There seems to be a segment of our youth that are emboldened by various influences (pop culture) and circumstances (dysfunctional families, no jobs) to become mind-less killers.

In these situations you have to work on the root causes, but at the same time strike back with an equal or greater force (become the lead dog again).

You are much less likely to use deadly force if you are facing the same back at you.

Humans are a savage beast and if not trained properly, become a wild savage beasts. And you can see the danger of only having cops with guns as the answer. I don't believe everyone should be armed, but citizens in harms way should have that option.

It seems the metro area is taking a bad turn. That except for those who reside in Mountain Park where as planned the cost of housing limits the amount of Diversity one must suffer. Perhaps a trolley or a train can bring texture to that community.

Good ol' Buckman neighborhood this time, one of your favs.

I was saddened to read about the bouncer yesterday - he was only 30, and only working at a largely thankless job.

As for machete girl - from what I read, it appeared that she was carrying it, but I saw no reference to actual menacing. Perhaps I missed something, there. In any case, given the almost weekly violence associated with the "train" lines, an argument could be made that she was just playing it smart.

Carrying an unsheathed machete is per se menacing.

A machete would be a strange weapon to use for defense (or offense) in a crowded light rail car. In those cramped quarters, it's hard to bring it back with enough force to use it in a cutting motion. I'm going to guess "clueless person carrying a machete without any regard for the discomfort of people around her" for that one. I mean, nobody called 911 or hit the security button, so she couldn't have been that much of a perceived threat.

That's fairly close to the place I used to work. It seemed like this area (inner / industrial SE) is getting scummier and scummier.

Glad I now telecommute 100%.

Menacing is based upon the intent of the suspect to place a person in fear of imminent serious physical injury. The exception would be in cases of domestic violence, where menacing can be based on the subjective belief of the victim absent clear intent on the part of the suspect.

An old tactic by developers.
hire some thugs to go into the target neighborhood and create trouble.
This drives the property values down..
Then go in and buy up as people/businesses flee...
Build your project... Make lots of cash..
Run away, rinse and repeat...

Sadly, "Grand Central" is owned by the same group that owned the now defunct "Zone" where the shooting occurred outside its doors in 2009. The place shut down after the bad publicity even though the tragedy was in no related to the under-age club. Wonder if Grand Central will follow the same path. Too bad, years ago this bowling alley was the hangout for pushers and pimps. Then it got a major face lift and became a pretty sophisticated hangout - with safe parking, even. The savvy group that owns this venue owns several others around Portland. I doubt they are the types to be intimidated by the tactics "tankfixer" suggests.

I don't think the violence of late is indicative of any particular neighborhood become a hotspot for violence. The emerging pattern in these stories is that the violence is following a small, increasingly mobile, segment of the population.

Whether the violence occurs on public transit, or at a club, the common denominator seems to be that anywhere Portland's thugs go, violence follows. But I'm sure it's nothing that a sternly worded tweet and a funny hat can't fix.

Bitterly ironic how the destructive Black Bloc police brutality protest a couple of weeks back marched by here on their way downtown.

Maybe we need yet another protest to "raise awareness" of local violent d-bags. Problem is that some of them just might run in the same circles.

As for Machete Girl, carrying any blade longer than three inches (concealed or otherwise) is forbidden by TriMet's always-honored Rules of Conduct.

As TriMet explained, carrying any sort of blade in a manner which could intimidate or even harm other riders is also forbidden. That makes sense to me.

I find it especially creepy that she was sharpening the exposed blade on a crowded train. Why didn't anyone contact the operator? I went over that last week...

When you are faced with somebody sharpening a big-ass machete, you are much more likely to de-board (or just slink away) than you are to confront them. I get that.

The placid look on her face is telling. That's why I never ride MAX anymore, only the bus... and that hasn't been so great lately, either.

At least the bus operator sees who boards. Unless they jump in the back door, and nobody sees them... which is surprisingly rare in my experience.

Gee, maybe the perpetrator was part of the 50% of Portland non-high school graduates. That's been my question- how do those without a HS degree support themselves?

Regarding carrying arms on Tri-Met, I believe all knife regulations are pre-empted by the state. It's not menacing just to hold it, especially by a woman.

All you jailhouse lawyers, I honestly didn't mean menacing in the criminal sense. I meant in the dictionary sense.

;)

The thugs don't need to scare the business owners, just enough of the customers they go somewhere else.
That "savvy" group of business owners closed one club due to bad PR so they can't be that immune to intimidation.

DD raises another point, which is one of the reasons why I favor buses over "trains": drivers can actually see who or what is boarding. One of my favorite photos was in The Oregonian a few years back, when "trains" dutifully stopped at the vacant lot that was Cascade station - the doors opened, and a coyote boarded, taking a window seat.

True, well there was that time when a goat hopped aboard the #14 bus:

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=121251994761290100

In my experience, that makes Poppy one of the cleaner, more well-behaved riders on this route.

'how do those without a HS degree support themselves?'

Are you kidding? The infrastructure of the city is centered around services to them.
Walk from PSQ to the 405 some day.

Poppy's story is cute and proof that we need more fare inspectors.

That's been my question- how do those without a HS degree support themselves?

Unemployment insurance, and donations to the Occupy 'movement'

A machete would be a strange weapon to use for defense (or offense) . . .

Strange indeed, but no stranger than a light saber! I'm waiting, with dread, for the throwing-star-wielding ninja or the crazed medievalist with a warhammer.

You know they're out there.