tweakers? (Portland, Gresham, Beaverton: neighborhood, buying, schools)

[anodyne]

I've not visited and am considering relocating. I understand south east has more meth addicts, but that oregon has lots of meth-heads in general. just how bad is the meth problem? are the city transits safe for a 13 year-old to ride alone?

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by anodyne

are the city transits safe for a 13 year-old to ride alone?

Like anything, it'll depend on the area. Would I let my 13 year old ride public transportation alone? Hell no. But that's just me. I'm a bit of an over-protective parent, though.

But yes, meth addiction is a HUGE issue in the NW. Check out the Frontline special on pbs.org about the meth situation. You'll find many of the people they interviewed are from the Portland area.

Here's the link to the Frontline documentary. It's chilling.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/

[Marko3]

I've never ran into anyone amp'd up on Meth roaming the streets, but then again I tend to avoid areas that give me that feeling...you know...the creepy feeling that it's just not a nice neighborhood. I don't have kids, but I can tell you that if I were 13 again, I'm not sure if I'd feel to comfortable using public transportation alone, though I have seen young kids on the MAX that seem to be riding alone. I think there are more than enough good sumaritans that would put a halt to something bad happening. The question is, does that make you feel comfortable enough to let your child ride alone? My answer is NO WAY. Perhaps if there were transit cops riding on the trains and buses, I'd feel a little more comfortable about it. I know that if I had children, I wouldn't want them riding by themselves until they were older.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by diggitydot

Like anything, it'll depend on the area. Would I let my 13 year old ride public transportation alone? Hell no. But that's just me. I'm a bit of an over-protective parent, though.

But yes, meth addiction is a HUGE issue in the NW. Check out the Frontline special on pbs.org about the meth situation. You'll find many of the people they interviewed are from the Portland area.

Here's the link to the Frontline documentary. It's chilling.

That's because the show was produced in conjunction with The Oregonian and the special report they ran on the problem, so they used Portland as a base to film from.

The current maps show it's a problem all through the west.

[TKO1068]

Yes, it's all over the west, no question. But the reason the Oregonian helped with this story is because it's SO rampant in this area. I see these meth-heads every day of the week.

No, I wouldn't and have never let my daughter ride the Max. NOT EVEN WITH ME! I would never want her to experience the language, the scum bags and the drug addicts who proliferate public transportation in the sewer that is Portland.

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

That's because the show was produced in conjunction with The Oregonian and the special report they ran on the problem, so they used Portland as a base to film from.

The current maps show it's a problem all through the west.

Yes, it's now a problem through out most of the country, particularly in the west. But Oregon was kind of a type of "ground zero" for most of the beginning of the problem. It's one of the first places where meth addiction became endemic.

There's a reason they worked with the Oregonian. Because the reporters at the paper have been covering this issue for decades and are WELL versed in it.

[zilfondel]

In Portland, there are a huge number of children that ride the MAX or bus to school, downtown, or the mall. On some routes I avoid certain times because they might fill 4+ buses in a row... it can be pretty annoying, actually.

Otherwise, bus drivers are quite attentive to anything that happens on the bus, are courteous and help anyone who has a question or problem. I'd say they are extremely safe.

MAX is less so, because the driver, like any train, is shut inside the driving compartment... although most people who use the MAX are just going downtown, and is usually quite crowded for anything to 'happen' on it.

All in all, I see tons of kids on the transit system... I think many parents stick their kids on the bus instead of buying them a car, because its a lot cheaper and safer.

=======================

As far as tweakers are concerned, Oregon passed a few laws in the past year that heavily restricted the ingrediants used to make meth... and the rate has significantly dropped. I rarely see them, even in Portland. But then I don't live in Gresham or K-Falls, either.

[LMW3]

Depending on which side of town you're living in, your child might not really even be able to ride public transportation to school. I went to westside elementary, middle and highschools (public) and the only public transportation that went between anywhere in the West Hills and my schools was a public bus. Some kids took it- most didn't. Not necessarily because of the safety, though. I think that that particular bus route was safer than most through Portland. But then again, the Westside as a whole is a little safer. --Don't everyone get bent out of shape by that comment, I'm speaking of the West Hills in Portland...not including Beaverton, Hillsboro, or anywhere else that doesn't have a 'Portland, 97229 (etc)' address.