Marta train ride from Airport to Five Points is very ugly. (transit, change)

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by ajjam

That is my friend Ben Evans acting in the video!!! He is funny...he does stand up at Laughing Skull..this video is awesome

That sh** is funny!

[zach_33]

Not bad. I took MARTA today from airport to Midtown in the morning and back at the end of the day. I am struck by how consistently a panhandler comes through and asks everyone if they have any change. That is not normal for large city rapid transit. I'm not saying it never happens in Chicago or Boston, but the I've taken that trip on MARTA probably 4 times and every time there is somebody asking all the riders for change. Still, for $2.50 per trip, given Atlanta traffic, it's tough to beat.

[gerrythesnake]

Originally Posted by zach_33

Not bad. I took MARTA today from airport to Midtown in the morning and back at the end of the day. I am struck by how consistently a panhandler comes through and asks everyone if they have any change. That is not normal for large city rapid transit. I'm not saying it never happens in Chicago or Boston, but the I've taken that trip on MARTA probably 4 times and every time there is somebody asking all the riders for change. Still, for $2.50 per trip, given Atlanta traffic, it's tough to beat.

What do you do when approached by panhandlers on Cta?

Yes it is normal. Very normal. Ride any train in the Bronx, the green line in DC or in LA, etc and you will see this all the time

[zach_33]

Oh okay, so SW Atlanta is like Anacostia or S. Bronx. Got it.

I took CTA daily for many years and rarely was asked for change while riding on the train. In and around the stations, sure, but on the train not so much.

[gerrythesnake]

Originally Posted by zach_33

Oh okay, so SW Atlanta is like Anacostia or S. Bronx. Got it.

I took CTA daily for many years and rarely was asked for change while riding on the train. In and around the stations, sure, but on the train not so much.

The hood areas have more panhandling than normal areas of the city….generally

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by zach_33

Oh okay, so SW Atlanta is like Anacostia or S. Bronx. Got it.

I took CTA daily for many years and rarely was asked for change while riding on the train. In and around the stations, sure, but on the train not so much.

Same here. I was never hit up by panhandlers for money on CTA trains. Not ever. The "worst" I ever experienced on CTA was peddlers selling their goods (incense, socks, lighters) or guys rapping on the train for money (and it was always the same group of teenagers. I still remember their songs lol). In other words, not people not begging for money but selling things.

Come to think of it, I was never hit up for money in or around the stations either, except for maybe one time that I can remember. I've never countered as many panhandlers in Chicago is I have here.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

Same here. I was never hit up by panhandlers for money on CTA trains. Not ever. The "worst" I ever experienced on CTA was peddlers selling their goods (incense, socks, lighters) or guys rapping on the train for money (and it was always the same group of teenagers. I still remember their songs lol). In other words, not people not begging for money but selling things.

Come to think of it, I was never hit up for money in or around the stations either, except for maybe one time that I can remember. I've never countered as many panhandlers in Chicago is I have here.

Atlanta has better weather than Chicago. I couldn't imagine being homeless in Chicago.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Atlanta has better weather than Chicago. I couldn't imagine being homeless in Chicago.

Homeless just isn't a good state to be in, no matter where you live.

[tikigod311]

I don't think I have ever been asked for money on MARTA and my rides over the course of my lifetime always include the south line. I generally only ride outside of peak hours too.

Anecdotal, yes. But I get the feeling the problem of panhandling is overblown. Not to mention the fact that every trip I have made of late there is a cop in every single station on the platform south of Five Points.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by zach_33

Not bad. I took MARTA today from airport to Midtown in the morning and back at the end of the day. I am struck by how consistently a panhandler comes through and asks everyone if they have any change. That is not normal for large city rapid transit. I'm not saying it never happens in Chicago or Boston, but the I've taken that trip on MARTA probably 4 times and every time there is somebody asking all the riders for change. Still, for $2.50 per trip, given Atlanta traffic, it's tough to beat.

I ride the train to the airport multiple times per week. In the past few months, you might get a panhandler one time out of five. Perhaps you were a bit unlucky?

Two years ago, it was probably 60-80% of the time. The crackdown actually began before the CEO change, about a year or so ago--I started a thread about it at the time.