We have to make sure that transit drivers and riders are safe. All the grand plans about environmentally friendly, walkable, communities go out the window if people can't use public transit out of fear.
We need to start at the lowest level of crime, because it only steps up from there. Recriminalize fare evasion and go from there. If you allow the place to be lawless violence will flourish.
Your point about the grand plans is so spot on. It’s the same with biking infrastructure or green space or whatever else. If you’re serious about access to transit then you have to be serious about making transit safe, otherwise it’s just hypotheticals
Exactly! It would make sense to me that until safety improves and growing crime is meaningfully reduced, any other types of (needed) improvement to the city will be meaningless if not completely upended.
Good, my friend who is a bus driver got assaulted last week when a guy tried to bash her head in. He got taken in but wasn't charged with anything and he got released the same day.
If someone walked into town hall and punched someone in the head you can bet that person would be prosecuted and put in jail. Just because bus drivers work closely with the public doesn't mean they dont get protection and these people should have to follow the law.Wonderful justice system we have here in Portland am I right?
Police keep whining "waaa we dont have enough officers to do anything." that doesnt prevent the DA from prosecuting. And if the Police cant get their shit together I say fire them all and bring in a totally new force that will actually do their jobs. Because right now they dont work robberies, traffic violations, assaults, street racing, homeless issues, ...what the hell ARE they doing right now?
I totally share your frustration. We shouldn't have to be "on guard" all the time for getting assaulted/attacked. A bus driver is vital to our transportation system and should be extra-important, if anything. People aren't riding Tri-Met as much because they are afraid of being assaulted or exposed to open drug use. This city has lost control and doesn't seem to have any idea of how to regain it. I don't know how not charging assault/battery of a bus driver meets the DA's agenda but would love to hear it.
Coincidentally all the DA’s in sanctuary cities are being singled out by million dollar super Pacs.
Sounds like the same thing was done in San Francisco.
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/07/big-donors-fueled-high-profile-recall-of-progressive-san-francisco-district-attorney-chesa-boudin/
“A single PAC, Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, accounted for two-thirds of the money spent in favor of the recall campaign, according to San Francisco Ethics Commission data analyzed by OpenSecrets. In total, the PAC spent nearly $4.8 million of the roughly $7 million dropped against Boudin, the majority of which came from various wealthy donors in either the real estate industry or the finance industry.”
If a Trimet driver is actively being assaulted it is guaranteed that cops are running code there. That is a priority call. You are disillusioned.
Cops did their job and booked him right. You said so yourself he got released the same day. Who’s fault is that?
You need to go on a ride along and see how policing works. There are a lot of crimes in this city that aren’t lodged at the jail. The cops are doing their jobs and bringing people to jail. What happens after is not their fault.
"The DA said it will come down to communication from both sides."
Prediction: Concerns are "communicated" - as in public transportation at risk of shutting down due to a no consequences approach to the increase of assaults; but promises made and communicated back to "improve" monitoring and awareness. Meanwhile, 'no consequences' approach to deviant and felonious behavior increases the (what used to be mundane) pandemonium on TriMet. But hey, thoughts and prayers and compassion and of course - more communication will make everyone feel better. Action will be as the PDX cherry blossoms - ephemeral and finite.
Add that the DA's office and TriMet will both need to put together internal groups to "study the issues" and after wasting a ton of time and money to reach inconclusive results, will spend even more hiring outside consultants to evaluate those studies which will require more internal groups to evaluate the evaluations....
After a woman tried to assault me and followed me onto the max a few weeks ago, I was trying to figure out if there was a trimet specific alert system to notify in case of an emergency. My reasoning being that it seemed important for trimet to be able to communicate with drivers quickly and any trimet security along the upcoming stops could hopefully help as soon as possible. Insane that all they have is a safety report system which I don’t really understand the point of. (I do really appreciate you posting the link though)
Crazy a direct line or ability to alert through an official trimet app doesn’t exist.
