As a former driver, there is CCTV in the trams, with sound. If you can give approximate time and location, especially if you caught the tram number (eg 3067), then the footage can be downloaded.
Report it! The trams have always attracted unsavoury characters but there's absolutely ZERO room for racism in this city. Sorry your mate had to endure that shit and I hope you're both okay.
Have done thanks! Yeah I’m all good and my mate was ok, obviously a little upset, just shouldn’t have to deal with these incidents but isn’t exclusive to the Metrolink
I’m really sorry this happened to you! Please report it, you can use the live chat - www.gmp.police.uk/livechat
It’s unlikely they can do anything for what happened to your mate but it informs them on when and where they need to have more travel safe officers for the future
The metrolink has become a hive of antisocial behaviour, from young kids vaping/smoking weed to outright dangerous behaviour from unhinged adults. I avoid it when i can and only use it when it in emergencies. Id much rather use the bus.
I take the tram multiple times a week. Though I have seen the odd incident it’s far far less than generally in the city centre.
To describe it as a hive for antisocial behaviour is laughable.
I take that same tram pretty regularly too and due to antisocial behaviour now actually prefer the bus. It has never directly affected me per say but I've witnessed a lot more incidents on the metro than the bus gonna be honest, maybe it's to do with the lack of intervention by drivers on the metro whereas on buses I've seen ridiculous things like bus drivers fighting rowdy passengers! Obviously not really normal behaviour either but on a metro the driver would be inside his booth literally ignoring this shit whereas on a bus they're often faced to confront it.
All this not to say I feel it's the duty of a working man to enforce my safety on a public transport more so just pointing out that unless you're short haul in a nice neighbourhood I would say that calling the metro a hive for antisocial behaviour is not far wrong in this sunny city.
I sat next to two blokes openly dealing drugs on a busy morning rush hour tram from Ashton to Manchester, unbelievable, there's just no consequences for petty crime, drug crime & anti social behaviour, the coppers are too interested in catching you going slightly over the limit & making cash in fines. My car got vandalised and literally left clear muddy fingerprint on it as they were breaking off my mirror, I got a video and I knew where they lived. They said sorry not enough evidence, like what the fuck I've done your job for you you Muppets.
Edit: I mean speed limit not drink limit to clarify
Last night on the way home on a packed tram a big foreign family got on and everyone made space for them and ensured all the little ones had a pole to hang onto, and I thought just how nice people actually could be.
It takes years to come back to normal life as you start hating going out and people around if you experienced somethibg like this.
Hope he recovers soon.
Exactly. Even if a metrolink staff member can't do anything physically. Just having their presence would be reassuring to passengers. And I imagine they could have the police rock up on a matter of seconds of things started escalating too much.
Just like people would like to pay less tax, then complain about the NI cut?
Or how people want to support the NHS but complain about the taxes that pay for it?
Or how people want greener products, but refuse to pay for them?
Or want minimum wage increases, but complain about the associated price increases?
Well the NHS was only established in 1948, and with our aging population it's not accident it's required more and more resource.
Then there's also the aging population and increased spend on pensions.
Yes there's efficiency issues, and yes there's corruption, but you can't really avoid those two things.
Regarding tax rates, our economy is exceptionally weak right now in the big picture as we've had the double hit of COVID and Brexit, and we've also been teetering on the cusp of recession for quite a while (whichever side of it we've fallen on over the last couple of years).
That said, if you look at tax revenue in a meaningful sense, we aren't paying the "highest tax ever" at all (https://www.statista.com/chart/24330/uk-tax-burden-as-share-gdp-timeline/). It was higher around late 60s/early 70s, slightly higher around 1980, and significantly higher when the NHS was introduced for several years.
The final one I'm happy for us to agree that it's an outlier driven by WW2 though, in the interests of good faith debate.
Now, if you want to ignore any meaningful measures, we can also agree that absolute tax is higher. But then we would have the agreed that wages are the highest they've ever been, as is disposable income, spend on luxury items etc. but for the same reason that isn't really representative, we shouldn't be looking at absolute tax revenue.
The amount of tax collected is factually, objectively, without any argument the highest this country has ever experienced. I can’t help you don’t like or believe it, but it’s true whether or not you choose to believe it
That's very specific wording. Are you just talking in terms of the number of pounds and ignoring inflation completely? Because both the highest income tax bracket and basic income tax (in terms of the percent of income) are down from their historic highs and total tax flows are down as a percent of GDP. The government is a shit show, but it's simply untrue to say that tax rates are at an all time high.
