According to Associated Press reports, the city of Bend, Ore., is considering cracking down with proposed city rules which would ban spitting, smoking, skateboarding and stinking on city buses.
The odor regulations, if enacted, would ban from buses and bus stations anyone who "emanates a grossly repulsive odor that is unavoidable by other Bend Extended Area Transit ["BEAT"] customers."
One wonders what "grossly repulsive" means. This could be anything from sour milk to Old Spice.
Bend, a city of approximately 50,000, is located in the foothills of Central Oregon's Cascade Mountains. According to Bend's official Web site (http://www.ci.bend.or.us/), the city's mission statement is, "To protect and enhance the well-being of our community with commitment, integrity and service."
This mission statement apparently extends to community olfactory glands as well.
In a 10-page document available for download on the Web site, several pages are devoted to outlining rules of conduct for "BEAT" customers. Most of them are typical and reasonable for passenger safety and transportation efficiency.
Among these rules is the prohibiting of anyone to "hang onto or attach himself or herself onto any exterior part of a 'BEAT' Vehicle at any time."
Obviously safety is a concern, but one wonders if Bend has buses that get as crowded as Ball State's beloved shuttles. Our drivers often have a hard time shutting the doors without telling passengers to get off the steps.
Another rule states that "no person shall continuously occupy a 'BEAT' Station, other than the 'BEAT' Administration, for a time exceeding one hour." Obviously the citizens of Bend have never waited for a BSU shuttle.
All kidding aside, Bend's rules seem a little extreme. Larger city transit systems, such as Chicago's CTA, function just fine despite passengers who break minor rules such as these every day.
Bend should take a cue from the success of larger transit systems and focus more on efficiency than unrealistic expectations of its passengers.
The greater community service is not imposing silly rules and eliminating certain kinds of passengers, but by treating all paying passengers equally and providing safe transportation for all.
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