worth it when your dog is in for the long ride. a tool why kids in our area are learning to type even as early askinder garr ten. doctors ex-rain why once controversial method of birth control is now making a comeback. first, though, major mix-up for metro that's passengers shaking their heads and possibly boarding the wrong trains. more on the signs that show the blue lines going are not that line. >> it is a good system overall but it is -- it has those instances that you can always pull up the escalators and the signage or something like that and makes me wonder. >> what the metro rider is wondering is about how 13 new, yet incorrect signs, could make their way on inform this metro platform and be left out for days. >> new maps in metro center. take a look. metros that blue line splitting off at east falls church and going all the way down to arlington cemetery. that doesn't happen.

when the blue line really does is split off at rosslyn and goes down to arlington cemetery and the blue line does not stop at courthouse and clarendon and virginia square, ballston or east falls church. the sign is wrong. we told metro about the problem. they came out and tore down the new sign but inn tearing down the new signs metro revealed that old signs that were also incorrect. you probably know that the blue line doesn't go to eisenhower avenue or huntington. now more confusion. some say it is a waste when metro is talking fare increase. >> you would think they should be looking to that before they raise a pea. >> here we have the correct metro system map. as you probably know the blue line, yeah, it comes over here and goes to rosslyn but then goes down to arlington cemetery. the incorrect maps that were up has the blue line coming to rosslyn and continuing courthouse, clarendon, virginia square, balst november and east falls church. the blue line doesn't go will.

>> i think that it is a simple oversight. >> adam tuesds. metro couldn't tell us how much all this is costinging to correct those signs. it is hard to believe but the spraying tour season in the nation's capital is right around the corner. local hotel industry is booming and it is now under the leadership of a d.c. native who literally worked his way to the top. tom sherwood has the story. >> in a media room at the j.w. marriott downtown, leaders of the city's hotel association gathered for their annual meeting. and sitting nokes the mayor and drinking iced tea is the association's new chairman, thomas penny, who has the hotel's economic powerhouse numbers on the tip of his tongue. >> we are in the second largest industry in the city next to the federal government. our tax dollars generate on an

annual brace business he didn't always deal in big numbers. >> i start medical the hotel industry in january of 1992 as a dish washer. >> there was tragedy the same year and a lot of other hotel jobs before becoming what he is now. a marriott hotel manager and head of the hotel association. >> i lost my only brother would years my senior to -- he died in a car accident that year. and as a result, i was motivated over the next 18 months and a dishwasher and front desk clerk and student beverage director. >> mayor gray and hotel leaders say that he is an example of upward know tilt in the industry the city government is courts he did start as a dishwasher and he's had some inning family challenges also. his brother was killed. he's a phenomenal person. >> center reservations clerk. i have incredible amount of respect for thomas and as the chair. it is true, it is one of those industries that, you know, if

you were not going to break educationally you can still make your way up to the ranks. >> in the district, tom sherw d sherwood, news4. >> you certainly can't buy respect. plans for the works add another feature along the potomac river. it is sure to be a hit with tourists. crews have started work on 170-foot ferris wheel at national harbor. the capital wheel will offer 20-minute rides for $15. project investors got the idea after a trip to paris inspired by the ferris wheel but they -- that they have there. completion is expected this may and it is my understanding it will be open year-round. the next time you visit ocean city you may see new signs on the boardwalk reminding you -- maybe not you -- to watch your language. a resident went to a council member and complained about the growing use of profanity on the boardwalk. now the council considering posting signs to urge visitors to stop swearing. the city is now checking with other communities like virginia

beach that have similar signs there and to see if it is working for them. we don't want kids picking up any bad language. but it turns out that they do need a pick -- pick up a skill or two like typing. her necessary to get through school. but as angie goss reports that's not what many students are learning to type. >> in elementary classes across the country, the old question of can you read is quickly shifting to -- can you type? they did not think of the cold, long winter ahead. >> at sterling elementary nancy's third graders are mastering the keyboard and they have no dhoys. >> standardized tests are all on computer. >> the standards of learning or sol requires students to click, drag and type answers on a keyboard. by this they are expecting to write a story online that there is a disconnect. loudoun county public schools keyboard sing not offered until sixth grade. in fairfax county, it is not offered at all.

teachers and students are in a tough spot. >> i can see what would be valuable but with our -- curriculum being so packed already, i just can't imagine where we will -- fit it in. >> parents say my kids are great with computers at this age. a lot are familiar with smartphones and tab lets and do touching and swiping but not so much typing. it is why students like this student is walking place to hand in motion to learn to type. >> it helped me a lot. >> the founder says for most, the functions of the keyboard are a mystery. she has students as young as 6. >> we are finding a huge gap between performance at school and play performance at home. >> in order to get a cut ahead, i thought that, you know what, this is what we are going to do and put her in type. >> had is the best tuning i have seen. at schools, her daughter's access to lessons are paying off. >> i feel like i know what i'm doing. >> but where there is progress for some, teachers worry they

are problems for others as the skill traditionally taught later in class quickly becomes key. >> you type away. >> angie goss, news4. >> we checked with other school districts and found that monlt good morningry and prince george's counties don't cover any keyboarding classes. district wide. the d.c. schools start typing instruction in third grade. man best friend. coming up, a crash test for for special harnesses how well they hold up for dogs in accidents. how teens are picking up for a program