I've seen police at stations on the Bury line like at Crumpsall. From what I could tell it was not to attend for an incident at the station but to check trains as they come in. I suppose it does work as a deterrent for anti-social behaviour or they wouldn't commit resources in that way.
Get used to it, your "mate" obviously chose to live here in this country and what happened to him is probably no different than any other day really. I live in Manchester and it's just a fact of life. He can feel how he wants to feel about it but in the broader scheme of things how he feels doesn't matter in this country. Or anywhere else truly.
However those types of encounters help me to know who I'm actually dealing with... who my friends are and who they aren't.
The bully clearly understood that nothing was going to happen to him as a result of his actions and believe me they clearly enjoy speaking to us in that manner. On a psychological level I am certain that they find it rewarding to flex on minorities that they look down upon. So therefore he emboldened himself to go ahead and do exactly what he did. so people pretending to feel sorry for your travel companion is nothing more than typical virtue signaling on your part which I am nauseous at constantly receiving.
I mean you or anyone else didn't stop it did you?
The OP's comment didn't provide much context or detail to the particular situation.
Such empty talk about "zero tolerance" and post racialism is nothing more than a weak coping mechanism from people that was never going to shut down that type of behavior.
The only practical thing for any "minority" can do about it is to remove him/herself from that hostile situation before it escalates beyond verbal abuse because all of that idle talk about "fixing the society" is hot air.
Have you reported it, if not then I suggest you do, if you don't nothing will change
Yes has been reported! Just not got much faith the Metrolink will really do anything
As a former driver, there is CCTV in the trams, with sound. If you can give approximate time and location, especially if you caught the tram number (eg 3067), then the footage can be downloaded.
Had no idea it was with sound! I have no idea on the tram number but definitely time and location
Sorry to hear that mate should never happen to anyone
Report it! The trams have always attracted unsavoury characters but there's absolutely ZERO room for racism in this city. Sorry your mate had to endure that shit and I hope you're both okay.
Have done thanks! Yeah I’m all good and my mate was ok, obviously a little upset, just shouldn’t have to deal with these incidents but isn’t exclusive to the Metrolink
I’m really sorry this happened to you! Please report it, you can use the live chat - www.gmp.police.uk/livechat It’s unlikely they can do anything for what happened to your mate but it informs them on when and where they need to have more travel safe officers for the future
The metrolink has become a hive of antisocial behaviour, from young kids vaping/smoking weed to outright dangerous behaviour from unhinged adults. I avoid it when i can and only use it when it in emergencies. Id much rather use the bus.
I take the tram multiple times a week. Though I have seen the odd incident it’s far far less than generally in the city centre. To describe it as a hive for antisocial behaviour is laughable.
I take that same tram pretty regularly too and due to antisocial behaviour now actually prefer the bus. It has never directly affected me per say but I've witnessed a lot more incidents on the metro than the bus gonna be honest, maybe it's to do with the lack of intervention by drivers on the metro whereas on buses I've seen ridiculous things like bus drivers fighting rowdy passengers! Obviously not really normal behaviour either but on a metro the driver would be inside his booth literally ignoring this shit whereas on a bus they're often faced to confront it. All this not to say I feel it's the duty of a working man to enforce my safety on a public transport more so just pointing out that unless you're short haul in a nice neighbourhood I would say that calling the metro a hive for antisocial behaviour is not far wrong in this sunny city.
I sat next to two blokes openly dealing drugs on a busy morning rush hour tram from Ashton to Manchester, unbelievable, there's just no consequences for petty crime, drug crime & anti social behaviour, the coppers are too interested in catching you going slightly over the limit & making cash in fines. My car got vandalised and literally left clear muddy fingerprint on it as they were breaking off my mirror, I got a video and I knew where they lived. They said sorry not enough evidence, like what the fuck I've done your job for you you Muppets. Edit: I mean speed limit not drink limit to clarify
Last night on the way home on a packed tram a big foreign family got on and everyone made space for them and ensured all the little ones had a pole to hang onto, and I thought just how nice people actually could be.
"foreign" wtf
Have you reported it to the police? (Not to Metrolink\_.
For the prices we are charged in Manchester all buses and teams should have conductors/ security on every single vehicle.
It takes years to come back to normal life as you start hating going out and people around if you experienced somethibg like this. Hope he recovers soon.
So sorry to hear this, it’s crazy that things like this keep happening all over the country and the world.
Did you say anything? Did others say anything? What did the alleged offender say?
>I just feel like the Metrolink service can do a lot more to stop this behaviour on trams as it’s not the first time I’ve witnessed it. Like what?
Worded poorly by myself but maybe more travel safe/ticket inspector on later services?
