After only three weeks at this university, I am fed up with the antics of non-students on the Wolfline. I have been repeatedly panhandled by these riders. There seems to be an entire subculture of people who utilize the Wolfline as a criminal enterpirse. There are plenty of stories of theft, pickpocketing and people with harrasing and inconsiderate behavior towards students.

I caught a guy trying to reach into my coat the other day. There are a dependably significant number of people getting on the bus who reak of alcohol and marijuana. A guy on the fraternity court bus today had a half empty pint of Everclear that he was holding out in the open while he reaked of the stuff. It wouldn't suprise me if he had some sort of weapon on him.

I took the Werewolf bus home from a night class and I had some shifty looking guy follow me off the bus and basically shadowed me the entire way to my apartment complex. When I turned around to look at him he looked away like he wasn't doing anything. I eventually had to walk around to some other buildings so I could lose him.

I am not willing to compromise my safety and well being to ride this bus anymore. We as students currently pay $632 a semester for our fees in part to pay for NCSU transit. We are the ones who pay for this system and we should be the only ones who use it, because the public riders of the Wolfline constantly and criminally betray the trust that we have put into them. I should not have to sacrifice my safety or the security of my property whenever I ride the Wolfline. NCSU Transit should put the interests and safety of the students first and foremost.

9/6/2006 3:34:49 PM

agreed

9/6/2006 3:36:17 PM

agreed, take it to the chancellor or SG

9/6/2006 3:37:45 PM

$100 not $600

and

waaaambulance

9/6/2006 3:39:18 PM

agreed

9/6/2006 3:39:24 PM

you are a grown ass man

someday you will have to learn to deal with the general public w/out automatically saying they are all drunks and criminals. better to learn now than later.

9/6/2006 3:40:59 PM

In one sense, you kind of have to expect some potentially seedy characters on any form of public transportation

At the same time though, the transportation is public...for students and faculty...not the general public

I don't think it would significantly slow down the routes if you had a student ID scanner when you get on the bus or something like that...but if somebody didn't have their ID and was a student you wouldn't want them to not be able to ride...I dunno

9/6/2006 3:44:59 PM

This is NCSU and not society in general. A large part of the reason that people don't ride public buses in Raleigh is because of some of these factors I have mentioned here. This is the NCSU Wolfline and is a resource that should be used only by NCSU students.

I never said that all the people were drunks and criminals. I just said that there is a significant enough incident rate that it is a noticeable problem. And we are in a position to do something about that problem.

[Edited on September 6, 2006 at 3:46 PM. Reason : .]

9/6/2006 3:45:48 PM

seems good as an idea but I dont think it would happen

9/6/2006 3:46:02 PM

ECU does it, can we aspire not to be as good as ECU?

Quote :

"East Carolina University Student Transit Authority (ECUSTA) provides transit service to ECU students, faculty, and staff. We provide timely service to, from and around the ECU campus, off-campus housing areas, and several shopping/service areas."

9/6/2006 3:49:30 PM

well then i guess we should remove students ability to ride the CAT busses too?

9/6/2006 3:49:36 PM

^ we just get on for free and we pay for that too with our tax money.

9/6/2006 3:50:47 PM

then why doesn't the general public get on the cat buses for free with their tax money?

9/6/2006 3:52:23 PM

^^^^just from reading that quote, it pretty much sounds like they have the same system as we do

9/6/2006 3:52:56 PM

because we're awesome

9/6/2006 3:53:11 PM

I think that since this is an urban campus, problems with non student riders are magnified just by the sheer amount of people around. Its also no secret that NCSU borders commercial areas and some less affluent sections of town that attract a seedy element.

9/6/2006 3:53:50 PM

I still advocate for the destruction/reconstruction of Hillsborough street altogether. We just need to start this whole thing all over. Too many hobos, freaks and criminals roam around from NY Pizza to El Rodeo.

9/6/2006 3:54:36 PM

we should have a magnetic bullet train

/off topic and too expensive and impractical

9/6/2006 3:55:07 PM

^^why dont you go to western carolina.

i heard no one lives there

[Edited on September 6, 2006 at 3:56 PM. Reason : !!!!]

9/6/2006 3:55:42 PM

Quote :

"East Carolina University Student Transit Authority (ECUSTA) provides transit service to ECU students, faculty, and staff"

versus NCSU Transit

Quote :

"Wolfline buses are open to the public. No university ID, pass, or fare is required to ride!"

