Sunday, November 24, 2013

Transit safety: someone poll me

There is apparently a poll underway about how riders feel about transit safety in Vancouver. I have just posted the following comment after a News1130 article on said poll. I wonder how many people agree with this?
The scariest aspect of any Skytrain commute is when cops with guns get on board. I have never felt threatened by any of my fellow commuters, no matter how stinky or rude or weird they might have been; but the moment a cop gets on board, visibly armed, I become quite aware of the possible threat - that there could be an incident between one of the cops and a commuter, or that a gun could get drawn or fired or swiped by a lone loony, all of which, in the close quarters of a moving skytrain car could be quite an issue. There's also a menacing "you are living in a police state" aesthetic to the experience ("fare evaders line up against the wall!") that feels far more intimidating than reassuring.

I suppose I could live with cops on the trains - I'm not sure they're necessary, but I imagine they're a fact of life now. Still, I would feel much safer if there were no guns involved. 

Why do I get the feeling that that's not the sort of answer they're looking for, here?

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