Second Murder at Five Points Station in the same week (Atlanta: city hall, cost)

[MikeandIke27]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

That's a fair statement, and I actually agree to some extent, but it's been my own experience that a visible presence can be a fairly good deterrent if people believe that most **** behavior will result in the hassle of being arrested.


I see a lot of stuff even in suburban Atlanta that was new to me when I arrived here six years ago, so in my experience "it happens everywhere" is a pretty weak argument. It doesn't, even in the US.

There's a rougher edge down here, which some might see as cool, so maybe that explains it. My own theory is that some of it is related to the fact that I rarely see cop cars in a lot of the metro, and a lot of stuff (like panhandling in public places, folks asking for money at stoplights, etc.) would result in an arrest where I came from. Don't let it happen, and eventually it will stop.

What does it have to do with you? Not much aside from the fact that you made a snide comment. Did you not expect a response here?

Its only a weak argument because you havent experienced it, But I bet if you google it you will find similar crime issues on public transit. I never had the experience of being robbed, I would be very nieve to think that it doesnt happen anywhere else. So its a weak arguement to say Its new to me because I havent experienced that and it doesnt change the fact that These things on public transit have happened in other cities. And if you think panhandling is just a problem in Atlanta you need to do your research because from My experience SF was worse than Atlanta.

[Bullbear]

Originally Posted by MikeandIke27

LOL.. if you say so sir.. People just need to stop living in fear... If your scared to ride Marta because you think the Homeboys are going to get you, Then dont ride it period.

Im not scared homey: Im armed. Its amazing what having a 40 cal S&W at your side will do for one's self confidence.

I do like your attitude though, and I would offer the same. If you dont think whitey gives you a fair shake here in the US, then relocate elsewhere.

And always remember: Dont let the door hit you in the butt.

[jsimms3]

SF does have worse panhandling and other transit systems do have crime. I think the issue is that most of MARTA seems kind of sketchy. In Philly, Boston, Chicago, and DC (I am leaving out NYC because I don't take the trains past 10 there either...usually just cab it) there are so many lines going to so many places that not only is it easier to avoid taking the train through sketchy areas, sketchy people are diluted by non-sketchy people. I feel perfectly comfortable taking many of the lines in the above cities late late at night. I wouldn't even feel comfortable in a group taking MARTA past 9 or 10.

I know a girl (who was half black half white) who went to Agnes Scott who was attacked/nearly raped at Decatur Station, I have a fraternity brother from TX who was mugged in broad daylight on one of the trains coming back from the airport, and I was assualted pretty badly at Art Center Station. All of that in just a few years of me being here (let alone all the crime that happens to people I don't know). There are lines in other cities with similar crime, but you can easily avoid them (there would be no purpose for me to take the trains in other cities to or through ghetto areas). Here in Atlanta I would say 2/3 of the MARTA system goes through what I would call ghetto areas, and the N-S line doesn't take me to where I want to go at night.

MARTA's original purpose was to serve captured riders, not choice riders, and it does a decent job at that (could actually be better...but first we must serve more choice riders). The biggest problem with MARTA, which influences the crime problem and the image problem, is that most of the routes service poor areas and commercial districts (and the airport). There are pretty much no routes hitting white collar residential areas, and some of the city's busiest areas aren't even serviced (Vinings for one, Peachtree Road/Roswell Road for another).

[captaincatfish]

Originally Posted by Bullbear

Im not scared homey: Im armed. Its amazing what having a 40 cal S&W at your side will do for one's self confidence.

I do like your attitude though, and I would offer the same. If you dont think whitey gives you a fair shake here in the US, then relocate elsewhere.

And always remember: Dont let the door hit you in the butt.

I'll say this...even though we don't always agree, you strike me as having better than average intelligence...enough so that you don't fall for bait like the post you responded to...

And enough with the 'whitey' stuff, already...there are more than enough reasonble, educated, and intelligent blacks there in Atlanta, as well as the rest of the country, that realize that term is so played out, and have better things to do with their time than 'hate whitey'---hell, some of us would much rather try to seek common ground!...and what's more, so what if you're white? I would hope your ethnicity wouldn't be a factor in you and I having a debate and at some point agreeing to disagree...

I know this subject might be a dead horse, and you as well as I have taken turns beating it...in short, if dude wants to play tough guy and bust off with a bunch of attitude, don't play tough guy right back and throw your '40 caliber S&W' in his face, because to me, that means you're sinking to his level, and I think a little better of you than that...

(LOL...'homey'? That's even old in the BLACK community)

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by MikeandIke27

Its only a weak argument because you havent experienced it, But I bet if you google it you will find similar crime issues on public transit. I never had the experience of being robbed, I would be very nieve to think that it doesnt happen anywhere else. So its a weak arguement to say Its new to me because I havent experienced that and it doesnt change the fact that These things on public transit have happened in other cities. And if you think panhandling is just a problem in Atlanta you need to do your research because from My experience SF was worse than Atlanta.

I didn't say it doesn't happen anywhere else. I said that there are comparable places where it doesn't happen.

Because of that, it's obviously a preventable condition and not an inevitable occurrence just because Atlanta is a medium-sized urban area.

NYC cleaned up its act. Why can't Atlanta? It's has been on the way to doing so since the 70's, certainly, but it still has a way to go in my opinion.

[mandmrossi]

Maybe MARTA Security executives need to spend some time with the Port Authority of NY to understand how they keep the order with millions of travelers each day in the subway system. It can be done...

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by mandmrossi

Maybe MARTA Security executives need to spend some time with the Port Authority of NY to understand how they keep the order with millions of travelers each day in the subway system. It can be done...

I've seen a lot of posters here show a complete lack of desire to see how things are done ANYWHERE else.

How else can you learn?

It frustrates the heck out of me. The NIH syndrome on a state-side scale...

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

I see a lot of stuff even in suburban Atlanta that was new to me when I arrived here six years ago, so in my experience "it happens everywhere" is a pretty weak argument. It doesn't, even in the US.

The "it happens everywhere" argument is a complete non-starter. For one thing, as you say, it doesn't happen everywhere. It's also a diversion from facing and dealing with our own problems.

And while I know it's subjective, there does seem to be a rougher edge to things down here. I've had several visitors from out of town comment on it, and they are worldly folks who've been around.

[DTL3000]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

I've seen a lot of posters here show a complete lack of desire to see how things are done ANYWHERE else.

How else can you learn?

It frustrates the heck out of me. The NIH syndrome on a state-side scale...

I agree. It's the complacency that gets me. The folks who say stuff like "crime happens everywhere" or "if you are afraid just don't ride the train" do not help the situation. I don't think 3 murders within one year in a medium sized transit system should be accepted as "life in a big city" when other cities have lower crime rates on much larger systems. Atlanta should be striving to improve in all areas rather than immediately falling back on cop outs. It's that sense of apathy that seems to permeate this city nowadays. It hasn't always been that way. This city used to aspire to be something greater.

[PKCorey]

Originally Posted by mandmrossi

Maybe MARTA Security executives need to spend some time with the Port Authority of NY to understand how they keep the order with millions of travelers each day in the subway system. It can be done...

I think, you meant the MTA.

PANYnNJ does only PATH and Bus Terminal. PATH doesn't move nowhere near millions of travelers a day...

Sure, the MARTA can do on sight review of other transit systems but if they don't have the money from the state and other resources to implement these plans, its starts becoming a waste of money...