For whatever reason..one of the local news stations did a segment on this and allowed a passengers very graphic account be aired...the passenger said he looked out the back of the train after and there were "body parts scattered all over". Visual I didn't need ever...
10 people missed the train at the Delmar station because of a dead CEO. Hope no one was late for work or picking up a kid, etc. So stupid.
Well if we had decent headways this wouldn't really be an issue. Alas.quincunx wrote: ↑Apr 24, 202510 people missed the train at the Delmar station because of a dead CEO. Hope no one was late for work or picking up a kid, etc. So stupid.
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^I'm guessing they were unable to clear security quickly enough because the fare gates weren't working. And it was Niedorf's op-ed that kicked all this ridiculousness off.
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I am opposed to this transition but a guard I spoke with at Grand Station says the new gates/fence are working to keep freeloaders off the train. Even if you disagree with it like me, do yall think it’s accomplishing its purpose?
Making people who rarely if ever use it feel less scared? There was a smelly man rocking out to some tunes on my train yesterday, so I'd wager not.
Well lots if stations don't even have the gates installed yet so I don't think we can really judge yet.
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I don’t know what the plan is to upgrade the payment systems with this, but they desperately need to modernize that. A payment app like Ventra, which everyone uses in Chicago would help tremendously. It would make the gates basically no inconvenience at all.
Right. I don’t see how freeloaders will access it once the entire system is closed off.Auggie wrote:Well lots if stations don't even have the gates installed yet so I don't think we can really judge yet.
I read on their blog a couple years ago that it would include the ability to pay with your credit card. Who knows if that'll come to fruition though. I thought they signed a contract with some European company a while back as well to build out the new payment system.Debaliviere91 wrote: ↑Apr 24, 2025I don’t know what the plan is to upgrade the payment systems with this, but they desperately need to modernize that. A payment app like Ventra, which everyone uses in Chicago would help tremendously. It would make the gates basically no inconvenience at all.
I tend to agree. The gates aren't actually very clunky or hard to use at all, only issue is not having an integrated payment system. Once that's in, I don't see why it'll be an issue for anyone.
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Secure Platform Plan Update from Kevin Scott
Still no word on a new payment system. At least we know they didn't waste the money for the fare collection system on lapel mics.
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In this modern age, anybody with a tap enabled card or Apple/Android Pay should be able to seamlessly walk up to a gate or get on a bus, tap, and get on with their day. No more system specific apps, no more metro cards, no more ticket machines (maybe leave one for people who still need to use cash). This is tech that China has left behind in the mid 2010s.Auggie wrote: ↑Apr 24, 2025I read on their blog a couple years ago that it would include the ability to pay with your credit card. Who knows if that'll come to fruition though. I thought they signed a contract with some European company a while back as well to build out the new payment system.Debaliviere91 wrote: ↑Apr 24, 2025I don’t know what the plan is to upgrade the payment systems with this, but they desperately need to modernize that. A payment app like Ventra, which everyone uses in Chicago would help tremendously. It would make the gates basically no inconvenience at all.
I tend to agree. The gates aren't actually very clunky or hard to use at all, only issue is not having an integrated payment system. Once that's in, I don't see why it'll be an issue for anyone.
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I take the Metro quite frequently and had a situation about month and a half ago I’m sure the gates would’ve halted.
Well packed train at FP/Deb station. Guy in camo coat and full ski mask gets on, Bluetooth speaker
n belt blasting. Waves older Gentleman onto train. Obvious drug deal ensues at back of car, selling to pops who gets off at next station. (Along with everyone else in car because of them). Ski mask and his lady start smoking weed and cigarettes, music still blasting. Girl behind me has asthma attack. When we get to CWE station, whole car clears out, and Guaranteed not all of em were planning on it when they sat down. The asthma girl is helped out by 3 other women. I wave at security and jerk my thumb to the situation behind me. She (guard) looks inclined to check it out and takes one glance and keeps walking down the platform. Ski mask and his lady come up by me, her sitting directly across and smiling at me while he stands in front of the driver door, one leg down the step. At this point I’m only left with them. Luckily my stop was next, and she was smiling while singing at me while he fidgeted and the music blasted and I was glad the moment passed in 30 seconds.
Broad daylight, packed car, no ***** given, menacing the general public. If the gates stop that in the future, I’ll take it.
