Fan of Rail ? (Houston, Austin, Howe: where to stay, school, live in)

[texas7]

I know so many are just pining away for light rail. However, until we actually have a rail station that is secure enough to make sure everyone is a "paying" rider - you'll get to share your ride with this:

A co-worker recently starting riding the rail for a short distance (btwn med center and downtown). In the few weeks she has been doing so, here is what she has experienced:

1) a homeless guy who sat in the seat and pee'd all over himself in the seat. He was so drunk, he couldn't even stand to get off the train.
2) a guy in the back of the train who who shouting obscenities as loud as he could at nobody in particular, interspersed with "get the f$%& off me man" at a person only he could see.
3) a guy covered from head to toe in tattoo's who walked up to her and got about a foot away and glared into her eyes for the rest of the ride until the train stopped and they exited.
4) the train filled with the homeless who get on and ride all day to stay out of the weather.

As a great majority of those who are homeless are mentally ill, that mean you are sharing your ride with a lot of mentally unstable people and sitting on dirty, nasty seats should you choose to sit. The driver sits nicely tucked away in a locked compartment, so you are on your own and hopefully some normal riders who might come to your assistance should you need it.

Other large cities seem to have a better handle on riders than Houston does. Until that improves, can't say I'm just jumping with excitement waiting to have this all over town.

[jek74]

Originally Posted by texas7

I know so many are just pining away for light rail. However, until we actually have a rail station that is secure enough to make sure everyone is a "paying" rider - you'll get to share your ride with this:

A co-worker recently starting riding the rail for a short distance (btwn med center and downtown). In the few weeks she has been doing so, here is what she has experienced:

1) a homeless guy who sat in the seat and pee'd all over himself in the seat. He was so drunk, he couldn't even stand to get off the train.
2) a guy in the back of the train who who shouting obscenities as loud as he could at nobody in particular, interspersed with "get the f$%& off me man" at a person only he could see.
3) a guy covered from head to toe in tattoo's who walked up to her and got about a foot away and glared into her eyes for the rest of the ride until the train stopped and they exited.
4) the train filled with the homeless who get on and ride all day to stay out of the weather.

As a great majority of those who are homeless are mentally ill, that mean you are sharing your ride with a lot of mentally unstable people and sitting on dirty, nasty seats should you choose to sit. The driver sits nicely tucked away in a locked compartment, so you are on your own and hopefully some normal riders who might come to your assistance should you need it.

Other large cities seem to have a better handle on riders than Houston does. Until that improves, can't say I'm just jumping with excitement waiting to have this all over town.

No dude come on. Welcome to the 21st century. And no, other cities don't have a better handle on it. I rode the Subway in NY for two years. I watched a homeless man stab a guy in a business suit 56 times during rush hour traffic at the Wall Street station. Trust me, other cities DON'T have a better handle on it. When you ride mass transit, that is what you get. Just like driving in your car you get lousy traffic, road rage, traffic tickets and car breakdowns. Everything is a trade off. Yes, a lot of homeless ride mass transit. There is no way to really "deal" with it. I use to sit on a train going into Manhattan on a full train with parents and kids going to see a show on broadway and some guy will be sitting all by himself pants down, full erection and rubbing one out for all to see. It was all part of the show!

[verybadgnome]

I rode the train in DC for years and never experienced these things.

Another thing to consider is that whatever metric you use, be it number of trips or miles traveled, death rates (see page 31) via rail are a fraction of motor vehicles.

[stoneclaw]

Originally Posted by texas7

I know so many are just pining away for light rail.

As a great majority of those who are homeless are mentally ill, that mean you are sharing your ride with a lot of mentally unstable people and sitting on dirty, nasty seats should you choose to sit. The driver sits nicely tucked away in a locked compartment, so you are on your own and hopefully some normal riders who might come to your assistance should you need it.

Other large cities seem to have a better handle on riders than Houston does. Until that improves, can't say I'm just jumping with excitement waiting to have this all over town.

I'm sorry, but this is weak. And you really lost credibiltiy when you said that other cities have better handle on it. You'd be surprised how many homeless drug addicts sneak in to the subway stations in NYC.

[fitzy24]

I ride it every now and then from DT to the med center and I do experience the typical homeless. I think about the seats too. I just hope they spray them nightly. I also think about the handrails. As soon as I get to my destination, I splash a bunch of hand sanitizer on. But then I do that anyway. I don't like riding the rail but it is convenient because I don't have to drive in and pay for parking twice. I do see metro police checking your qcard but not often enough, imo.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by stoneclaw

I'm sorry, but this is weak. And you really lost credibiltiy when you said that other cities have better handle on it. You'd be surprised how many homeless drug addicts sneak in to the subway stations in NYC.

