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Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 8th, 2013, 8:16 pm
by spectre000
Catenary poles have started going up on 4th Street in downtown.

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 8th, 2013, 10:16 pm
by twincitizen
:roll:

Really would like this thing to open, have been going from Uptown to University and Lexington frequently
On the Route 21? I kid, I kid.

Seriously though, are you taking the 21? Pretty much goes exactly where you need it to...in an hour :roll:

No matter how ahead of schedule they get, there is just no possibility of beginning service before the end of the U's Spring 2014 finals week. I think that ~May 12 is the absolute best case scenario. Perhaps if they were far enough ahead, they would start the "free rides" promotional period a week or two before the end of the semester, then enact the bus route changes with the mid-May operators' pick after school is out.

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 8th, 2013, 11:55 pm
by UptownSport
No, 6 then 94- Use LPC's to Lexington if a 21 doesn't come along.

Great fun, too-
Monday it was two guys arguing loudly about whether the workhouse or prison was worse, the last few times it's conversations about buying and selling drugs, and how many felony's
Like, don't try to speak softly, or anything :roll:
94 must be main drug line from Mpls to St Paul

No wonder whatsoever that suburban Suzy doesn't feel comfortable on public transit

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 12:08 am
by Nick
No wonder whatsoever that suburban Suzy doesn't feel comfortable on public transit

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 8:49 am
by min-chi-cbus
No, 6 then 94- Use LPC's to Lexington if a 21 doesn't come along.

Great fun, too-
Monday it was two guys arguing loudly about whether the workhouse or prison was worse, the last few times it's conversations about buying and selling drugs, and how many felony's
Like, don't try to speak softly, or anything :roll:
94 must be main drug line from Mpls to St Paul

No wonder whatsoever that suburban Suzy doesn't feel comfortable on public transit
Are drugs sold openly on this bus? What is the number of the bus again? And what times does it run?? :roll: [shifty eyes....not rolling eyes]

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 11:12 am
by Viktor Vaughn
Aren't open air drug markets a sign of a city's vibrancy? Kind of like farmer's markets or sidewalk cafe's?

Seriously though, I don't really see why people freakout when someone offers to sell them drugs. It's easy enough to politely say "no thank you."

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 12:34 pm
by Nathan
Aren't open air drug markets a sign of a city's vibrancy? Kind of like farmer's markets or sidewalk cafe's?

Seriously though, I don't really see why people freakout when someone offers to sell them drugs. It's easy enough to politely say "no thank you."
They're probably less 'pushy' than the people at mall Kiosks... my worst nightmare...

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 1:20 pm
by Didier
It might have something to do with the lack of gangs and violence affiliated with the shopping mall kiosk market.

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 1:21 pm
by Didier
To answer the question of why people are afraid of drug dealers but not Piercing Pagoda.

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 2:01 pm
by VAStationDude
Uptownsport seems to attract more drug dealers than an all night rave party at Charlie Sheen's house. He can't walk through downtown without being offered drugs and regularly witnesses drug transactions on the 94 and 21. I've heard criminal records discussed a few times but have never witnessed a drug deal or been offered drugs on the bus including hundreds of trips on the 94 and 21. Maybe it's because as an athletic thirty year old tall white guy I look like I could be a cop but I doubt that's the explanation. Really the worst thing I've ever witnessed was two 14 year olds girls pulling each other's hair on an lrt platform. I'm sure worse stuff happens daily but I'm not overly concerned for my safety. Taking precautions like not using my cell at night won't eliminate risks but makes me less of a target.

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 4:34 pm
by talindsay
When my daughter was little and we were still trying hard to be a one-car family I used to ride the 21 with her frequently. We encountered a fair number of drunks, gang arguments, and drug dealers, but I only witnessed a couple drug transactions, one belligerent drunk harassing us, and one actual fight that the transit police got involved in. None of that is great stuff to encounter when sitting on a bus at night with a 3-year-old, but it wasn't actually dangerous and the passengers on the 21 are all watching and paying attention to what's going on. The belligerent drunk was dealt with by another passenger for me, and the drug dealers were always super polite to us because they don't want to draw attention. The fight was a one-off, and didn't involve us.