Well packed train at FP/Deb station. Guy in camo coat and full ski mask gets on, Bluetooth speaker
n belt blasting. Waves older Gentleman onto train. Obvious drug deal ensues at back of car, selling to pops who gets off at next station. (Along with everyone else in car because of them). Ski mask and his lady start smoking weed and cigarettes, music still blasting. Girl behind me has asthma attack. When we get to CWE station, whole car clears out, and Guaranteed not all of em were planning on it when they sat down. The asthma girl is helped out by 3 other women. I wave at security and jerk my thumb to the situation behind me. She (guard) looks inclined to check it out and takes one glance and keeps walking down the platform. Ski mask and his lady come up by me, her sitting directly across and smiling at me while he stands in front of the driver door, one leg down the step. At this point I’m only left with them. Luckily my stop was next, and she was smiling while singing at me while he fidgeted and the music blasted and I was glad the moment passed in 30 seconds.Broad daylight, packed car, no ***** given, menacing the general public. If the gates stop that in the future, I’ll take it.
I think the implication is that they wouldn't have paid to get on the train
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I don’t think gates would necessarily stop this specific instance. I do think it will reduce how often it happens once the train isn’t a free place to hang out and do drug deals.
I’ve had 3 incidents on the train the past two years and they’ve all involved homeless/mentally ill people. I do think the gates will largely solve that issue and make a meaningful difference.
I’ve had 3 incidents on the train the past two years and they’ve all involved homeless/mentally ill people. I do think the gates will largely solve that issue and make a meaningful difference.
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Just so I understand the logic here “I have no other mode of transportation but now I have to pay for the train I’ll just not take it”. Is that it? Metro can’t even tell you if any people arrested for a crime didn’t have a ticket
I’ve recently discovered that the argument here is more aligned with monitoring “third spaces”. In theory, bad actors use trains/stations to kill time (not home, not work) when they have no where else to go. If they were charged $2.50, would they find another third space? Parks and libraries?dbInSouthCity wrote:Just so I understand the logic here “I have no other mode of transportation but now I have to pay for the train I’ll just not take it”. Is that it? Metro can’t even tell you if any people arrested for a crime didn’t have a ticket
People going to work/home/school or using the system as actual transportation probably aren’t causing most of the few issues.
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It is a rare instance of years of using the system that this occurred, and it was highly alarming. For me it’s a one off, but if the gates are reductive then fine. I don’t believe they ride the train if the are going through gated security and paying. These people were not using this as a mode of transport, but as a living room.
Interested with the 3rd space theory. Definitely don’t want them at those other places either, will read up on that.
Interested with the 3rd space theory. Definitely don’t want them at those other places either, will read up on that.
I feel (totally anedoctal) like there is way more smoking on the platforms now than there was before the turnstiles were installed. It feels to me like people at the Delmar Loop stop / Central West End station want to be sure they are through the gates before the train comes and where before they would have smoked in areas relatively close to the platform and hustled on over when the train arrived, now they are just smoking openly on the platforms while the speakers say that "smoking on platforms is ground for summons and/or removal from metrolink" and the security guards play on their phones.
If I weren't thinking about the amount of money sunk into the gates, I would still classify my experience as a net slightly negative.
(I don't want to disregard TheWayoftheArch's experience. That sucks. I'm sorry. Just sharing my take on the recent changes.)
If I weren't thinking about the amount of money sunk into the gates, I would still classify my experience as a net slightly negative.
(I don't want to disregard TheWayoftheArch's experience. That sucks. I'm sorry. Just sharing my take on the recent changes.)
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I try to ride MetroLink instead of drive my car most days. I think I successfully pull it off about four of my five workdays each week.
I've seen one person smoking on the platform that I can remember in the last two or so months. Granted, this is also anecdotal.
I will say, however, that the description of security playing on their phones is incredibly accurate.
I've seen one person smoking on the platform that I can remember in the last two or so months. Granted, this is also anecdotal.
I will say, however, that the description of security playing on their phones is incredibly accurate.
I've noticed the same thing with the on-the-platform smoking. Seems to be more prevalent at Delmar due to the layout.jwisch wrote: ↑Apr 30, 2025I feel (totally anedoctal) like there is way more smoking on the platforms now than there was before the turnstiles were installed. It feels to me like people at the Delmar Loop stop / Central West End station want to be sure they are through the gates before the train comes and where before they would have smoked in areas relatively close to the platform and hustled on over when the train arrived, now they are just smoking openly on the platforms while the speakers say that "smoking on platforms is ground for summons and/or removal from metrolink" and the security guards play on their phones.
If I weren't thinking about the amount of money sunk into the gates, I would still classify my experience as a net slightly negative.
(I don't want to disregard TheWayoftheArch's experience. That sucks. I'm sorry. Just sharing my take on the recent changes.)
Plus I am so so so so sick and tired of the music being played on phones and bluetooth speakers. It's almost like it's a competition of who can be an inconsiderate a**hole. And of course security does jack sh*t.
Though I was on one train recently where the conductor came on twice to bark at someone who was playing music. But of course that person just plain ignored it.