I am not sure I even know where to begin on this subject. Pardon any holes in my points, but that is why it is in rant format. There are plenty of ways to find out that I'm right, regardless...
Portland is known for its MAX (Metropolitan something---who knows) light rail. But beyond that, we also have the Portland Streetcar and a bus system like pulsing veins. Additionally, there are a lot of people who live here who consider themselves "green," that new term given to the environmentalists or those striving to be such. One would think this is all well and good---a bunch of "green" people who never have to drive. And many don't.
Rant 1. People will crowd the mass transit no matter the weather. It is raining? Who needs an umbrella when I can ride the train? It's beautiful and 75 degrees? I think I'll ride the train---it's too hot to walk. In fact, I'd venture to say equal numbers of people ride it when its beautiful out as when the weather is typical Portland (raining, 50 degrees).
Rant 2. And this is a two-part rant. Am I the only person who sees a gross contradiction to being "green" and riding the public transit? First off...don't get me started on how much more pollution is caused per rider by buses than a fuel efficient car like mine (a 1998 Neon). Secondly, the idea of being "green" seems to be somehow equated to being healthy; often it's the vegetarians, the bicyclists, the people who bought PGE's wind power. Why then, aren't they walking around Downtown? Wouldn't that be the healthiest, "greenest" option?
Rant 3. Tax payers pay for TriMet, Portland's mass transit system. Also, anyone outside Fareless Square is supposed to pay to ride it. So, some of us have to pay twice to use the service. Meanwhile, others don't have to pay at all. (To spell it out, the homeless.) The most fair way, if they insist on having this system, is to charge everyone to ride it via making it impossible to board without paying.
Done.
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2 comments:
Err...
Why would a homeless guy have to take a bus anyways? Besides using it as a temporary/impromptu shelter, I would guess a bus would be fairly useless to the indigent. Having neither home nor job, they don't really have anywhere in particular they need to be.
They like to ride it around between stops so they can dig through the trash cans for recyclables and food. Seriously.
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