Let's take it up a notch, would you jump off a Muni metro platform and jaywalk across three lanes of traffic just so you don't miss your bus?
The fact is, this does happen.
Take a look at the Google Maps image I've posted. This is the metro platform stop for the M-Ocean View line at 19th Avenue and Holloway, in front of SF State. You are looking at the east side (inbound) platform.
On some mornings, I notice passengers who just got off the inbound M-Ocean View line decide to jump off the platform and run across those three lanes of traffic just so they can take a shortcut to the bus stop that's on the sidewalk to catch the 17, 28, or 29 lines. The first time I saw that, it was older Chinese women who was doing this, by risking their own life trying to make it across without getting hit by an incoming car.
While it's entirely possible to jump the platform and make it to the other side, the west (outbound) platform has a fence to prevent people from jumping, especially SF State students finding a cheap way to get across without walking down the ramp and using the crosswalk. The city has installed fencing from Holloway to Winston to prevent jaywalking, especially at the track junction that was wildly popular and very illegal to get from one side of 19th to the SF State campus. The city had to install the fencing because there have been some instances where people walking on the tracks was hit by a train or university police had to chase down someone on the active rail tracks.
It makes me wonder, why isn't there any fencing to prevent jumpers for the inbound side of the platform? I wouldn't dare to attempt to jump from a platform and run across three lanes of traffic on the busiest and most dangerous road in San Francisco just to catch a bus. I'd rather walk down the ramp and use the crosswalk, even if that meant missing the bus. It's better for the city to prevent people getting mowed by a car than installing the barrier after the fact when someone's dead or in a coma.
Maybe I should text a tip to SFPD the next time I see it happen; never mind, since they don't read it in a timely manner.
3 comments:
Adding fencing is too obvious a solution for those that rely on bureaucracy for their livelihoods.
A fence was installed at Daly City BART to force people to use the tunnel instead of running across John Daly Blvd. Several people had been injured before the fence was installed.
You can not save everyone from their own stupidity. I would rather the money for a fence go to something more useful for the city. Though, if it ends up in a settlement for someone doing something they shouldn't be, that's a bigger waste.
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