Baltimore bus fight caught on video, uploaded to YouTube.

[KSweeley]

What troubles me is MTA totally bypassing the Maryland General Assembly after repeated attempts to get audio and video surveillance legalized through the MGA and both the House and Senate shot down the proposal, on privacy grounds, and now the MTA has basically said "Screw it, we're equipping audio surveillance on our buses whether you like it or not." and have placed audio recording on 10 buses and wants to expand it to all 600 buses eventually and all new MTA buses that are being ordered comes with audio and video surveillance as "standard equipment".

Here's a Baltimore Sun article about this: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...obref=obinsite

In each of the last three legislative sessions, bills filed on behalf of MTA to authorize recording devices and establish ground rules for their use were rejected in committee.

An ACLU lawyer said he was "flabbergasted" that MTA officials would try to record people's conversations under the guise of a pilot program after a similar proposal was rejected in 2009 by the state's highest-ranking transportation official and by the General Assembly on three occasions.

"People don't want or need to have their private conversations recorded by MTA as a condition of riding a bus," said David Rocah, a staff attorney with the Maryland chapter of the ACLU. "A significant number of people have no viable alternative to riding a bus, and they should not be forced to give up their privacy rights."

[overtaxed]

I guess the young lady didn't know Madea was driving the bus!

[KSweeley]

This has made the national news: http://abcnews.go.com/US/baltimore-b...7#.UKWXU-NSTHu

[yuca]

What does that have to do with the subject of this thread?

That's what I was wondering.

Do you really need a link to show that crime rates in Baltimore city tend to be higher than the surrounding areas?

Right? Especially when he provided his own link that proves he's wrong.

[Marshan Man]

That's what I was wondering.

Right? Especially when he provided his own link that proves he's wrong.

What was I wrong about? I never made any claim. The bus route this occurred on goes through both the city and the county. Do you know exactly where the incident occurred?

You're the one that brought up political juridsictions. I pointed out that the juridsiction doesn't matter. Remember??

[yuca]

What was I wrong about? I never made any claim. The bus route this occurred on goes through both the city and the county. Do you know exactly where the incident occurred?

Although the news reports don't indicate exactly where this happened, they do indicate that Baltimore City (not County) police are investigating this incident. The reports are also categorized under "Baltimore City" news. Hence it happened in the city. It isn't rocket science.

You're the one that brought up political juridsictions. I pointed out that the juridsiction doesn't matter. Remember??

If the jurisdiction in question is considered to be among the most dangerous in the country and has had NUMEROUS high-profile, violent incidents on public transit that have made national news, then yes, jurisdiction does matter.

Then again, I'm wasting my arguing with someone who thinks that rider density isn't higher in the city.

[Marshan Man]

Although the news reports don't indicate exactly where this happened, they do indicate that Baltimore City (not County) police are investigating this incident. The reports are also categorized under "Baltimore City" news. Hence it happened in the city. It isn't rocket science.

If the jurisdiction in question is considered to be among the most dangerous in the country and has had NUMEROUS high-profile, violent incidents on public transit that have made national news, then yes, jurisdiction does matter.

Then again, I'm wasting my arguing with someone who thinks that rider density isn't higher in the city.

The jurisdiction in question is Maryland. As it's the MAryland Transit Administration. as Matt pointed out, the last violent incident to make natinal news on an MTA bus did not occur in the city.

Actually I didn't say rider desnity wasn't higher in the city. I said it isn't NECESSARILY higher on any given bus route iin the city vs. county. The primary determinant isn't jurisdiction. It's the route/destination. AsMatt pointed out some routes don't even enter into the city. Do you ever get anything right??

[pepper]

What troubles me is MTA totally bypassing the Maryland General Assembly after repeated attempts to get audio and video surveillance legalized through the MGA and both the House and Senate shot down the proposal, on privacy grounds, and now the MTA has basically said "Screw it, we're equipping audio surveillance on our buses whether you like it or not." and have placed audio recording on 10 buses and wants to expand it to all 600 buses eventually and all new MTA buses that are being ordered comes with audio and video surveillance as "standard equipment".

Here's a Baltimore Sun article about this: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...obref=obinsite

Video surveillance is pretty much everywhere in public places now, and this instance proves that when something bad goes down, it's a useful tool.

Consider, the investigators in this case are reported to be using the cell phone video (with audio) from Youtube to figure out what happened. In this case, it would probably be better if the investigators could use something other than someones uploaded cell phone footage. Worldstar Hip Hop seems to be the go to site for this sort of investigation. ( not saying thats where they looked for it or found it, but that site has been used by investigators prior)

Much like the constant surveillance used in so many businesses and public places,usually no one really monitors it unless they have reason to go back and look at it..

Admittedly, I've never ridden an MTA bus and likely never will. But the idea behind this is probably born of incidents like this, and not just a evil wish to monitor the riders.

[KSweeley]

Video surveillance is pretty much everywhere in public places now, and this instance proves that when something bad goes down, it's a useful tool.

Consider, the investigators in this case are reported to be using the cell phone video (with audio) from Youtube to figure out what happened. In this case, it would probably be better if the investigators could use something other than someones uploaded cell phone footage. Worldstar Hip Hop seems to be the go to site for this sort of investigation. ( not saying thats where they looked for it or found it, but that site has been used by investigators prior)

Much like the constant surveillance used in so many businesses and public places,usually no one really monitors it unless they have reason to go back and look at it..

Admittedly, I've never ridden an MTA bus and likely never will. But the idea behind this is probably born of incidents like this, and not just a evil wish to monitor the riders.

My issue is not the video surveillance which is legal, it's the audio surveillance that MTA has recently implemented in 10 buses, that totally bypassed the Maryland General Assembly because each time proposals that were brought up with audio surveillance in the MGA, it was completely shot down over privacy issues, what the MGA basically felt is MTA passengers should not completely give up their privacy rights by handing over authority to record their audio conversations on the MTA vehicles without implicit consent from each passenger given to the MTA.

[KSweeley]

Although the news reports don't indicate exactly where this happened, they do indicate that Baltimore City (not County) police are investigating this incident. The reports are also categorized under "Baltimore City" news. Hence it happened in the city. It isn't rocket science.

If the jurisdiction in question is considered to be among the most dangerous in the country and has had NUMEROUS high-profile, violent incidents on public transit that have made national news, then yes, jurisdiction does matter.

Then again, I'm wasting my arguing with someone who thinks that rider density isn't higher in the city.

WJZ reported this fight between the bus driver and student occurred in downtown Baltimore at Baltimore and Paca Streets, right by University of Maryland Medical Center: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/1...at_pco=cfd-1.0

It happened at Baltimore and Paca streets