I said it on the other Talk of the Day subject regarding this. Metrolink security is anything but. Their sole purpose is to collect extra money by writing people $80 tickets when they forgot their wallet with their monthly pass in it. The people who actually don’t pay the fare, they stand by the door and jump off the train when a ticket writer gets on the train. The security guards are too stupid to recognize what just happened and continue to walk through the train screaming TICKETS AND PASSES!

Metrolink posts a ticket writer at the entrance to the Shrewsburry station, the same guy there all day every single morning. Except during a ball game, I bet 95 percent of those people are riding with a monthly pass and are simply going to/from work. I’ve never seen a fight break out between a guy in a suit and a lady knitting socks. What a waste. More of them should be posted at the entrances to the city stations where all the fare jumping criminals are getting on and off the train. How hard would it have been to visit Chicago and see what they did to detour fare jumpers from getting on the El? St. Louis’ decision to trust it’s riders was the worst idea there was.

I think it’s a shame everyone is jumping on Metro about this. Yes, Metro needs to provide security on platforms, but what are we talking about here? Should Metro provide armed SWAT teams at every station? Re: those violent attacks, the attacks happened, Metro amped up security, and then the RFT criticizes Metro for having stepped up security by saying that the station looks like a scene from a Lethal Weapon movie. Which is it? Too much security or not enough? Honestly, should the transit authority be dealing with gangs of 20+ youth randomly beating people, or is that a job for police?

As far as fare-jumping goes, that’s a different issue. If there’s a state law preventing Metro from fining fare-jumping riders under 17, as the RFT reports, and the teenagers are the ones causing the problem…how does fare enforcement help solve the problem? It seems like the state law needs to be changed. (What’s the point of a law like that, anyway??) Last I heard, Metro can’t change state laws. Maybe we need to be talking to our legislators?

b

The system isn’t perfect. Dallas runs an honor system. Most public transportation all over Europe also runs on an honor system. If I remember correctly, turn styles restrict the entrances in Chicago, so that somewhat inadvertently discourages fare jumping. Placing breathing bodies at all entrances is not cost-effective. Some people will always cheat, even sometimes if it’s easier and cheaper to do it the right way!

Ryan is correct-during my tour of duty in Germany riding the “Strass” was fairly inexpensive but a lot of folks took the chance and rode without buying a ticket-it was regarded as a game. The fine was fairly stiff as I recall but the game continued-played it myself going to Heidelberg a couple of times. Same was true of the cable cars in ‘Frisco, just hop on while it was moving and hope they didn’t catch ya.

I don’t think MetroLink has failed. It does get people from here to there, just like a bus or a streetcar. Crime happens everywhere. It happened to travelers in the spice trade and wagon trains going west. Metro is just the latest whipping boy.

Say what you want about MetroLink. If it goes through the worst parts of town, there are going to be incidents. The idea was good, the location choice was bad. Their security is minimal to say the least. They are not hiring police quality people to do the job. They are rent a cops. Its done and its not going to change anytime soon. With the economy as it is, you can expect to see more violence everywhere Just like the drive off without paying for the gas thing.

I think it hits a sore point in this very racially divided city. That’s why you get a lot of posts on the subject, when the folks in DC have actually hurt all of us much worse. I’d like to see the press focus on that sort of thing. The hiding of things, the unethical, harmful behaviors that make Nixon look like a choirboy. The missing emails and Karl Rove funding McCain’s campaign is more relevant since many posting don’t ride metrolink anyway. But we all are screwed by the ones in Washington DC. I’d much rather deal with a large group of people of color coming at me than the sneaky ones in DC taking my future and running this country into the ground.

I just wonder about how much of the Galleria shoplifting is due to the presence of metrolink, and how much is due to the economic downturn? In our materialistic society, teens from families experiencing hard financial times may resort to stealing to get what they want. All teens want to fit in and wear the same things have the same electronics, The same accessories, etc. I bet an awful lot of adults who are losing jobs and homes are doing the stealing too.

I just noticed that Kurt has been at this job 6 years this August. Happy Anniversary Kurt. Hope your around for many more.

That’s very kind of you, first tom. Thank you. Have a good weekend.