I recently have been commuting via Metro Transit (specifically, the bus system) as I save to repair or replace a vehicle. My commutes during the day have always been positive, if perhaps a bit crowded at times.
My shifts rotate, however, and periodically I have to commute home between 11 p.m. and midnight. At those times, I take one bus to Nicollet Mall at Seventh Street in downtown Minneapolis, where I await a transfer.
The wait at this stop at this time is often stressful and at times frightening. This corner, in my experience, often has been the site for fights -- at times, out-and-out brawls that spill into the street.
I understand that it is something of my civic duty to report such things or dial 911, but to do so in the moment, I fear, would make me an additional target.
I do not know if I just happen to catch the area on bad days, but I do know that we have an exceptional transit system that no one should feel afraid to utilize.
I do not know if others have experienced similar situations at this or other bus stops, but even one fight zone is one too many.
COREY KRAMER, MINNEAPOLIS
