LA Subway (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Long Beach: low crime, hotels, home)

[gwillyfromphilly]

Originally Posted by munchmeat

The subway is great if you want to sit next to homeless, illegals, slobs, the mentally ill, crackheads, and/or thugs, sometimes all rolled up into one stupendous person!

I Ihink this is America's collective viewpoint on the different modes of public transportation.

Buses- Has the worst negative stigma of any kind of public transportation. Primarily ridden by low income riders.

Light rail- Really depends on what city you're in and where the line goes but riders are usually middle or lower income.

Subways- Generally viewed as okay because they are usually ridden by all types of people from various income levels. Though people tend to be wary of using subways at night largely due to the lack of transit security and feeling safe.

Commuter rail- Primarily ridden by the middle class and is the preferred public transportation for people who live in the suburbs. Also ridden by people who would never ride a bus or even light rail.

Intercity rail- Primarily ridden by the upper and middle class. Has the least negative stigma of any mode of public transportation. Best suited for long distance traveling.

I think personally space is a very key component when it comes to the type of people that public transportation draws. People who routinely drive cars are more likely to ride commuter rail and intercity rail because that's the closest experience to having personal space when they are driving a car. Also seats on commuter/intercity rail are facing forward and are not facing each other like on buses and other forms of transportation. People who usually drive cars don't want to be facing people that can look at them in the opposite direction. They feel that riding commuter/intercity rail decreases the likelihood of some "creepy person staring at you" which will also decrease the likelihood of getting into an altercation or confrontation with someone. It hard to get into a fight with someone when they are not looking at you.

[Spikett]

First, the is no "center" of LA. You need to look at a map and decide what you want to see and then pick where you stay. Regardless of how you get around, traffic is a nightmare and it can take a long time to get from one area of the city to the other.

I tried the red line once, from Burank to downtown (I'm a woman, FYI). I never saw so many crazy people in one place. There was the gangbanger discussing prison with his girlfriend, the crazy guy arguing with himself out loud, the two other crazy people who I thought were going to come to blows, etc. That was it for me. Things go so bad in recent years that now the LAPD actually provides security on the subway - that should tell you a lot.

[BGS91762]

Originally Posted by Spikett

First, the is no "center" of LA. You need to look at a map and decide what you want to see and then pick where you stay. Regardless of how you get around, traffic is a nightmare and it can take a long time to get from one area of the city to the other.

I tried the red line once, from Burank to downtown (I'm a woman, FYI). I never saw so many crazy people in one place. There was the gangbanger discussing prison with his girlfriend, the crazy guy arguing with himself out loud, the two other crazy people who I thought were going to come to blows, etc. That was it for me. Things go so bad in recent years that now the LAPD actually provides security on the subway - that should tell you a lot.

Have you ever traveled before? All large cities provide security in their Metro Systems. In fact security has been greatly increased in recent years in LA making the system safer. I feel bad for people that lead such sheltered lives.

[TCROX]

Ummm yeah- sheltering our lives from the mentally ill excons would be a welcome change
There is no security- in fact the train kept moving and the murderer was “arrested “ at the next station- there could have been lots more killed
https://www.google.com/amp/s/ktla.co...in-duarte/amp/

[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by Spikett

I tried the red line once, from Burank to downtown (I'm a woman, FYI). I never saw so many crazy people in one place. There was the gangbanger discussing prison with his girlfriend, the crazy guy arguing with himself out loud, the two other crazy people who I thought were going to come to blows, etc. That was it for me. Things go so bad in recent years that now the LAPD actually provides security on the subway - that should tell you a lot.

Super misleading. There has been a contract in place for law enforcement to provide security on the Red Line since its inception. The contract expires and law enforcement has to bid on it. Most recently LAPD was awarded the contract. There is no “things got so bad in recent years”.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.lat...outputType=amp

[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by TCROX

Ummm yeah- sheltering our lives from the mentally ill excons would be a welcome change
There is no security- in fact the train kept moving and the murderer was “arrested “ at the next station- there could have been lots more killed
https://www.google.com/amp/s/ktla.co...in-duarte/amp/

The same thing could happen on the street. There’s no evidence that crime occurs more frequently on the rail lines.

[Astral_Weeks]

Originally Posted by Spikett

First, the is no "center" of LA. You need to look at a map and decide what you want to see and then pick where you stay. Regardless of how you get around, traffic is a nightmare and it can take a long time to get from one area of the city to the other.

I tried the red line once, from Burank to downtown (I'm a woman, FYI). I never saw so many crazy people in one place. There was the gangbanger discussing prison with his girlfriend, the crazy guy arguing with himself out loud, the two other crazy people who I thought were going to come to blows, etc. That was it for me. Things go so bad in recent years that now the LAPD actually provides security on the subway - that should tell you a lot.

The redline doesn't even go to Burbank. And has been stated, the LAPD and/or LA County Sherriff personnel have ALWAYS provided security. Not any different than any other big city mass transit.

[Astral_Weeks]

Originally Posted by munchmeat

The subway is great if you want to sit next to homeless, illegals, slobs, the mentally ill, crackheads, and/or thugs, sometimes all rolled up into one stupendous person!

OP: ^ Don't pay attention to internet trolls.

My coworker rides the blue line from Long Beach to Downtown LA every day. I have ridden the red, blue and expo line many times over the years. Never had a problem.

Do you see some strange (and even unsavory) people on the train? Sure you will but also plenty of "normal" people on the train as well. Just use normal big city precautions and you will be fine.

[Astral_Weeks]

Originally Posted by Spikett

First, the is no "center" of LA. You need to look at a map and decide what you want to see and then pick where you stay. Regardless of how you get around, traffic is a nightmare and it can take a long time to get from one area of the city to the other. .

If you look at a map you'll see that all the major rail lines converge on downtown LA. I am guessing that is what the OP was referencing.

DTLA is a good place to stay if the OP wants all the major rail lines close by to help him/her get around.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by Spikett

First, the is no "center" of LA. You need to look at a map and decide what you want to see and then pick where you stay. Regardless of how you get around, traffic is a nightmare and it can take a long time to get from one area of the city to the other.

So that thing with giant 1100 foot skyscrapers with a huge intermodal train station that Amtrak, Metrolink, Metro bus, the red and purple line subway and the gold, expo, and blue line all converge in that just happens to be in geographic center of the Los Angeles municipality isn't the center of the city? Didn't know that, thanks for informing us.


This is a good example of the problem with most L.A. transit related threads-basic empirical facts are discarded so negative stereotypes can be propagated.