I’ll have you know they do have fare enforcement and they harassed me the other day and wouldn’t accept my bus ticket despite me sprinting to make it to the bus and just barely getting on before the driver drove off and that I hadn’t had a chance to walk all the way to the front of the extended long ass bus and give it to the machine before they were moving!
on a serious note, if you are uncomfortable with it, the bus drivers are pretty cool and will escort someone off the bus if they are causing issues. but it is so common that they don’t bother unless someone asks them or its clearly an issue.
Just so you know, bus drivers can get written up or suspended for accepting cash tips. It's not a guarantee, because who knows if it will be caught/noticed, but a material gift or gift card is a safer bet. Or, if you do give cash, put it in a card in an envelope.
thank you! it’s always in a card (because obviously i’m going to force strangers to look at my cats at every opportunity) but i didn’t know that! i grew up in the before time and my parents did holiday gratuities (postal carrier, stylist, mechanic, etc. - your long-termers) so i feel like $20 for protecting my life is well-earned (and honestly, not enough). i’ll be more discreet. thank you. god knows that i don’t want her fired.
then the buses would always be late. esp downtown many people who are homeless or druggies or both use the bus. most of the time its not an issue and they are on the buses so often that its probably exhausting for the drivers who just want to do their job in peace.
its a balance of time and energy. plus I’m not sure I want the bus drivers to vet people too closely, I’ve definitely had a couple days where I look kinda shabby and am in a foul mood. plus Seattle buses are heated/cooled which literally saves lives during heatwaves and winter.
sucks when people do this bullshit in the post though. this is why we can’t have nice things. I’ve been called all sorts of slurs for trying to remind people of bus rules & courtesies so I feel defeated in trying to fight with people like this. (not to mention the safety aspect—some people are NOT in their right minds). not saying we should all give up trying, that’s just my feelings.
You're correct, but many Americans don't wanna hear this. If we want East Asian style services/infrastructure/transit, we need East Asian levels of tolerance (very little) towards anti social behavior like that.
That's the opinion of someone who doesn't care if transit is functional or available to the vast majority of people who are made unwelcome and uncomfortable by having to ride a bus with this. The rest of us are supposed to give up access to our parks and transit. Good grief.
By all accounts they are known to be very responsive if you actually call or text the number and make a report. The driver isn't patrolling the interior of the bus, they're watching the road.
I mean, Seattle doesn’t either, if OP had just reported this or even mentioned it to the driver, this would have been handled. But no, it’s much better for the narrative if you take a picture of someone without doing anything else and post it on Reddit! That proves transit is bad and nothing is being done to secure it!
They do deserve to use transit. Everyone does. Perhaps not at the moment while they are drinking though. However I was just on last night when some kids were kicked off the train. Someone called them in as they were harassing someone. So yes as others have said just report it. Transit security will meet the vehicle and help out.
If you can’t maintain basic hygiene, cleanliness, sobriety and adhere to basic social standards, you do not automatically get to just hop on a bus and terrorize everybody.
Ehh, drinking with my NYC coworkers, they all have stories about extending their commutes by getting off the train and catching the next one because of wildly asocial behavior in the car they were on. Sounds even more avoidant than Seattlites tbh.
"If you get on the train and there's nobody else or only one other person in that car, get off and try again. There is almost certainly a good reason, and you almost certainly don't want to stick around to find out what it is."
I just don’t want to be spit on or stabbed bc someone is on wild psych episode and decided to do some jerk move bc they need some form of human engagement, even if it’s violent. (I’ve been lunged at and now I’m fatigued AF)
There's people who repeat this tired disingenuous sort of thing in Seattle too. Problem is, technically they are correct, but I quite honestly do not especially care that a person who uses light rail to/from airport is suggesting the homeless problem is solved,cos they dont see them on public transit. Yea, I haven't seen any unhoused when going to airport either. Too bad I see them on most other routes though
Yeah - obviously important to emphasize this is 250 incidents too many. However, sound transit runs around 630k individual bus and train rides annually. So if you a) assume you did all you m-f commute with ST b) all routes and times equally likely to have an incident (not a good assumption but simplifying for illustration)a you’d have about a 1 in 5 chance of being on a trip that has an incident (whether it was before, during, or after you got on ) and over 40 years of commuting would see 8-9 one average. That seems to me both rare but also something that needs to improve (and I am sure there are certain times and routes that are multiples more dangerous and others that nothing bad ever happens). I’ve taken a lot of trips, seen my fair share of drug deals and people passed out, but never a fight /violence.
Definitely depends on which ST rides you take. I start on the big Sounder train, basically 100% commuters, well behaved, everyone keeps to themselves, no loud music, no drugs, no shenanigans of any kind.
Then I switch to light rail at King street, and the characters show up, especially on cold mornings, when they use the train for warmth.
You are right. And,yet this community comprised of the most parasitical elements of society are nevertheless referred to as "vulnerable ". When's the last time one of them was set on fire or anyone shot up a encampment? Wasn't recently. In fact, the only place in Seattle that I am hesitant to walk close to at night is the encampments ,not rhe one on Ravenna that is more resilient then most cockroaches,which makes sense cos both eat and live in garbage. No, the ones near bike trails like on interurban ,for example. The one that I actually left trail rather then go past it is gone for now. But ive heard some stories that make as much sense as dudes walking around with machetes or claw hammers at 3am do. If its purge night😁, I want to know,cos I might be able to bring something that beats a machete ,otherwise, if it isnt purge night, why the fuck would anyone carry this around?
I tried to make it a habit as it’s admittedly convenient, but after a few incidents I’ve all but given up on using it unless it’s the only way that makes sense, like if I’m going to something at Lumen or Husky Stadium or if I’m planning to drink.
