For those who work for transit agencies or those that ride them in the overnight hours? (taxis)

[beenhereandthere]

Is there a problem with homeless people, maybe a serious one, like there is in Seattle, using the buses for shelter instead of actually using them to get from Point A to Point B and then get off and stay off (at least long enough to run an errand, like non homeless people)?

While I get their plight, to some degree, it's borderline infuriating. Especially when you get the ones that complain to the driver about turning up the heat. Maybe, if the bus is full of mostly homeless people, the driver doesn't want to turn on the heat, since they may discourage, at least a few of them, from making it a 4 to 5 hour home?

Many of these people, or at least 1/2 of them, aren't right in the head. There are a good amount Women, who do work at clubs and eateries that don't get off until say 1a to 5a. How is that good to try to sell the idea of using public transit to them, if it's basically a homeless shelter with some who literally smell like booze, cigs or even urine? I don't blame them, for taking taxis instead, but that adds up, dollarwise, after a while.

There are, at least here, police officers that chase them off if it's the driver's last run of the night at the very last stop, but that's only if it's a route that has an end time after 3a and/or service that is advertised as Night Owl service.

How do other towns handle this? Seems it's not so much an issue in subways and trains, since those platforms are more heavily patrolled. But on buses? Boy oh boy. I guess though, in places like Chicago and Minneapolis, the drivers, in the winter, just turn off the heat, overnight (except for the driver's seat) strictly for this reason.

[intok]

Even in my tiny town with it's worthless bus network will kick you out or have you arrested for staying on the bus past it's turn around point.

Pust the city and state to build more mental health facilities and shelters.

[That_One_Guy]

In NYC since the trains run 24/7/365 and never stop, ever, this can be a problem during the overnight hours. Some trains are worse than others I think. I swear the E train is like a homeless shelter overnight sometimes.

I don't really mind it that much, unless they smell, then I just go into the next car over.

[beenhereandthere]

Originally Posted by That_One_Guy

In NYC since the trains run 24/7/365 and never stop, ever, this can be a problem during the overnight hours. Some trains are worse than others I think. I swear the E train is like a homeless shelter overnight sometimes.

I don't really mind it that much, unless they smell, then I just go into the next car over.

Thought NYC took care of that more agreessively on the subways.
Seems that would be more of an issue in the above ground buses