Re: Drugs on trains

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

> It wasnt based just on my personal observations, I also named
Dandenong
> and St Albans based on other people's reports.

Fair enough. But how much raw data would you have actually based all
this on? My point wasn't to have a go at you, the way you described it
was that based on your observations on the Epping and Bundoora lines,
the ones you mainly travelled on (90% to quote your figure), the
problems were where you had mentioned. I thought the media took it out
of context and used it as an overall observation based on the way you
expressed it.

> Conductors can be given the same powers as CSE's. ANy person who
works
> for the railways can be authorised to do the various things that the
> Transport Act empowers them to do.

True, although if that was the case, why weren't they ever authorised?
I would have thought empowering your employees to look after your
interests would have been a positive thing! Or maybe I'm living in lala
land, after all the tramways probably saw conductors as revenue
protection staff only and railways probably saw guards as safeworking
staff only.

> They also have the option of citizen's arrest, the same power used by
> security guards.

Has anyone ever known a security guard to do a citizen's arrest? Or a
conductor or guard? I have a feeling most of them prefer not to stir up
any trouble, sometimes it's easier to pretend not to see a lot of
things, especially when one perceives the risk of a shortened life
span...

> Also, CSE's are not "properly trained". They are poorly trained and
ill-
> informed, which is one of the reasons there are so many nasty
incidents.

I was not necessarily quoting the present situation, it was more the
suggestion that some staff be properly trained in customer service and
security technques and whatever else they need to be trained in. At
present it is a joke. We have customer service staff who have no power
to do anything and when things are suggested, they know they'll be
ignored in the order their suggestions or passed on customer
suggestions are received. Then we have the other extreme of employees
with power and who are heavy handed, rude and non-service oriented in
using it. All CSEs are not like this, one incident which occurred
admittedly a long time ago when CSEs could fine people and did stands
out when I had left my monthly ticket in my shirt pocket at home, and
the RPO took pity on me and just asked me to buy a ticket when I got to
the city. I was tempted to ring up and commend his actions for the
service, but I didn't want him to get into trouble!

> CSE's can't hand out fines, they can only demand a name and address
and
> make a report. They also have a power of arrest similar to that of
the
> police (reasonable belief). This is additional to the ordinary
> citizen's power of arrest (finds committing).

Pre-privatisation, they could and did fine willy nilly. One thing I
hated about buying monthlies is that on rare occasions you forget they
expire (after all, you're not used to lining up to buy a ticket) and
when you go to use them it's too late. I received 2 fines this way, the
second time I got told that if I went to my regular station I could get
a letter to say I was a regular traveller. Problem is I had just moved
house and didn't have a regular station.

> I would suggest that the combined cost of CSE's, fare evasion,
> vandalism, and lost patronage (due to people feeling unsafe and due
to
> unreliability stemming from vandalism) would outweigh the cost of
> staffing stations.

I would suggest roving conductors on every train to sell/check tickets
and for security purposes would be cheaper and more practical, as you
suggested with re-instating guards. People would feel secure (more so
than staffing stations, you wouldn't see much of station staff and
they can't do much on the train if they aren't on it) with roving
staff, and if the conductor had some sort of power to enforce
laws/regulations, it would probably reduce vandalism on board
vehicles. I doubt the cost of staffing every station would be worth it.

You never addressed whether the security cameras and help points were
doing their job. I know in the case of Watsonia station, the crime went
down quite a lot when the cameras were installed. My dad runs
Neighbourhood Watch in the area, so it is from a good source.

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


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