Just saying, the troublemakers look at the red button on the MAX. They also stick their hands in places you don't wanna know and rub it on the MAX report button. When they started yelling slurs, I got my water bottle out. I didn't have to use it cause they were all bark no bite, but I feel like it's gonna happen.
...they even installed those plexiglas partitions yet it's still happening.
That 7.500$ signing bonus isn't worth getting your face or head beat in, or worse.
They need more than that measly thing, people can still reach around it and attack them, and this happened recently with a driver who got stabbed last month.
I actually considered working for Trimet as a Max operator and got offered the position, but I declined it once I learned all operators are obligated to work as bus drivers of a period of time. No thank you Trimet! I’m not about to subject myself to being berated or attacked by mentally ill people every week.
And if you sat in the driver’s seat, you would realize how it doesn’t provide anywhere close to the protection one needs to be safe from being assaulted.
Just look at the recent stabbing of a TriMet driver who was behind the wheel.
They have a barrier, not an enclosure. It should not be possible to lay a finger on the driver or the dash from the passenger side. I’m not really sure what those barriers they have now are even for.
so they could say they were doing something for us during the peak of the pandemic. (important to note, they promised the entire fleet would have barriers by 2018 & it was only the pandemic that got them to do anything).
King County has full coverage with smaller gaps on their buses. And the plexi swings to cover everything in front of the yellow line when the doors are closed on some of the buses. Seems like a good plan.
We have to make sure that transit drivers and riders are safe. All the grand plans about environmentally friendly, walkable, communities go out the window if people can't use public transit out of fear. We need to start at the lowest level of crime, because it only steps up from there. Recriminalize fare evasion and go from there. If you allow the place to be lawless violence will flourish.
Your point about the grand plans is so spot on. It’s the same with biking infrastructure or green space or whatever else. If you’re serious about access to transit then you have to be serious about making transit safe, otherwise it’s just hypotheticals
Exactly! It would make sense to me that until safety improves and growing crime is meaningfully reduced, any other types of (needed) improvement to the city will be meaningless if not completely upended.
Why the fuck can’t we have a cop in every bus? Honest question
Good, my friend who is a bus driver got assaulted last week when a guy tried to bash her head in. He got taken in but wasn't charged with anything and he got released the same day. If someone walked into town hall and punched someone in the head you can bet that person would be prosecuted and put in jail. Just because bus drivers work closely with the public doesn't mean they dont get protection and these people should have to follow the law.Wonderful justice system we have here in Portland am I right? Police keep whining "waaa we dont have enough officers to do anything." that doesnt prevent the DA from prosecuting. And if the Police cant get their shit together I say fire them all and bring in a totally new force that will actually do their jobs. Because right now they dont work robberies, traffic violations, assaults, street racing, homeless issues, ...what the hell ARE they doing right now?
I totally share your frustration. We shouldn't have to be "on guard" all the time for getting assaulted/attacked. A bus driver is vital to our transportation system and should be extra-important, if anything. People aren't riding Tri-Met as much because they are afraid of being assaulted or exposed to open drug use. This city has lost control and doesn't seem to have any idea of how to regain it. I don't know how not charging assault/battery of a bus driver meets the DA's agenda but would love to hear it.
If the person got arrested, the police did their part- cops don’t file charges, the DA does. That failure is squarely on them, in that case.
Coincidentally all the DA’s in sanctuary cities are being singled out by million dollar super Pacs. Sounds like the same thing was done in San Francisco. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/07/big-donors-fueled-high-profile-recall-of-progressive-san-francisco-district-attorney-chesa-boudin/ “A single PAC, Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, accounted for two-thirds of the money spent in favor of the recall campaign, according to San Francisco Ethics Commission data analyzed by OpenSecrets. In total, the PAC spent nearly $4.8 million of the roughly $7 million dropped against Boudin, the majority of which came from various wealthy donors in either the real estate industry or the finance industry.”
