Group seeks to bring civility on board the Route 5 bus

Before long, four-man teams will be riding some Metro Transit buses to try to improve behavior with their friendly presence.

By Laurie Blake, Star Tribune

Last update: May 30, 2006 - 10:58 PM

Four men will try to improve the manners of other men on Metro Transit's Route 5 buses, starting June 12.

The team of four from MAD DADS will greet riders as they board in hopes that their friendly presence will improve behavior among male passengers and make all riders more comfortable. They will focus on the hours between 4 and 9 p.m.

V. J. Smith, director of the Minneapolis chapter of MAD DADS (Men Against Destruction -- Defending Against Drugs and Social-Disorder), was enthusiastic and said he thinks the initiative will make bus travel safer for riders. "I believe that we're going to have an impact," he said. "The difference will be peaceful buses. We plan to do that not with roughhousing, praise or rhetoric, but with compassion."

Route 5 between Brooklyn Center and the Mall of America is Metro Transit's busiest, with more than 18,000 boardings each weekday. Neither transit officials nor riders describe it as unsafe, but it has had its share of documented disturbances.

Police are called about once a day to address disorderly conduct on the 18-mile route -- which includes stops in north Minneapolis, downtown Minneapolis, south Minneapolis and Richfield -- and the atmosphere on board can be rowdy. Passengers routinely vandalize buses and bus stops and men often use loud and rude language, say transit officials.

A year ago, additional security was added to the route after a 15-year-old boy was dragged off a bus, beaten and robbed in north Minneapolis by a group of men -- some of them identified as gang members -- who taunted the victim while on the bus.

In 1997, no additional security measures were taken after a woman was shot on a Route 5 bus on Chicago Avenue S. in Minneapolis. And in 1995, a deaf man was beaten up on a Route 5 bus by men who may have misinterpreted his sign language as gang signs. He lost his right eye as a result of the assault.

Riders lukewarm

On Tuesday, several riders were cool to the idea of the MAD DADS getting on board.

Tameka Hagler of north Minneapolis, who rides daily, said that she feels comfortable on the bus and that the program wouldn't matter to her.

Melinda Hopson of south Minneapolis said she doubts the MAD DADS can make a difference. The people making the disturbances "don't want to hear that," she said. "They aren't going to stop."

Ike Okoye of south Minneapolis said he doesn't feel the need for the assistance. "I don't think four is necessary. I don't bother nobody and nobody bothers me."

Shirley Merryman of south Minneapolis agreed that there are people on board who are loud, but said that anyone trying to change the behavior could "get in trouble themselves."

Meanwhile, former librarian Sue Alexander-Fryc said she would welcome the MAD DADS. "I haven't seen too many problems," she said, "but it would give a lot of comfort to people with disabilities and senior citizens who can't defend themselves and can't move very fast."

DADS on the bus

MAD DADS will try to improve behavior by riding the buses about 48 hours a month for the next 14 months. They will wear shirts with the MAD DADS logo.

On six test runs, Metro Transit general manager Brian Lamb said the men's presence brought a noticeable improvement in behavior on board. If successful, Lamb said, he would consider expanding the program to other routes.

The MAD DADS will not replace police and will not have arresting authority. But they will alert drivers if police assistance is needed.

Metro Transit will pay $20,000 for their assistance and the organization will receive another $20,000 from grants.

Staff writers Myron P. Medcalf and Terry Collins contributed to this report. Laurie Blake • 612-673-1711

Recent Local + Metro stories

New General Motors seen exiting bankruptcy protection Friday after just 40 days - May 30, 2006

New General Motors seen exiting bankruptcy protection Friday after just 40 days - After a night spent signing mounds of paperwork authorizing the transfer of cash, real estate, technology and other property, GM attorneys are expected to officially usher the new General Motors out of bankruptcy protection on Friday and onto a path toward a hopefully profitable future. More