Re: Drugs on trains

[Michael Walker <wk@cgsc.vic.edu.au>]

> Yes, tis I.
>
> I didn't actually suggest train guards in the old style of sitting at
> the back of the train. What I did suggest was conductors, or "roving
> guards" (which are basically the same thing, a la V-line).
>
> I also advocated all the stations being staffed.
>
> The journalist pressed me to name the problem lines and so I
indicated
> where, to my knowledge, IV drug use on trains has been reported. I've
> personally observed it twice on the #86 tram and once on the Epping
> line. Thats probably because 90% of my travel is done on these two
> routes.

Seems like a good example of the media grasping at straws if the
highest areas of drug use are based on one person's travels.

I probably agree with roving guards to some degree, although maybe
properly trained CSEs who have powers to do something would be better.
>From memory one of the complaints for the short time roving guards was
trialed was that even if they saw something, they had no power to do
anything! Guards felt they were wasting their time and, apart from a PR
point of view, they probably were. At least if CSEs see something, they
have the power to hand out fines. If they were also equipped with
radios, they could also call the police.

However, all stations staffed from first to last (Wattle Glen excepted
<g>) sounds like a typical union ambit claim to boost staffing levels
(and union power). I thought the idea behind the help points and
cameras was to discourage vandalism and provide some semblence of
safety for passengers by providing them with the means to draw
attention to themselves and talk to staff. This would appear to not be
working?
And what would the staff be able to do? As a friend of mine employed in
the system says, they are specifically told to call the police and not
get involved (health and safety issues, look after your own safety
first). Whilst some may take a moral side and see what they can do to
intervene if an innocent person was being attacked or raped, they
aren't really supposed to. And in a lot of cases, if they are reading
the paper and trying to keep warm, they probably aren't paying a lot of
attention to what is happening on the platform. From this point of
view, someone sitting in front of the video screens from first to last
train monitoring the cameras (such as what is supposed to be happening
now, and extra shifts allocated to do it) is probably going to be more
effective as they will actually see something happening and call the
police.

It won't happen, it would cost too much to employ and pay the staff
required, and would be next to useless anyway. Even the cost of making
all the stations fit for humans to work at again would be prohibitive,
a lot of stations are pretty run down inside the areas where there used
to be staff. Just before Metcard when ACA did the report of fare
evasion in Melbourne and the PTC tried to have most stations staffed in
the morning, a lot of staff had extra shifts at smaller stations and
whilst it significantly improved revenue, the staff didn't like it as
the stations had been left to rot and there were few basic creature
comforts (ie no heating, BYO chair, let alone things like air
conditioning).

--
Michael Walker
Email: wk@cgsc.vic.edu.au
ICQ: 78913383


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