2011年7月30日 Public Transit

In the news: 

An 84-year-old woman was severely beaten at a MAX station leaving her bruised, a deep cut to her head and a broken nose. 

Muriel, who did not want her last name used, was sitting on a bench at the Cleveland Avenue stop waiting for a bus when police say 19-year-old Cordarius Deshawn Jeffreys came up to Muriel and repeatedly punched her in the head with closed fists. 

“He would come right at you and just sit there for just a second and then put out (his hands) start beating your head as hard as he can. That’s what he did,” Muriel said. 

Police said Jeffreys was harassing women at the MAX stop just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

More bullshit on the issue here.

I have serious questions regarding this issue:

1. Seriously? 
2. At 2:30pm an 84 year old woman gets beat down? 
3. Seriously? 
4. What the hell is up with that shit?

When I first saw the article I was like, "I bet this is in Gresham." Low and behold, I was right. So really it all makes sense now. Gresham is not a safe place for 84 year old women. 

Another woman was hurt while trying to help defend Muriel but not nearly so badly. 

After the attack, police said Jeffreys walked off the MAX platform. When police confronted him, they say Jeffreys resisted arrest and they had to deploy a Taser to subdue him.

Wait, what the fuck? No one except another woman went to help? How the hell does that make sense?

Example on why it does not make sense, and here's a Hollywood version of what happened:

Enter assailant: "Hi, I'm a young angry black man. I grew up under rough conditions, and because society doesn't understand me I'm going to beat old Jewish women."

Enter only witness-to-do-something-other-than-watching: "Hello, I'm just an average woman who thinks women's lib means we're all equal. I don't believe in violence, but I need to do something to stop this guy."

Enter police after do-something-other-than-watching woman fails: "We're the police, we like shooting people because we're all republicans who hate democrats, blacks, and homosexual animals. Let's tazer him, bro!"

No this isn't a movie I would end up actually watching, but yes I would wiki it then read the plot with my "meh"-face. I'm totally disappointed that NO ONE manned up for the Jew-lady.

If by this point you think I'm over-reacting, look at KGW's article on the issue:

"He started beating on me," said Muriel.  "On my head, on my head, as hard as he could go."

Muriel suffered a broken nose, bruises around her eyes, and a cut on her head.  Witnesses estimate she was hit nearly 20 times.

"I thought I was going to die," said Muriel.

At least the witnesses can count.

This guy can count too!

The only realistic questions I have at this point are pretty much the same as a guy* who posted a comment on the issue, 

"Just curious. If someone was leagally [sic] carrying a handgun and this was going on in front of him, would using a firearm in that case be legal?? Law mentions things like eminent danger of you or someone around you. A guy[*] like that could easily kill an old woman with his fists, but I wonder if you did pop a couple rounds into him, would you be the one in jail?"

*Yes it's a guy, it's always a guy. Or a butch lesbian, who also doubles as a FTM guy on Craigslist's casual encounters.

So much for going green with riding the light-rail, train, bus, and endangered animals. I thought this shit was supposed to be worth it.