There’s a new troubling development in a recent series of violent attacks on the LA Metro.
On Friday, a man was stabbed in broad daylight near a bus stop located by Figueroa Way and Adams Boulevard in University Park. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, three people were arguing on the bus when the driver kicked them off. It then escalated into a stabbing.
This happened just days after another stabbing killed a 66-year-old grandmother on an LA Metro subway train
“The fact that there's incidents like that that just happen it's like, wow,” said Karina Mclurin, an LA Metro rider.
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Mclaurin relies on public transportation for her daily commute and says these attacks only amplify her anxiety.
“Most of the time I am OK, but there are times when I'm like, ‘I don't want to be on this bus anymore,'” said Mclaurin.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, an LA Metro board member, also revealed her uneasiness towards public transportation in a board meeting and re-emphasized it in an interview with NBC4.
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“I felt as a Metro board member, I needed to say exactly how I feel,” said Barger. “And that is -- I wouldn't take it.”
Barger is calling for urgent action.
“We don't do fare enforcement and not every person that evades fares is a criminal, but we are seeing those that are committing these crimes have not paid fares and are walking on our system,” said Barger.
According to LA Metro, there was a total of 166 reported crimes against people on city buses and trains during February alone, including two rapes and 42 aggravated assaults and 12 assaults against riders.
On Thursday, the LA Metro Board declared a public safety emergency and agreed to add safety barriers for bus drivers.
Barger also introduced a motion calling on the agency to secure station gate entrances and exits.
“We just need to bring a system back into play that protects everybody,” said Barger.
Still, for riders who depend on public transportation, the aftermath of yet another unsettling attack keeps them on edge.
“I try to be a level-headed person, not always expect the worst is going to happen but just be ready for it,” said Adrian Ramirez, an LA Metro rider.