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billions of dollars down the drain every year. that's abecause of unused k.i.s.s. cards. you can sell a card for cash on sites like card hub or swap it for another gift card of equal value. and you can always regift.

mm-hmm. some stores will allow you to trade your card in for a different design. like a birthday scene so it is not obvious you are regifting or you can donate you wanted cards to charity. we know that seat belts save lives. do you buckle up your dog when you put him in the car? liz crenshaw has more on a new crash test. a study that's out that shows how dangerous a car accident can be for a pet passenger. >> these are dummy dogs. the crash test demonstrates graphically what happens to pets when their owners' cars get in a wreck. >> she is like up with of my children. >> lara miller of fairfax, virginia is like many pet owners. her dog kona is a member of the family going on car rides with her everywhere. >> up. >> when miller found out about a new study that tested the reliability of pet travel harnesses, she was intrigued. >> her safety is the number one

priority. >> the pet safety harness crash worthiness study is believed to be the first of its kind. independent crash testing. focused on pets instead of people. and it is the brainchild of the center for pet safety and a non-profit focused on protecting pets like your dog or cat during travel. the founder lindsey created the center after her own dog flew off the seat during an accident and even though the dog was strapped in a harness. that led her to do research on the pet product industry. >> there are no stand cards in place. there is no requirement they test anything. >> last year, the center teamed up with subaru and a local testing facility, mga research corporation. the trio conducted independent testing of 11 brands of popular petry strants. the result -- not encouraging. nearly all 11 brands of pet

harness essex experience problems during testing. >> we had many products that failed and had many products that allowed the dogs to launch off the seat. >> others had hardware problems where the devices ripped orator during impact. there was one brand which outperformed the rest. >> this is the one that performed well. >> this is our top performer. it is the only three-point connection harn owes the market we reached out to the american pet pduct association. it tells us there are no current standards in place for travel harnesses. and association members continued to work with the center for pet safety and in addressing concerns with pet harnesses and restraints. and as for hiller, she is happy knowing she is using a harness she can trust. >> there is nothing more that i can -- i care for than her safety. >> liz crenshaw, news4. >> here's what you want to know. the sleepy pod click between $90

and $100 for the full crash test study. head to our website, nbcwashington.com slash liz crenshaw. well, it is making a comeback. still ahead, doctors talk about why an old form of bishth control is new and approved. with fewer side effects than other methods that are out there right now. plus, good news for guy was cold feet. will is another study that finds for a benefit for men who hold [ laughter ] you ready for some bread? yep. ♪ i want two. okay, two for you. ♪ ♪

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in news for your health, new findings on how marriage helps and hurts a man's bone health. men who marry for the first time after age 25 were found to have stronger bones than men who married at a younger age. researchers speculate that could be link the stress of providing for a family at a younger age. an interesting note here, no

similar link was found for women. when old method of birth control was making a comeback for years, intrauterine devices or iuds got a bad rap. that's because they were linked to fertility problems and death. these devices are redesigned and among now the safest and most effective forms of birth control. >> this is my third iud. >> 42-year-old keisha jackson says birth control pills were not for her. she opted for an intrauterine device instead. a small t-shaped piece of plastic that is implanted in the uterus. >> i was not that great of a patient in terms of sticking to a calendar or timing schedule by taking the pill. and the iud fit my schedule much more conveniently. >> doctors tell us that they are seeing more patients like jackson. women that have trouble with oral contraceptives because of the side effects or problems remembering to take them.

so after years of safety warnings, they are using iuds again. >> there are a lot of women whose initial reaction when you mention iud is oh, my goodness, i don't want that. >> med star washington hospital center gynecologist dr. ellen whitaker says the older iuds were linked to a higher risk of pelvic infection that often caused serious complications, including infertility and even death. but now the devices have been redesigned and newer models like the popular brand merina has so far proven to be safe and have fewer side effects compared to other forms of contraception. >> it is pretty minimal. therefore, it does not have those effects like some women have on thing like birth control pills. >> iuds are implanted directly into the uterus. the device is copper or hormones similar to what is found in birth control pills. the device can last anywhere from three to ten years and can be removed by your doctor at any time. >> one of the reasons why they are so effective is because they

get rid of that human error part. they forget to take pills or get their refills. >> doctors say that there are still some risks with that's newer iuds, although they are rare. they include infection and even puncture of the uterus. also, doctors say, iuds can be more expensive than birth control pills because of the cost of implanting the device. for patients like keisha jackson, the benefit of reliable birth control is priceless? >> you don't have to think the product. you no i that it is working. >> doreen gentzler, news4. doctors tells that you can easily remove iuds if you are trying to get pregnant. fertility returns fairly quickly. the up-front cost of implanting the iud is more expensive than oral contraceptives but after that you don't pay until you remove the device. doctors say that in the end it is pretty much balances out. it is far from your average dance scene. coming up, the local program that is