Yet Another DART Assault (Dallas, Atlanta: buy, schools, dangerous)

[crankywithakeyboard]

DART Bus Shooting Sparks Manhunt (http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/110211-DART-Bus-Shooting-Sparks-Manhunt - broken link)

Will all this violence change your DART habits?

I was going to ride DART to Fair Park (MLK Station) the other day and just couldn't bring myself to do it after remembering the boy that was killed there. I rode DART everyday last summer and still probably will this summer but all this violence is very alarming.

I've seen a couple of groups of people on DART-the commuters (very well-behaved), other older travelers just going on errands or something (also minding their own business), and kids under 20 or 25 just looking to waste time, trash the trains, play their loud music, and make trouble. I can guess which group the shooter was in. I have seen some well-behaved kids (mostly on suburban parts of DART or some of the downtown schools) but it's these roving bands of teens, especially, that are ruining everyone's experience.

I hope the guy's condition improves.

DART was one of the things that we were so excited about when we decided to move to Dallas. And it's all gone to hell in the past six months, it seems.

[Made_it_To_the_Metroplex]

Doest DART not have its own security force? In Atlanta, there's a separate MARTA Police force (sad that they need it, but at least it is there). Seems there may need to be a visible Security presence on some trains/buses or routes.

[Eric Fred Norris]

no. ridden the TRE for seven years, never had an incident

[TX75007]

Originally Posted by UpstateBooster

Doest DART not have its own security force? .

When I ride dart, I carry my get out jail free card and my health supplements. I do not care if there is security or not.

If it was up to me, I'd hire a bunch of Sikh grandads to ride dart and let them bring their walking sticks.

[Made_it_To_the_Metroplex]

Originally Posted by TX75007

When I ride dart, I carry my get out jail free card and my health supplements. I do not care if there is security or not.

If it was up to me, I'd hire a bunch of Sikh grandads to ride dart and let them bring their walking sticks.

I'm sure it's not all "that bad" all the time, but a visible Security presence would discourage random violence and/or thievery.

[PanTerra]

Only during rush hours.

[BigT3x]

Originally Posted by UpstateBooster

Doest DART not have its own security force? In Atlanta, there's a separate MARTA Police force (sad that they need it, but at least it is there). Seems there may need to be a visible Security presence on some trains/buses or routes.

15 seconds of Googling would have revealed to you that yes, of course, DART does have a police force. You'll never have enough police to stop everything.

People die in car crashes daily, yet we'd never wonder if people are going to stop driving because of it. Driving is MUCH more dangerous than taking DART. I have no idea why people seem to be so irrational when it comes to risk.

[MurphyPl1]

Normally I'd agree with you BigT3x. But these incidents are an upswing and I don't trust the so-called DART police. I've met "officers" in local PDs who used to work for DART and am not impressed. (one ended up holding his wife hostage and having SWAT called on him) The DART police started out as HOV lane hall cops and there is no way they are capable or qualified to handle true police work.

[Walter Benjamin]

The difference is that at least subjectively, it's possible to feel some control over how safe driving is -- you can choose to drive defensively, stay the speed limit, not rush through yellow lights, etc. One feels less of a sense of control over whether some pack of [CENSORED] kids is going to hop on your train car, pants around their ankles, and start ruining everyone's morning.

Also subjectively, the thought of crashing a car is less disturbing than the thought of being shot by some [CENSORED] kid for no good reason (at least to me).

Originally Posted by BigT3x

People die in car crashes daily, yet we'd never wonder if people are going to stop driving because of it. Driving is MUCH more dangerous than taking DART. I have no idea why people seem to be so irrational when it comes to risk.

[ETex2]

I ride DART light rail once in a while. My wife likes to ride it to the West End, the Dallas Zoo, or Mockingbird Station. We usually ride it on nights or weekends. I've also ridden light rail during rush hour. I'll say this, the rush hour commute times have a completely different ridership than nights or weekends. Since this incident occurred on a Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., I think you can say that the ridership is different at just about any non-rush hour commute time.

About half of the ridership in non commuting hours appear to be somewhat "unsavory". Quite a few gang members will also show up. I'd guess that most of the unsavory types do not buy a ticket. During the many times I've ridden light rail, I've only seen a DART security officer/cop once. Most of the time, there is no one even to check tickets.

I don't enjoy it nearly as much as my wife does. And when I ride, I am ALWAYS packing a weapon (legally of course).