Comments on: Safety http://www.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2007/12/14/safety/ Mass Transit's editor, Fred Jandt, speaks weekly on critical issues facing the public transportation industry. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:19:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Guy Span http://www.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2007/12/14/safety/#comment-2178 Guy Span Sun, 16 Dec 2007 01:59:41 +0000 http://www.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2007/12/14/safety/#comment-2178 The comments as reported by LA Times opinion writer Matt Welch about transit sum up the East Coast snobbery about buses and "that element." He said: ” In the meantime, transit should be seen — and supported — for what is: A way for poorer people to get around until they become rich enough to buy a car.” This merely enhances the image problem while overlooking the contribution that transit riders make every day, while deciding to leave their cars at home. Someone suggested to me that transit use use should be pitched as patriotic, using less fossil fuel, filling s space that is perishable (it would go empty without you and go anyway), while helping to create less greenhouse gases. This concept that transit equals poverty is the opinion of many who don’t use the systems. This would be a surprise to many San Francisco Bay Area Transbay Commuters using AC Transit buses to get to their high-paying jobs in the Financial District. The Vice-Chairman of Southern Pacific Railroad used transit most days to get to his six figure job (before bonuses). He stated that it was easier and nicer. So transit, even buses, are not for the poor and criminally inclined, but this perception remains. About eight years asgo, I was using AC Transit to get to the Harbor Bay Ferry, to go to San Francisco's Financial District. The ferry had broken something and the service was canceled. Most got into their cars and drove to the city, but a dozen or so were left when an AC Transit bus pulled up and the driver announced that we were going express to the Transbay Terminal and no fare would be charged. I jumped on board, had a seat near the driver and watched while the remaining folks refused to embark. The driver repeated the offer of a free ride (provided by the Ferry Service) and finally one woman spoke up. She said, “You just don’t understand. This is Harbor Bay (a part of the city of Alameda) and our clothes are CLEAN here.” No one else boarded and I received personal escort service as the only passenger on a 55 passenger bus. In my ensuing conversation with the driver, he admitted he couldn’t understand their attitude (neither could I) but it was interesting anyway. I learned that AC Transit buses have no fuel gauge. And that’s the beauty of transit; you have the opportunity to meet people and learn things. Changing the perception that transit use equals poverty is biggest challenge we face. We all grew up inculcated with the notion that personal transport meant freedom and luxurious personal transport defined our position in society. The comments as reported by LA Times opinion writer Matt Welch about transit sum up the East Coast snobbery about buses and “that element.” He said:

” In the meantime, transit should be seen — and supported — for what is: A way for poorer people to get around until they become rich enough to buy a car.”

This merely enhances the image problem while overlooking the contribution that transit riders make every day, while deciding to leave their cars at home. Someone suggested to me that transit use use should be pitched as patriotic, using less fossil fuel, filling s space that is perishable (it would go empty without you and go anyway), while helping to create less greenhouse gases.

This concept that transit equals poverty is the opinion of many who don’t use the systems. This would be a surprise to many San Francisco Bay Area Transbay Commuters using AC Transit buses to get to their high-paying jobs in the Financial District. The Vice-Chairman of Southern Pacific Railroad used transit most days to get to his six figure job (before bonuses). He stated that it was easier and nicer. So transit, even buses, are not for the poor and criminally inclined, but this perception remains.

About eight years asgo, I was using AC Transit to get to the Harbor Bay Ferry, to go to San Francisco’s Financial District. The ferry had broken something and the service was canceled. Most got into their cars and drove to the city, but a dozen or so were left when an AC Transit bus pulled up and the driver announced that we were going express to the Transbay Terminal and no fare would be charged.

I jumped on board, had a seat near the driver and watched while the remaining folks refused to embark. The driver repeated the offer of a free ride (provided by the Ferry Service) and finally one woman spoke up. She said, “You just don’t understand. This is Harbor Bay (a part of the city of Alameda) and our clothes are CLEAN here.”

No one else boarded and I received personal escort service as the only passenger on a 55 passenger bus. In my ensuing conversation with the driver, he admitted he couldn’t understand their attitude (neither could I) but it was interesting anyway. I learned that AC Transit buses have no fuel gauge. And that’s the beauty of transit; you have the opportunity to meet people and learn things.

Changing the perception that transit use equals poverty is biggest challenge we face. We all grew up inculcated with the notion that personal transport meant freedom and luxurious personal transport defined our position in society.

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