Comrade in Arms
Finally, someone else is voicing their opinions regarding the growing numbers of homeless, deranged, and downright scary folk who populate this fine city.

Several weeks back The City Paper, the other weekly rag that chronicles the vast number of events that occur weekly in the Burgh, published another in a series devoted to complaints simply entitled Rant. The article, Bus Driver: Don't Pick Up Threatening, Disturbed People by Aloma Arter, echoed many of my earlier sentiments with regard to the uncomfortable situations one has to be subjected to when simply walking down the street, entering public buildings (i.e. the library), or riding on the bus.

Of course the story goes along the lines one might expect: a creep gets on the bus, is goaded on by some smart-ass high-school kids, and flips out. Fellow passengers, rightly so, flip out in turn, and call the police. Arter, incredulous, explains that the police and the bus driver have a ludicrous excuse for not passing this creep: he has a bus pass. Obviously, Arter feels somewhat enraged by this because that's just not a good reason to allow someone who is dangerous aboard a bus of all things. Arter goes on to state that her fury is directed mostly towards the driver and his lack of concern for putting not only himself but all the passengers on the bus at risk by picking up this detritus.

This rant, which while completely spot on in its analysis was rather harsh in tone, and deservedly so, I guess, received a letter of response appearing in this week's issue. The letter entitled Bus Fair by Angela Chuckro makes a sappy, uber-pc argument that because people are using public transportation that they should expect to encounter this type of individual on occasion. Not only are outbursts expected, but busdrivers can  look forward to being punched, maced, spat on, or having weapons pulled on them in an effort to avoid paying the fare. Where and how often this occurs is never mentioned, but I don't recall this being a problem that's prevalent. I'm not saying it doesn't occur, but this reader makes it sound like these buses are in Fallujah and not Pittsburgh. Chuckro's attempt to rationalize the behavior and incur unnecessary sympathy is rather trite and facetious.

What Chuckro seems oblivious to, though, is the fact that the driver knew this individual from previous encounters. He knew he was crazy. He knew he was dangerous. Yet, because he had a bus pass, he had to let him on. Why? Well, he could lose his job. Okay.

Profiling is a practice that I'm, as previous posts concur, not fond of. However, there's a fine line between dealing with dementia in a public place and being stuck on a fast-moving bus filled to capacity with one lone nut worsening the situation. If anyone gets on a bus and starts wigging out, including "normal" people, get them off of the bus. There's a difference between having to placate the mentally ill in non-threatening arenas and allowing them to jeopardize a busload of people. Chuckro better learn that difference because all the pc hand-holding in the world won't do you any good when the bus is going over the cliff.