was a discussion on the Twitter this morning where FixWMATA (who else) was getting annoyed with the people that run Metro's Twitter feed (i.e. Dan Stessel) for not being able to communicate the status of CAF 5037.  I said it was unreasonable for communications staff to be expected to know the status of every single car in the fleet, and this set off a discussion:

metroopensdoors
@FixWMATA We can give a wholistic update. Something more "micro" than that is not possible.

FixWMATA
@metroopensdoors Why? Please explain why you can't tell me the progress of car 5037, reported 11 times. #wmata

SchuminWeb
@FixWMATA @metroopensdoors Isn't it a bit unreasonable to think that the communications dept should know the status of indiv. cars? #wmata

Torshizzy
@SchuminWeb No, its what customers are talking about and what we want to know. Comm should find out for us AND push their PR blah. @FixWMATA

Rizzz
@SchuminWeb No, that's their job - to communicate.

SchuminWeb
@Rizzz But it is not reasonable to have the individual status on all 1100+ cars to be able to access on demand. That's my point. #wmata

Rizzz
@SchuminWeb If the data exists, the PR dept should have it. #wmata

Torshizzy
@SchuminWeb @Rizzz managing your business process efficiently means having all that information avail at all times.

FixWMATA
@SchuminWeb How about the top 10 based on number of repeats in the list? I'd take even that. #hotcar #wmata

SchuminWeb
@torshizzy @Rizzz For RTRA, yes - they need and probably have all of that info on tap. For the PR department, not so much. #wmata

So am I off my rocker for thinking that it is unreasonable for Metro's communications staff to have the current status of every rail car and bus available to them at all times?  I think it's a bit over the top.  Thoughts?

(And is anyone surprised that FixWMATA is stirring up more trouble for Metro again?)

[RailBus63]

Yes.  I'm sure WMATA has an online database used by maintenance to track specific vehicles but there is no reason why the public relations department would have access to it.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Do these tweeters and bloggers and wannabe urban planners/transportation managers want WMATA to spend time getting things back in order or responding to each and every one of their requests or complaints?  Sure, it might be theoretically possible for the communications team to get that info, but WMATA staff needs to focus on what is important.  Making sure the communications staff can let some twitter user know where CAF 5037 is shouldn't be a high priority.