Other: Most Recent Incident Report: Downtown Terminal SafetyAround 6:30 AM, while waiting for the 3 East bus, I experienced a severe safety issue at the downtown terminal. The building was locked, forcing commuters onto the outdoor platform in the pitch black. I was one of only two women present, surrounded by ten or more men with bed rolls and duffel bags loitering with no intention of boarding a bus. Men constantly emerged from and disappeared into the adjacent alleys and around dark corners. I was purposely avoiding the bench to stand alone away from everyone, but one man went well out of his way to repeatedly walk directly in front of and behind me to test my boundaries. I faced intense, intimidating staring and was forced to stare him down to protect myself.Systemic Context & Ongoing Safety ConcernsThis is not an isolated event; it is a daily, terrifying pattern. Transit drivers are hired to drive buses, and hospitality workers are simply trying to get to their jobs. We are pillow flippers and burger flippers, not paid or volunteer social workers, crisis managers, investigators, or martial artists. It is entirely unfair to dump people who clearly need specialized supervision onto a bus station. Just because the city already owns the transit center does not mean it can use it to avoid paying for a proper heating and cooling shelter. The city cannot just assume that everyday commuters will act as the default safety net to call 911 whenever someone has a medical issue or an episode. Every day, women are forced to arrive at work with their hearts racing due to a total lack of security, poor facility management, and a hostile environment. While I have empathy for everyone's situation, paying riders should not have to navigate an unsupervised gauntlet just to use public transit.

Assigned to

Gretchen Knapp