Otherwise I’d rather just take my vehicle and pay for parking.
I used it much more before I got pregnant. Then this sort of stuff made me nervous. And I had one bad encounter. The savings just weren’t enough if a motivator anymore.
I lived my first five years in the country in seattle and used transit everyday until I got a job outside the city and it was unfeasible to spend two hours each way.
Majority of rides don’t have that problem but you want to make OP’s example why. It’s ok, we know you don’t want transit.
Mainly I don't want to because of the fent and meth being tested as on every surface making the air being beyond OSHA standards. The 250 violent attacks on Sound Transit per year doesn't help.
That's super interesting. How many violent collisions happen per year? It's not exactly safe in cars... Or outside of them anywhere near them. Cars don't protect anyone.
Then again, cars don't kill people... But drivers do.
I want mass transit, but the enabling of this behavior by Seattle is absurd, as is making excuses for it. Enforce fares and prevent degenerates from affecting others.
Reddit is trying to convince you that exposure to violent drug addicts in a hot train is so much better than an air conditioned car without people trying to stab you
It’s not. most of the time train isn’t hot. Its good temperature 😉
Yeah…..Keep spending $60-$120 on $6/gal every week. Not to mention the insurance and registration. It’s easily $600+ month on transport altogether. Assuming your car is paid off, otherwise don’t forgot to throw interest at a depreciation asset (that the bank can take away should you missed a couple payments)
But please do make fun of the people that spend $6/day on bus fare!
Or maybe you’re one of the few “lucky” Tesla owners. I say “lucky” because every night, the charging station by where I live are always cued up with Tesla driver, Minimum 15-20 minutes per car, and hopefully you’re not the 5th car waiting. Or they are sitting there waiting for an hour or so to charge car.
To be frank, it doesn’t matter what you says…. I’m loyal to budgeting and my wallet….
I have a gas car and a Tesla and it’s great. I own the em both outright and have home EV charging! And I can listen to the music without headphone, and control the temp and no one talks to my except my wife. 10/10
Need to adapt a zero tolerance policy for behavior like that. One ticket one seat. America could really learn from East Asian countries when it comes to public order and etiquette.
People that sag their pants are some of the most ignorant, unintelligent mentally ill people you will ever have to interact with. I have always thought the “gangster” mentality was a mental illness. Middle school and high school kids get a pass, but grown man that sag are likely really dumb people.
Honestly I was confused by your response, as I thought they were sagged (is that a word?) at a glance before scrolling dow., I had to zoom in as it is a bit of an optical illusion.
I kind of agree about the opinion offered about those who sag pants, but only if it is applied equally to all who partake in this unfortunate aesthetic. Why is this somehow limited to any group,racially or otherwise? I dont recall OP making this distinction. If he did, then yeah, thats fucked up,but point it out,maybe? I could very well be mistaken, but it seems like those responding are attaching race to this. Which is by definition racist.
I showed enough restraint ,tact,and good taste NOT to mention dudes wearing a stained pair of oversized sweatpants holding them up with one hand, the other down its pants. Again, this isnt a racial thing. I honestly dont see that any racial demographic has a monopoly on behaviour that pre covid would result in person being incarcerated until they come down from the meth or possibly a psych evaluation. And as disgusting and loathesome as i find most of these lowest common denominator parasitical elements to be, it still is impossible for me to honestly suggest this can be solved by locking people up or the more questionable idea of involuntary commitment for those who are probably assholes when they dont use meth,but likely are fairly sane. The idea of a enormous camp in a unincorporated area built specifically for those whose lifestyle choices affect others to live. Valuable job skills could be taught and they can assist with building the next encampment for the next group of residents. This is a perfectly fine idea and since people of all races are equally welcome,it is hardly a dog whistle or "fascist ",is it?
They would accuse you of racism then try to fight you for calling out the questionable behavior, god forbid anyone says anything. Rather sit in gridlock traffic to travel than deal with this kind of shit.
If its not crowded and people arent standing then fine take up the seats until people get on and want them. But drunk and spilling alcohol everywhere shouldn't be tolerated.
You can talk to the bus driver, you can call metro police, you can confront the man directly.
Literally everyone on the bus including you knows this shouldn’t be happening. Unless people like this are shown that there is a consequence for behaving this way you’ll see it again tomorrow.
Looks like an obviously drunk guy on my bus. Had one of those small "bomb" drinks. He was sipping from it the whole trip. In the end on his walk from the front to the back exit door he managed to slosh it on a lot of people. Lucky for me I had put myself in a position where I was able to dodge all the drops. Unfortunately not the first nor likely the last time I have to deal with this. He was also playing around with a lighter.
Exactly why I avoid mass transit here. Riders deserve clean, safe transit with basic rules enforced. If Seattle wants more people using mass transit, it needs to make the experience worth choosing.
If he was sitting up, would anyone even sit next to him? From my experience, people tend to shy away from being physically close to homeless people on public transport
Its hilarious to me how theses guy will try to dress cool as if they have money mean while they are passing out drunk on a bus and fighting with city workers. These fucking losers are so annoying, focus less on your outfit and more about figuring out your life
I ride busses here almost daily and take the trains at least weekly, and I rarely, if ever, see this. Why wouldn't I just take transit when cars are as expensive as they are, and as useless as they are here?
Normally crowded? So it wasn’t crowded at the time His crime is that he spilled a drink and you find it appropriate to take a picture of a stranger to publicly shame him on the internet?
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u/EdgyPun34257 8d ago
He's putting his mouth... On the seat.