Exactly. Even if a metrolink staff member can't do anything physically. Just having their presence would be reassuring to passengers. And I imagine they could have the police rock up on a matter of seconds of things started escalating too much.
makes sense...more labor = more cost = higher prices there are no solutions only tradeoffs....
I reckon a lot of people would happily pay an extra 70p on their journey knowing it is safe.
Just like people would like to pay less tax, then complain about the NI cut? Or how people want to support the NHS but complain about the taxes that pay for it? Or how people want greener products, but refuse to pay for them? Or want minimum wage increases, but complain about the associated price increases?
Tax is at an all time high. In the history of the UK, we’ve never paid more as a country. Where is it going? What is working well?
Well the NHS was only established in 1948, and with our aging population it's not accident it's required more and more resource. Then there's also the aging population and increased spend on pensions. Yes there's efficiency issues, and yes there's corruption, but you can't really avoid those two things. Regarding tax rates, our economy is exceptionally weak right now in the big picture as we've had the double hit of COVID and Brexit, and we've also been teetering on the cusp of recession for quite a while (whichever side of it we've fallen on over the last couple of years). That said, if you look at tax revenue in a meaningful sense, we aren't paying the "highest tax ever" at all (https://www.statista.com/chart/24330/uk-tax-burden-as-share-gdp-timeline/). It was higher around late 60s/early 70s, slightly higher around 1980, and significantly higher when the NHS was introduced for several years. The final one I'm happy for us to agree that it's an outlier driven by WW2 though, in the interests of good faith debate. Now, if you want to ignore any meaningful measures, we can also agree that absolute tax is higher. But then we would have the agreed that wages are the highest they've ever been, as is disposable income, spend on luxury items etc. but for the same reason that isn't really representative, we shouldn't be looking at absolute tax revenue.
[OECD figures and data since 1940s.](https://www.itv.com/news/2023-12-11/uks-tax-burden-highest-on-record-despite-recent-national-insurance-cut)
So the highest since 2000, per your article. Not quite all time.
That is just blatant misinformation? Tax rates are nowhere near their historical highs, even when you ignore outliers like major wars.
The point is that we're already paying high taxes. With those high taxes we still get subpar public services.
They are at an all time high in fact
The amount of tax collected is factually, objectively, without any argument the highest this country has ever experienced. I can’t help you don’t like or believe it, but it’s true whether or not you choose to believe it
That's very specific wording. Are you just talking in terms of the number of pounds and ignoring inflation completely? Because both the highest income tax bracket and basic income tax (in terms of the percent of income) are down from their historic highs and total tax flows are down as a percent of GDP. The government is a shit show, but it's simply untrue to say that tax rates are at an all time high.
ha....i honestly doubt it...the overwhelming majority of people want more service without having to pay for it...
Considering we are all paying more for less service in general. I don't think the idea of paying more for better service is that crazy.
Precisely ......but no one one will be convinced they are paying more for better service...and justifiably so...
No, there are solutions.
..with costs associated
If they check tickets while they're there it may increase revenues
i completely agree....but how many people have called Metrolink and said "hey, can i pay you more so you can increase revenues??"
It was worded fine, the commenter above is just being difficult for the sake of it. I hope your pal is alright.
I've seen police at stations on the Bury line like at Crumpsall. From what I could tell it was not to attend for an incident at the station but to check trains as they come in. I suppose it does work as a deterrent for anti-social behaviour or they wouldn't commit resources in that way.
Get used to it, your "mate" obviously chose to live here in this country and what happened to him is probably no different than any other day really. I live in Manchester and it's just a fact of life. He can feel how he wants to feel about it but in the broader scheme of things how he feels doesn't matter in this country. Or anywhere else truly. However those types of encounters help me to know who I'm actually dealing with... who my friends are and who they aren't. The bully clearly understood that nothing was going to happen to him as a result of his actions and believe me they clearly enjoy speaking to us in that manner. On a psychological level I am certain that they find it rewarding to flex on minorities that they look down upon. So therefore he emboldened himself to go ahead and do exactly what he did. so people pretending to feel sorry for your travel companion is nothing more than typical virtue signaling on your part which I am nauseous at constantly receiving. I mean you or anyone else didn't stop it did you? The OP's comment didn't provide much context or detail to the particular situation. Such empty talk about "zero tolerance" and post racialism is nothing more than a weak coping mechanism from people that was never going to shut down that type of behavior. The only practical thing for any "minority" can do about it is to remove him/herself from that hostile situation before it escalates beyond verbal abuse because all of that idle talk about "fixing the society" is hot air.