Editor,
Your article on the proposed Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) does a good job encouraging all to take the bus. But in a town like Albuquerque in particular and a country like the USA in general, bus-taking is still considered for poor and indigent people, the kind who may not be able to afford anything in Snob Hill . Many of our middle class and up do not want to rub shoulders with the “unwashed masses,” like on a bus. I have ridden buses in Albuquerque for 19 years now. The buses frequently have unruly drunks and passengers snapping at each other, especially after dark along Central. People with really bad body odor are legally allowed to ride the buses here. (I am not talking about the unfortunate homeless on the bus; they are generally well behaved.) There is the issue of personal space being violated through intimidating contact. Now they are saying they will allow dogs on the bus, not just service dogs. How much can you control an aggressive dog on a crowded bus? Besides, how much can you really make bus stops safe? Anybody can lay into anybody. The bus stops at Central & Yale and the ones at Central & San Mateo and Central & Louisiana are especially unsafe, not to mention the bus stop on Central right across from main campus in front of the Frontier restaurant. Installing security cameras will be a start. That way, aggressive panhandling can be lessened. (Where does such panhandling leave off and robbery begin?) The rule against smoking within 50 feet of a bus stop needs to be enforced for a change. Better for Albuquerque to take the generous federal funds provided for improvement of transportation infrastructure in cities and apply them primarily to ensure better security on all Albuquerque buses and bus stops.
Arun Ahuja
UNM Student
