I rode the Max with 5 businessmen yesterday to eat lunch at Dan & Louis. We looked terribly out of place (we had no hefty bags full of belongings, no piercings, no visible signs of mental illness).

I think Chuck Currie should distinguish between the working poor and the drug/alcohol addicted underclass that have made Max their daytime shelter and public U-haul.

Don't the tattooed and pierced homeless hipsters need to take some responsibility for their self-defeating and (frequently) anti-social behavior? Access to my spare change isn't going to solve homelessness or drug addiction.

I work a block away from City Hall (land of the nighttime potty), yet somebody insists on pissing on the stairs or elevator a couple of times a week. Because he couldn't wait one more block?
I'm tired of sharing "public places" with those who have so little regard for the public welfare.

Welcome to the party, Fred Hansen. You're late!

Trimet does need to take responsibility for the problems, but I dont see that what Hansen said was wrong.

Fred is preaching to the choir. We get a lot of that out here in the peoples republic.

When Max first came online the powers that be should have assumed the worst would happen and plan accordingly. Instead they are playing catchup at a very,very late date.

So how does ending the "fareless square" deal with these issues or the crime/behavior problems out in Gresham or Hillsboro? It seems that more on the ground, or rails, enforement is needed to check tickets and let miscreants understand they are on notice.

Jack, what is it about Mr. Currie that causes you to say you "share the blogosphere most uneasily" with him?

In my opinion Tri-Met and Hansen are working feverishly to solve a problem. They're focusing with laser-like intensity on it. All the means and expertise of the whole system are being brought to bear. No expense will be spared, no stone left unturned, in order to find the solution.

The problem?

Bad PR.

Reason to call for the job of the man in charge of what, under any objective analysis, is one of the nation's most successful transit systems? Ridiculous.

Statement that, under an objective (hah!) analysis, MAX is one of the nation's most successful transit systems?

Priceless!

Jack, what is it about Mr. Currie that causes you to say you "share the blogosphere most uneasily" with him?

Posted by Ken | December 13, 2007

Yeah...Me, too.

I can only guess that Jack has confused the UCC with some other, more zealously evangelical, fundamentalist, or pentacostal denomination. The Rev is with the group which used to be known as Congregationalists...y'know, the Puritans. The ones which currently allow female and gay ministers? The denomination the Unitarians broke away from?

Hmmm....Maybe that's why Jack has problems with him?

Chuck and I have had some unhappy internet exchanges about his heroes, Erik Sten and Deborah Kafoury, and some other matters. He thinks Opie walks on water, and Kafoury should have been able to violate state law and stay in the legislature even after she moved out of her district. You have Google; go look it up if it's that interesting to you.

I really couldn't care less what religion he is preaching. The fact is that the guy and I don't usually see eye-to-eye about secular matters.

When Max first came online the powers that be should have assumed the worst would happen and plan accordingly. Instead they are playing catchup at a very,very late date.

I think they did. This was in the big O recently...In the beginning, they had big gang problems, and used the state police for security. But of course, that ended for various political reasons and was handed over to the Portland Police. Then it just kinda fizzled away.

MAX is one of the nation's most successful transit systems?

In the eyes of the politicians, yes, I can see that. "Successful" in the fact that they got it by the voters not once, but twice. Now they dont even ask.

Crime Buster Bernie is on Trimet's board as I recall and I would have thought with his sharp skills at detecting crime he would have been on this like... well I can't use that phrase on the computer, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

BGTI