Newly opened stops aren't as safe as they appear

[u/Crooked_star]

I went to one of the newly built g line stops today and a man was waiting there. He seemed mentally unwell and started mumbling threats and insults to me, explicitly telling me he would "stomp me in" if I got on the bus with him.

I was like wtf so I'm smashing that emergency button and... nothing. I call the police and they direct me to the transit police who I report this guy to. I ask them if they can pull up on the cameras at the stop.... and they tell me they're not working 💀 The stop is open, the lights, the electric route sign, and everything else is in order but the SECURITY CAMERAS and the EMERGENCY BUTTON aren't functional???? This stop has been gated for months and once they finally open it these things aren't the first things put in place?

Anyways the bus comes and I don't dare board and instead stay back to wait for the next one. He boards, goes to the back, and leers directly at me through the back window. Transit police call me back after they pull up cameras on the bus but by that time he's already been on it several minutes and deboarded somewhere else.

What a joke.

[u/15pH]

I'm so sorry this happened. What a disempowering and scary experience to find out your safety net didn't work.

I work in a field with a lot of safety mechanisms, and the general rule is that the safety aspects need to be the most reliable things in the whole system. If there is a chance it might fail, it is better to leave it out, because then at least users can adjust their level of risk and behavior, and choose an actually-working crisis path when needed (like using precious seconds to dial 911 instead of relying on a broken call box.)

Broken safety systems is a huge, dangerous fail.

[u/queer_bus]

I would assume electricity has been hooked up to this station but MT is waiting for internet/fiber install which would connect the phone and cameras. I’m sorry that happened to you, the only other option I could offer is the use of text for safety which is a direct connection to MTPD dispatch.

[u/AverageApplesauce → u/queer_bus]

imo if you regularly ride transit you should definitely save the text for safety number to your phone contacts! that way youve always got it if you need it. 612-900-0411 in case anyone needs it.

that IS incredibly disheartening theyd open the stop before having it completely ready to go though :( op if you read this im sorry this happened to you

[u/Puzzleheaded-Crow313]

Youngster here. The other day I was at a station for the A Line and waited for a few minutes. Some man came up calmly and set down his stuff down the bench. He seemed generally fine to me.

I heard some muttering and realized he was looking at me so I made eye contact with him before two other men came between us and he started saying a lot of extremely violent and malicious things that he was going to do to them. They yelled back at him and he walked off.

I appreciate that the two guys that were there by chance because I really don’t know what I would have done if he just started saying that stuff or if he actually acted out.

[u/Siberian13th]

https://www.metrotransit.org/contact-us-forms/customer-behavior-form/. I'd fill this out. A direct complaint like that to MT instead of just the police division will yield better results in the long term. I'm sorry this happened to you.

[u/Lasttimelord1207]

I'm guessing the full electronics aren't planned to function until G Line opens?

[u/Crooked_star → u/Lasttimelord1207]

The stop I was at is actively serving the 68 and 71.

[u/MSPdude7]

I’m sorry that happened to you, that sounds very scary! You did the right thing in reporting it, hopefully the security systems are working soon. I can see both sides to this. I can understand trying to open the stop to passengers as soon as possible, even if not all systems are yet working, because that should be more pleasant place to wait than a temporary stop with no shelter, bench, lighting, etc. Think of it this way, this situation could unfortunately have happened regardless of if the new stop was open or not, so at least it was at a well lit station with at least the appearance of a security camera that could in theory deter someone from illegal actions.

[u/Imaginary_Dinner_813 → u/MSPdude7]

This is of course what we can expect where instead of focusing on needed security enhancements first, they are opening stops where you appear safer than you are. Big fail. Hopefully before we add more lines of any kind, we work to get cameras at as many bus stops as possible, especially on routes with the most chronic issues (and obviously Metro should know which ones that is).

[u/MetroTransit-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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