9/6/2006 3:55:56 PM

The Wolfline used to be restricted to NCSU students, faculty, and staff and required the appropriate ID (although this was only asked for on an as needed basis). I believe the Wolfline went public as a part of the U-PASS agreement, where NCSU students could ride CAT and TTA buses for free with an ID, and in exchange the Wolfline was opened to the public. If this is becoming a problem, you should take your complaints to SG and/or NCSU Transportation. This program is still fairly new, and I imagine they could get out of the agreement if it is a problem.

That having been said, learn to deal with "the public", but always watch yourself.

9/6/2006 3:58:41 PM

in general watch yourself. We dont live on a farm

9/6/2006 3:59:28 PM

Are you saying that you would rather take a risk you otherwise wouldn't have to take if you had a say about it?

Thats just stupid

9/6/2006 4:03:08 PM

that makes no sense.

we live in a city.......and people live here.

sorry

9/6/2006 4:11:47 PM

Yes, but the entire population of Raleigh doesn't go to NCSU

9/6/2006 4:15:20 PM

so should we start running NCSU like Meredith college?

9/6/2006 4:16:10 PM

^pwnt

you, a liberal, just admitted you "run" NCSU

9/6/2006 4:17:10 PM

hahaha

i dont even know how to deal with that

9/6/2006 4:18:24 PM

haha

9/6/2006 4:20:10 PM

whos house....runs house?

9/6/2006 4:20:57 PM

viewpoint@technicianonline.com

I'd rather read about busses than some chick whining because strangers don't treat her like the princess she thinks she is.

9/6/2006 4:21:19 PM

the tech sucks because of that shit

9/6/2006 4:22:38 PM

Quote :

" There are a dependably significant number of people getting on the bus who reak of alcohol and marijuana"

Damn CSC majors -- they're everywhere!

9/6/2006 4:38:30 PM

^I could probably understand it on the 8-9 pm buses

but not on the 8-9 am buses

9/6/2006 4:49:18 PM

the compromise is to make it like the CAT system. students get on free and everyone else has to pay to use it.

they just have 1 bus system to service the town and school here at UF.

free - students/faculty of UF
50 cents - other students (community college, presumably HS)
$1 - everyone else

9/6/2006 5:00:07 PM

^unless they binged all night and woke up still drunk and therefore reaked

but i mean, im just sayin

9/6/2006 5:00:09 PM

one suicide bombing on a wolfline bus would scare people off so much faster than a petition

get on that

9/6/2006 5:02:54 PM

yea but that is more likely to done by a student

9/6/2006 5:11:50 PM

what about making only the werewolf require an ID. be ALOT easier to enforce, and would cut out a lot of the potential safety issues.

9/6/2006 10:15:13 PM

That would be a good start.

I know the library limits access to only students after a certain hour. Security is a lot bigger concern at night.

9/6/2006 10:16:41 PM

I just thought I would note that ECU's system allows for anyone to get on the busses, you don't have to show or swipe any kind of card. The public rides it quite a bit.

9/7/2006 7:45:28 AM

i have had more problems with a certain student group who fail to adapt to our culture by showering, and who reek of odor on a daily consistent basis, rather than people from the public who ride cordially

ive been riding the wolfline for over 3 years and have never had a problem, nor a negative confrontation with non-students, just certain students who smell bad and sit next to me

9/8/2006 12:07:19 AM

I've never had any trouble with folks a Wolfline bus. Even at night.

9/8/2006 12:20:34 AM

i rode every year except my freshman year (01-02). i also never had a problem.

9/8/2006 12:21:07 AM

odor is probably my worst problem with wolfline, though i haven't ridden at night.

i'm not worried about my own security or whatever, but this topic may be something to consider for those that are less able to take care of/protect themselves. students shouldn't feel unsafe on the school's buses

9/8/2006 1:08:10 AM

if im not mistaken, significantly more criminal acts towards students have occured on campus while walking to/from class rather that off campus .. and never actually on the bus

9/8/2006 1:36:06 AM

I've been denied by a Wolfline bus driver before.

9/8/2006 5:46:57 AM

Quote :

"if im not mistaken, significantly more criminal acts towards students have occured on campus while walking to/from class rather that off campus .. and never actually on the bus"

Are you joking?

9/8/2006 5:47:31 AM

Solution: Ground Marshals

9/8/2006 7:28:46 AM

panhandlers need to get around too.

also - set 'em up.

9/12/2006 11:29:22 PM