Good stuff? No. Scary for people who don't live in the city? Probably. But yeah, the dealers are less pushy than the mall kiosks, for sure.

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 4:48 pm
by min-chi-cbus
Aren't open air drug markets a sign of a city's vibrancy? Kind of like farmer's markets or sidewalk cafe's?

Seriously though, I don't really see why people freakout when someone offers to sell them drugs. It's easy enough to politely say "no thank you."
I'd freak out......in joy! :twisted:

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 6:02 pm
by Didier
With all due respect, I don't know how you can say you witnessed:
• A fair number of drunks
• Gang arguments
• Drug dealers
• A couple drug transactions
• One belligerent drunk who harassed you
• A fight that transit police had to intervene in

And still say your experiences weren't "actually dangerous." It would be an accurate conclusion to say that you were never directly harmed while riding the bus, but the situations listed above hardly paint the picture of a pleasant, safe experience riding that bus.

It's hard for me to blame anyone for not wanting to be a part of that, which is exactly the problem.

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 6:08 pm
by Didier
I just want to be clear, since I know my last post will immediately open me up to accusations of being "suburban" or something equally as bad in the eyes of UrbanMSP.

I'm fully behind public transportation, but the point of my post is that the general perception of public transportation, and thus increased ridership, will never improve as long as that is the reality of the experience.

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 6:37 pm
by UptownSport
Guess I shouldn't sit near the back- Totally my fault :roll:

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 11:05 pm
by Viktor Vaughn
Guess I shouldn't sit near the back- Totally my fault :roll:
There is sort of a subtle front/back of the bus difference. Not across the board, but elderly people and those who are nervous about their personal safety gravitate to the front of the bus for mobility reasons and probably because they feel safer near the driver. Unruly youths head straight for the back. It could be that you're a front of the bus guy, but have been riding in the back of the bus. But I understand you jest. Suggesting you sit in front of the bus would be like saying a rape victim was asking for it by wearing a miniskirt.

Because we all should feel safe to ride around in whichever section of the bus. Maybe it'll be better once the green line opens and all the belligerents will be more evenly spaced due to all-door boarding and a no driver in the cabin. Belligerents are bolder in higher concentrations and less obnoxious individually. That's the awkward tie back to the subject of this thread. Light rail has better ride quality, and evenly spaces those prone to rowdyness.

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 9th, 2013, 11:20 pm
by FISHMANPET
The rowdy types still crowed either end of the light rail car, except during rush hour.

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 10th, 2013, 12:33 am
by Viktor Vaughn
Yeah, I suppose they do. There goes my theory...

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 10th, 2013, 8:02 am
by min-chi-cbus
With all due respect, I don't know how you can say you witnessed:
• A fair number of drunks
• Gang arguments
• Drug dealers
• A couple drug transactions
• One belligerent drunk who harassed you
• A fight that transit police had to intervene in

And still say your experiences weren't "actually dangerous." It would be an accurate conclusion to say that you were never directly harmed while riding the bus, but the situations listed above hardly paint the picture of a pleasant, safe experience riding that bus.

It's hard for me to blame anyone for not wanting to be a part of that, which is exactly the problem.
Some of those things truly are not dangerous though....especially if you have any experience being in dangerous situations. Drunks are everywhere, for instance, so being around them doesn't necessarily instill a sense of danger in me. People also do drugs and deal drugs anywhere, everywhere, and at any time of the day. Those are things that may seem scary but (again, depending on your personal experiences) really aren't anything to be truly afraid of.

But I do think any personal confrontations with people or even being in the PRESENCE of a physical altercation IS certainly more dangerous than most people are usually willing to put up with if they can avoid it.

This is NOT limited to buses, btw.....I take rail transit every day in Cleveland and I see most of this stuff (have yet to see a drug deal take place though).

Re: Green Line (Central)

Posted: January 10th, 2013, 8:06 am
by min-chi-cbus
The rowdy types still crowed either end of the light rail car, except during rush hour.
In my experience the rowdy types roam up and down the isles mumbling or shouting gibberish and other nonsense. :lol:

And many times somebody is voicing the lyrics to some incredibly bad hip hop tune that, when coming out of said belligerant's mouth, sounds incredibly incredibly stupid!