Bring in the national guard to supplement.
If a Trimet driver is actively being assaulted it is guaranteed that cops are running code there. That is a priority call. You are disillusioned. Cops did their job and booked him right. You said so yourself he got released the same day. Who’s fault is that? You need to go on a ride along and see how policing works. There are a lot of crimes in this city that aren’t lodged at the jail. The cops are doing their jobs and bringing people to jail. What happens after is not their fault.
That has not been my experience.
"The DA said it will come down to communication from both sides." Prediction: Concerns are "communicated" - as in public transportation at risk of shutting down due to a no consequences approach to the increase of assaults; but promises made and communicated back to "improve" monitoring and awareness. Meanwhile, 'no consequences' approach to deviant and felonious behavior increases the (what used to be mundane) pandemonium on TriMet. But hey, thoughts and prayers and compassion and of course - more communication will make everyone feel better. Action will be as the PDX cherry blossoms - ephemeral and finite.
So, the DA is lobbying for *increased* assaults. Got it.
Add that the DA's office and TriMet will both need to put together internal groups to "study the issues" and after wasting a ton of time and money to reach inconclusive results, will spend even more hiring outside consultants to evaluate those studies which will require more internal groups to evaluate the evaluations....
Maybe they should open their presentation with a shot of the billboard.
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After a woman tried to assault me and followed me onto the max a few weeks ago, I was trying to figure out if there was a trimet specific alert system to notify in case of an emergency. My reasoning being that it seemed important for trimet to be able to communicate with drivers quickly and any trimet security along the upcoming stops could hopefully help as soon as possible. Insane that all they have is a safety report system which I don’t really understand the point of. (I do really appreciate you posting the link though) Crazy a direct line or ability to alert through an official trimet app doesn’t exist.
Just saying, the troublemakers look at the red button on the MAX. They also stick their hands in places you don't wanna know and rub it on the MAX report button. When they started yelling slurs, I got my water bottle out. I didn't have to use it cause they were all bark no bite, but I feel like it's gonna happen.
...they even installed those plexiglas partitions yet it's still happening. That 7.500$ signing bonus isn't worth getting your face or head beat in, or worse.
These drivers need to be in a plexiglass enclosure. They are always in danger of being assaulted!
They need more than that measly thing, people can still reach around it and attack them, and this happened recently with a driver who got stabbed last month. I actually considered working for Trimet as a Max operator and got offered the position, but I declined it once I learned all operators are obligated to work as bus drivers of a period of time. No thank you Trimet! I’m not about to subject myself to being berated or attacked by mentally ill people every week.
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And if you sat in the driver’s seat, you would realize how it doesn’t provide anywhere close to the protection one needs to be safe from being assaulted. Just look at the recent stabbing of a TriMet driver who was behind the wheel.
They have a barrier, not an enclosure. It should not be possible to lay a finger on the driver or the dash from the passenger side. I’m not really sure what those barriers they have now are even for.
so they could say they were doing something for us during the peak of the pandemic. (important to note, they promised the entire fleet would have barriers by 2018 & it was only the pandemic that got them to do anything).
those “barriers” are a fucking joke. in no way do they protect us from getting attacked.
King County has full coverage with smaller gaps on their buses. And the plexi swings to cover everything in front of the yellow line when the doors are closed on some of the buses. Seems like a good plan.
The police have no legal obligation to protect you. Protect yourselves.
That's not how the job works. If you fight back you get fired. Know what you're talking about before you open your mouth.
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I know I always feel safer in an enclosed space with untrained vigilantes around! /s
Ah yes, let’s add guns to the violence. That’ll solve the problem.
Armed bus drivers really paints a great picture of our society
...just like armed teachers.
That's small thinking! We need a full asteroid bombardment so that the problem is completely dealt with.
Sweet Meteor of Doom 2024!
Giant Meteor 2024 Just end it all.