Calgary commuter considers avoiding transit amid uptick in violence

Calgarians are reacting to a social media post from a woman saying she’s thinking about quitting her job if it means she won’t have to take the train anymore.

The post on Reddit has garnered around 300 comments and around 450 upvotes as of Friday morning.

The poster claims she sees constant drug use, puddles of urine, and fights, but never any police.

Reddit post from Calgary transit rider. (Screenshot: Reddit)

“I have found it to be so brutal lately that I am considering quitting my job over my commute,” her Reddit post reads.

“No police in sight. Rent has gone up so much, so driving isn’t in the budget. Anyone else starting to feel stuck in this city over safety?”

Many comments suggest she should contact Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek or city council.

Reddit comment to post about Calgary CTrain rider. (Screenshot: Reddit)

“You should send this paragraph to your city councillor. Exact wording,” one comment reads, which has received around 550 upvotes.

The original poster isn’t the only one considering making life changes if this safety issue continues. CityNews spoke with numerous transit riders, including a student at the 4 Street CTrain station.

“There are some points where I can’t take the train because of how bad it is,” she said.

“I’ll have to either call a cab, and I’m also a student with not a lot of money, so I’ll have to call a cab or take a bus that takes way longer of a route.”

Her friend also shared her experience with Calgary Transit CTrains.

“If it has to get to that point, that’s messed up,” the student’s friend said. “We shouldn’t have to move our life around because of the negligence of the city and not knowing what to do.”

“This morning, while we were coming in, there was a dude writhing in pain, and I think he had his face slashed. There was blood all over the station,” the student told CityNews.

Her friend also shared her experiences, saying, “It sucks.”

“I’m just trying to go to school. I’m not trying to be alert or be a spy looking out every day for who’s going to hurt me.”

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Another Redditor responded to the initial post, sharing their concerns about riding transit.

“I’ve had three or four incidents where I felt that I was actually unsafe,” the comment reads.

“But I feel uncomfortable every time I’m on the train. I take it to the university, but I’m thinking about getting up an hour earlier and taking the bus instead.”

Reddit comment with a similar experience as the original poster. (Screenshot: Reddit)

Many riders say the lack of security and frequency of violence is worrisome, with a number of incidents occurring daily.

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In a statement Wednesday, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek promised immediate action and deployment of additional resources for Calgary transit, adding no rider should have to think twice about using the public service.

“I have made it clear to Administration that I expect immediate action and additional resources to be deployed. We cannot wait for the next tragedy to occur before something more is done. As a municipal government, we must provide better transit safety for Calgarians,” a statement from the mayor said.

“Transit is an essential service at the core of any major city, and people should not have to think twice before using it. I expect us to take immediate action and will have more details to share in the coming days.”