Weak? As in? If I am wrong about other large cities, I stand corrected. Doesn't change the fact that it isn't a particularly desirable way to get to/from in Houston. Wasn't trying to win an argument, was just relaying my co-worker's pleasant trip to work on the rail. I'm good driving my own car if that is what I need to tolerate to ride the rail. I used to ride it to the med center for medical appts. but after getting harrassed by the homeless a few times, decided I'd rather take my own car.

Riding the rail shouldn't have to be a badge of honor - seeing a guy stabbed while riding in NY - not something I'd want to see or be able to brag about just trying to get to and from some place.

[glorplaxy]

How many people are killed while using public rail transit in major US cities?

How many people are killed in horrible automobile accidents, pinned and lacerated and broken and burned by jagged, twisted metal...or sliced by shards of glass?

Go to a Level I ER in an NYC hospital...the majority of people there were involved in car accidents, not train stabbings.

I've worked in the medical field and got to spend a good 48 hours each in both Ben Taub and Hermann ERs. Believe me, the danger and tragedy and absolutely appalling, mind-numbing, horrible injuries are ALL from automobile accidents.

I lived in Mexico City for a while and frequently rode their metro, which is the third most extensive public rail transit in the world and never had any injuries, nor did I see anyone get injured....mind you that I rode the Metro up to 10 times on any given day and this is the second largest metropolitan area on Earth...and its freakin Mexico. Most I got were people trying to sell bootlegged CDs or political activist students.

Even in tiny communities across America, even in your precious little suburbs far away from the big scary city, people are dying absolutely horrible deaths in unimaginable pain because of automobiles.

Take a trip with me to Hermann or Ben Taub's ER this weekend and let's look at all of the screaming, grieving families who are there because their family member died or suffered life-changing injuries and can no longer function as a person....because of car accidents.

And I will bet Ive used our rail much more than you or your coworker and I have never been accosted by anyone, and Im far from homeless looking...I am a young, rather clean-cut white guy. I used to ride the rail to get to school every day. There are more students and medical professionals on there than anything.

[Truth713]

Yea been taking the rail for years on a average of 4-5 times a week .. never seen any of that.. do homless hop the train yes but most keep to themselves

[Dopo]

It's easy to complain, but nobody proposes a solution.
I bet that would change quickly if homeless people were offered a place where to stay (temporarily) and just make sure that bus rides are always 1/2 the price than light rail

Wow, that was difficult.

[theSUBlime]

Originally Posted by texas7

I know so many are just pining away for light rail. However, until we actually have a rail station that is secure enough to make sure everyone is a "paying" rider - you'll get to share your ride with this:

A co-worker recently starting riding the rail for a short distance (btwn med center and downtown). In the few weeks she has been doing so, here is what she has experienced:

1) a homeless guy who sat in the seat and pee'd all over himself in the seat. He was so drunk, he couldn't even stand to get off the train.
2) a guy in the back of the train who who shouting obscenities as loud as he could at nobody in particular, interspersed with "get the f$%& off me man" at a person only he could see.
3) a guy covered from head to toe in tattoo's who walked up to her and got about a foot away and glared into her eyes for the rest of the ride until the train stopped and they exited.
4) the train filled with the homeless who get on and ride all day to stay out of the weather.

So? Maybe we should all live in a bubble. Working in the service industry in Boston and in Houston, I've worked at a 5 star restaurant and had person come in and beg loudly for money while bleeding all over the floor during a Saturday night rush, nearly stepped in human feces on the MBTA, and gotten whizzed on while being cursed working at 2 jobs in Boston and Houston, all in the safety of my safe little life. The rail is my safe place.

As a great majority of those who are homeless are mentally ill, that mean you are sharing your ride with a lot of mentally unstable people and sitting on dirty, nasty seats should you choose to sit.

Have you ever touched money before or gone to a nudie bar?

The driver sits nicely tucked away in a locked compartment, so you are on your own and hopefully some normal riders who might come to your assistance should you need it.

Other large cities seem to have a better handle on riders than Houston does. Until that improves, can't say I'm just jumping with excitement waiting to have this all over town.

No. NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Austin...you name it. Houston is not even that dense.