TriMet’s Respect The Ride = rules to ride by
How dare you, TriMet, concoct a new page on your site around basic rules to ride by. I mean, many of them sound like (gasp!) some of the public transportation riding etiquette tips I’ve posted in the past! Why… that means:
(Wax on) If you follow proper public transit riding etiquette…
(Wax off) then you’re most likely following the rules.
Let’s go over the rules TriMet posted on this new page of theirs:
1) Valid and Correct Fare Is Required. Well, we’ve certainly covered enough personal stories about individuals having hard times obtaining proper fare…
2) Move For Seniors and People With Disabilities. Covered this in the past too!
3) Don’t Threaten or Intimidate Riders or Operators. Duh!
4) Don’t Be So Loud to Disturb Others. Covered this and I think it’s super important to hit on. While having someone’s music blast out loud or an individual be disruptive and yell and holler and such isn’t so much a huge disturbance, it definitely makes everyone around them not enjoy their ride.
5) Don’t Block the Aisles or Doors. Gone over this. I typically get off the bus on a stop that’s about two stops before the “mass exodus” and it’s incredibly hard to get past those two / three people who like to stand near the rear exit door. My wife has told me numerous times about how she woudl board MAX and there would be people just standing by the door, not moving inside even though there was plenty of space. We’re in this together, people!
6) If You Bring a Pet, Keep It In A Carrier. Indeed. The only exception to this rule is during May when the Doggie Dash event happens.
7) Keep Food Or Drink In Closed Containers. Oooh I see this one a lot. Someone chompin’ down on a Whopper on the MAX. The only closed container they’re keeping that food is in their tummy!
The end of the page goes into the No Smoking law about no smoking on MAX, buses, streetcar as well as MAX stations, bus stations and transit centers. While I haven’t hit on that, I see so many people smoking at the 102nd MAX station right before getting on the MAX. I’m guessing these people are blind and can’t see the “No Smoking!” signs posted there… but that’s a whole different story.
In any case, those who follow proper transit riding etiquette or those who are making the ride easy for all of us (as well as following the rules!). Godo page, TriMet… way to sum up the six months’ worth of blogging I’ve done in one convenient web page 
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Comments
Why does Tri-Met put up a page like that and not enforce any of the rules? It makes no sense. There are even people smoking at the E 102nd Max stop directly below the “no smoking” signs.
I am glad TriMet is doing more about the unruly behavior. I know, I know; some will say it’s been tried before - and that the behaviors are just not changing.
Yet things are getting better, at least from my view point. Several platforms out in Gresham are noticeably quieter, and I notice less disturbance on my train, especially going up and down Burnside in Gresham.
Yet, I realize that I see very little of what is going on inside my train; I need help from my passengers when something goes wrong, or there is some misbehavior that needs to be corrected.
Many of the things you point out, Christian, are things that to some of us are simply logical, polite or just common sense. It never ceases to amaze me how some people have none of those…
A lot more supervisors are being trained - the former fare inspectors - so there will be more personnel out and about since they are so clearly needed. A rumor is going around that even more supervisors will be hired, too, so that is good news for those of us who want to apply for one of those positions, myself NOT included.
Christian, who knows how much you have influenced TriMet’s new web page… You make a lot of sense with your comments and I think your web page is sorely needed… Good place for riders to vent their frustrations and get some good info, too.
Keep up the good work!
Eva
No surprise to see your content scooped by your local transit agency since it’s so spot on! Its nice to finally see agencies ‘get on board’ with promoting rules many seasoned riders/bloggers like Trimetiquette have been promoting for some time. Keep up the good work TriMetiquette!
Smooth riding
SF Muni Ladies
Uh, folks…unless you start seeing Bus Operators built like Arnold Swarzenegger operating these vehicles, carrying semi-auto weapons with them (which we don’t want)- They have to be selective sometimes as to what rules they can enforce and when they can enforce them because of the environment they are in, the severity of the offense, and the likely response time/response motivation of help. (Gonna get a cop to respond “Code 3″ to a twerp that won’t turn his headphones down, and how bad do YOU want to sit for 30 minutes while the bad guy challenges the driver to call a cop or supervisor that’s otherwise busy?) The operators don’t call because THEY KNOW the score…in the CURRENT situation.
This REALLY sucks but it is an unforunate fact of things that are…for now. And it’s not JUST because we are union as some choose to think.
Think of the Operator’s perspective: “I am not a paid, trained, security/police officer”..AND, if this “perpetrator” gets stupid over being called on for a loud radio or foul language, the operator could put all of the passengers in this vehicle, a vehicle with open and free access to the vehicle controls, at risk of an even worse situation. I’m not saying they shouldn’t do anything at all in every situation…but in some scenarios that’s exactly what I’m saying.
I fully agree with EMS (Eva). Things ARE getting better, they just don’t happen overnight. You, as passengers, need to help us, as MAX operators, and keep us informed if something is “going down” so we can call for assistance.
I’ve heard it from several supervisors as well; they are hiring more help..the comments like “I’ve never been stopped/checked” and the like are going to reduce.
I’m not foolish to think that they will go completely away mind you.
I’d personally like to see more enforcement on the busses..just because they have an exposed bus operator does NOT make that operator traveling security officers..this would also be a great time for TriMet to back their words with action and heavily prosecute some of these rule violators, even toss these guys (figuritively speaking) off vehicles right away for violations instead of slapping them on the wrist. Empower Operators to be able to call on their radios for a supervisor for these twerps and get them booted for stupid offenses.
A couple of highly publicized enforcements every couple of weeks…
And I also agree…Christian..you are a driving force! This forum is sorely needed and your influence is much appreciated! Great job!
D
Interesting comments - I think we all agree that rules and laws need to be better enforced on both Max and bus here in Portland. It has gotten better, at least on Max, yet there is much work left to do. “Better” does not mean “solved” - and I have the impression that TriMet’s management know so. At least I hope they do!
As a Max operator I feel a lot better protected than my fellow workers at bus. Just a couple of weeks ago a bus operator was attacked at Montgomery Park layover; I do not know the circumstances around the attack, but I feel for him and other operators who simply do not know who they are coming face to face with - it could be the lunatic the police has been looking for for months, or the guy who just beat up his wife or girlfriend, now just itching for another human being to dominate.
Bus operators need more protection, physical separation from some of these people who get in their faces day after day. There are actually ways of putting up a barrier between bus operators and the public that could be put in place NOW; I know it will not be done because it goes against our image of “friendly service” among other things. It also costs money that TriMet simply does not have. It is a nice dream, though, at least on some of our more challenging routes…
Christian and the rest of you: keep up the publicity about all you see and hear. I will do my part, too; the more the merrier - or the more we draw attention to the problems we still have. The more we focus on the problems and challenges facing us in public transit, the better we will eventually make our transit system.
At the same time, a lot of good things are happening, and we should not forget those in favor of all the obvious problems. I would love to get positive feedback from some of our passengers about what we are doing RIGHT - there must be some good stories out there, too…
Eva
Tri-met doesn’t enforce many of these of course, so the meaning is a tad dry.
On Sunday during the marathon I took the 15 across the Morrison and this guy got on the bus while talking on his cell. The driver actually had to remind him to put the phone away and pay his fare. Myself and other passengers stared dumbfounded as he went searching through his pockets for change to pay the fare. All told? 1 minute delay. Had I been the driver, I would have told him to get off the bus, we have places to be…
I wouldn’t complain about the copy/pasta from trimet, rules like these have been around for decades.