Portland Max Light Rail Needs Security

With an annual ridership of nearly 40 million, Portland's Max Light Rail train is a major transportation method for many residents and visitors. The problem is, it can also be a place of violence and intimidation for passengers.

As reported from a recent Oregon Live article, a recent incident involving a father and his wife and child give us a good example of these issues. On Dec. 27, 2018, the father was beaten brutally by two teenagers who were part of a pack of 9 teenagers boarding the Max train. They broke his jaw and knocked out two of his teeth before they were finished.

This isn't an isolated incident with the Max; actually, it is a common occurrence. Riders are often intimidated and assaulted while trying to move around the city, especially, at nighttime.

Another Oregon Live article explains:

"TriMet's own crime statistics for 2017, released Wednesday, showed 63 reports of aggravated assault against customers, an increase of 43 percent. Reports of simple assault, resulting in minor or no injuries, climbed 81 percent, to 168. "

These are only the reported assaults as well; the actual number of assaults are likely much higher. In addition to violent assault, there's the intimidation factor that stats don't show.

The main problem passengers will encounter on the Max train is disrespectful packs of teenagers and young men who purposely try to provoke and intimidate other passengers. For instance, the incident with the father and his family involved a pack of 9 teenagers coming on board blasting their music really loud and bothering everyone on board.

The father simply asked them to turn the music down; this escalated into him being beaten in front of his wife and child right in the middle of the Max train.

Personally, I've had my own experience riding the Max train around 10 years ago. Even then, this problem was acute. Many times, teenagers and younger "thugs" would threaten me, call me names, and generally bother me, just because I was minding my own business and wouldn't be intimidated by them. They would aim their smartphones at me, blast their music, flip me off, etc.

I learned to not take the Max train at certain times and in certain areas. Really, taking the Max train at night is asking for trouble.

The point is, there should be better security for Max train passengers, especially, at night. With nearly 40 million rides, there should be enough money to hire some security guards and implement some security measures that work.

If this doesn't happen, the Max train will simply become a breeding ground for thugs and wanna be gangsters, and many more innocent people will be harassed, assaulted, and even killed.

Portland residents should boycott the Max train and call for action to be taken before they ride on this crazy train again.