Bloody Fight Clip Highlights Violence Concerns
Posted: 10:00 pm PST February 16, 2010
Updated: 10:59 pm PST February 16, 2010
OAKLAND, Calif. -- A video of a bloody fistfight on an AC Transit bus posted on YouTube Tuesday highlighted concerns some mass transit officials have about getting prospective riders to overcome a fear of violence at the hands of other passengers.
A recent 67-page study commissioned by state and federal transportation officials revealed that many people riding mass transit – especially women – fear being harmed by their fellow passengers.
Researchers told KTVU it found that women are much more afraid to take mass transit.
The YouTube video posted online Tuesday showing two passengers in a violent altercation was yet another example of the kind of unruly behavior that raises safety concerns.
A spokesman for AC Transit told KTVU that the fight took place at 3 p.m. Monday afternoon in downtown Oakland. The spokesman said both men involved were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Tuesday night, several passengers KTVU spoke with said they've seen violence on buses.
Keishawn McQuirter said she stopped taking the bus two months ago after witnessing a fight that ended with several passengers injured.
She now waits at the BART station for a ride home after classes.
“If something happened to me, the people who did it to me probably won't get caught,” said McQuirter. “There's no justice. What's the point? I got a two year old baby at home.”
Rod Diridon with San Jose's Mineta Tranportation Institute insisted public transit is -- for the most part -- very safe. But he also allowed that it is a perception of violence on mass transit that is causing women, especially older women, to feel unsafe.
“It did surprise us that the level of concern was so serious,” said Diridon. “It isn't how safe the situation really is, it's how they feel. And really it's how they feel that matters, because it's how they feel that determines whether they're going to ride transit.”
While passengers told KTVU violent incidents and unruly behavior on buses and trains are not everyday occurrences, it remains a major cause for concern. But many say they can't afford any other mode of transportation.
“The cost of driving insurance and everything,..it's just [the] cheaper, more economical way to go,” said San Lorenzo resident Milly Ruby. .
Researchers said public transit systems can allay some concerns by installing better lighting and surveillance cameras as well as providing escorts for women going to their vehicles.
