Re: More safety officers for Melbourne trains

["Daniel Bowen" <dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au>]

"The Vegemite Kid" <gumsucker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
1qvl1tsj5bt39237i0id7vq7ftnt8cbqcu@4ax.com">news:1qvl1tsj5bt39237i0id7vq7ftnt8cbqcu@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 20 Nov 2000 01:34:31 GMT, dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David
> Bromage) wrote:
>
> >100 roving safety officers will start working on Melbourne's train
network
> >early next year.
> >
> >http://www.abc.net.au/news/state/vic/archive/metvic-20nov2000-17.htm
> >
> >(Will they wear blue vests?)
> Perhaps they should wear bullet-proof vests. I am concerned for the
> safety of the safety officers. How will they defend themselves against
> the aggressive misfits who travel our train system? Will they have

I've travelled by train a bit after dark in the last few months, and IMHO
the misfits are mostly just noisy - the bulk of the antisocial behaviour
that occurs is smoking and drinking, shouting, swearing, loud music. Any
aggressiveness is primarily directed towards the vehicles themselves, and
mostly when there aren't many people around.

In this respect, I agree with the train companies that *mostly* the
perception of personal danger in night train travel is just a perception.
That perception is enough to put most people off using trains at night apart
from during special events.

> direct access to police? Will they travel in pairs. I notice there are
> women amongst the safety officers. This is a worry, as women may not

The group I saw was a group of three. They appeared to have radios.

> be able to defend themselves as well as men (not in all cases) and
> it's a well known fact that women don't like travelling on our trains
> after dark. Our new safety officers will also be checking tickets.
> This would be a full time task on its own, as a vast number of
> passengers (IMHO) evade fares. Will the safety officers be issuing

With more fare checks, you could expect evasion to drop over time. Remember
when there was a conductor on every tram? Virtually no fare evasion then.
Now fare evasion is rife, and the yobs who frequent trains at night have
moved onto the trams as well.

> fines or warnings or what? I believe an increase in transit police
> numbers would be more appropriable than safety officers.


Daniel
--
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia
dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au
http://www.custard.net.au/bowen/daniel/