As observant reader Brian Bradford brought to our attention, TriMet is installing metal face mask dispensers on their buses, streetcars, and trains. Thanks, Brian!
Mask dispensers have also been installed in transit vehicles by:
- New York MTA, which uses the clever name of “Operation Respect”.
- Detroit DOT
- Dallas Area Rapid Transit
- The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County (Reno)
Various agencies have also installed hand sanitizer dispensers.
While people really need to have their face masks on before they walk in the door and reach the dispenser, this is certainly better than having people ride all the way without a mask, using the fact they they lost their mask as an excuse.
Hopefully, people won’t abuse the system by taking all the masks for themselves, just to be a jerk.
I am regarded as one of the leading authorities on why people take all the masks out of a face mask dispenser, and the number one reason people do it is to sell them. They aren’t doing it to be a jerk.
Who wants to buy a face mask that somebody else had had their hands on?
The type of person who takes all of the masks isn’t thinking straight. Maybe they’re homeless or hungry or drunk, and hopes they’ll be able to sell some to make a buck or two.
Fact that the Convention in progress as we speak has hardly anybody there at all indicates the real danger of a nation boiling with widespread proudly self-identified jerks who would otherwise be concentrated distantly off Metro and ST Property.
Though in fairness to ST pioneer Ron Tober, Charlotte North Carolina has fine light rail called Lynx, which ours could’ve been called if he’d stayed. “Marmot” just doesn’t scan. Considering the territory- in places like there and Texas, liberals tend to be tough- Mass-Maskjerks shouldn’t be anything they can’t handle.
Seriously, Glenn, can you give us a report from Portland? Because even pre-pandemic, a MAX train got hit with political violence that classed as a War Crime Against Humanity. Shame a certain Kenosha police officer wasn’t there to deal with Jeremy Christian.
How is Tri-Met bearing up, and is there anything we can do to help you?
Mark Dublin
Incidentally, Jeremy didn’t just have one knife, but two of them. Do they make a 14-bullet clip?
MD
I checked the Metro Matters blog to see when Metro will be installing face mask dispensers, but their last post was on August 7th. Keep up the great work, Metro!
Have gotten into the habit lately of suggesting that ATU Local 587 start pulling work stoppages to make things happen, but that not only gets old real fast, but it’s in the wrong spirit.
What might work better would be for the union to approach Metro and ST to start training Ambassadors to get those boxes mounted, and also given responsibility of keeping them filled.
Also lately keep thinking of an really fine union officer we had many years ago named Will Hatch. If we could have him back, slogan of “Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way” will always be true. He’d jump on this one in a split-second.
Mark Dublin
And to address your point, asdf2, maybe transit can help boost the local economy by giving non-corporate small craftspeople mezzanine space to sell hand-made artistic masks that people can even watch being made to order?
Hardly a crowding problem anywhere in the system now, is there?
Mark Dublin
At least on the very thin slice of buses I’ve currently riding, it’s now rare to see anyone without a face mask, but around 10% of riders have their masks pulled down below their nose or mouth.
That said, I welcome this. Governments should have been supporting public health by making face masks widely available free-of-charge months ago.
Most bus passengers have got their masks when they get on. But having mask dispensers on the bus eliminates the “oh I forgot” excuse.
From what I’ve seen in the Bay Area, mask compliance is better on buses than trains.