COMPASS
“Murphy Benches” At Main Street Bus Station
March 22, 2018 
The pugnacious Mike Murphy who sent us the CLASSIC VIDEO last March recorded at the new underground Main Street Station bus terminal has informed us his efforts paid off. It took a year, but there are now benches inside for passengers to sit upon as they await their bus.
They don’t fold out of the wall like “Murphy Beds,” but passengers on Valley Ride buses are no longer forced to sit outside or risk being hassled for sitting on the floor due to lack of seating.
Here is Murphy’s note to the GUARDIAN along with our attempt to obtain comment from Valley Ride:
“The tyrant in the video at the Main Street Station has since been fired, and benches were installed inside about a week ago.”
BG–My questions are:
BG–Was the TYRANT fired? (you can use “personnel matter” if you wish). I am not sure if the writer refers to the security guard or the rude woman. If you can clarify that would be nice.
VRT–I am not going to try to decipher who this unnamed person was referring to by using the word “tyrant.”
BG–Is there still a security guy there? (and) New manager/supervisor?
VRT–A security officer does patrol Main Street Station as part of the City Center Plaza security force. I do not know what you mean by “New manager/supervisor”. If you are referring to our staff at MSS, we do not have a supervisor/manager stationed there. If you are referring to security, you need to contact the security company that provides the security to the Plaza.
BG–What prompted the change in policy to allow riders to wait inside instead of outside?
VRT–We never had a policy that stated riders could not wait inside for the buses. Riders have always been able to wait either inside or outside the exit doors to the bus bays.
BG–Was it an error to force riders to sit outside and chase them away from sitting on the floor in the past?
MARCH 2017 POST
VRT–We have never forced riders to sit outside and wait for their buses.
We still prohibit people from sitting/sleeping on the ground.
We have installed nine new benches inside and four new benches outside near the bus bays.
When a mechanic at the bus shop allegedly got smacked in the chops by his boss several years ago, we got a similarly evasive response from Valley Regional Transit. Seems most of the staff are employees of a contractor.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Mar 22, 2018, 8:26 pm
Gee-wiz you guys are being awfully hard on our expert anti-terrorist policies. After all the surest way to identify a terrorist is their need to rest and review their iPad while waiting for a bus. That security man needs an MP-5 too.
Grown up question: Perhaps the carbon monoxide is so thick at floor level they determined sitting on the floor is not safe? But can’t say so cuz their employees are in the fumes all day long? That would be an intelligent reason so I doubt it.
Mar 23, 2018, 12:14 am
Tyrantasaurus Rex was the over caffeinated woman who identified herself in the video as “… in charge here …”, and threatened repeatedly to sic the cops on me.
The Security Guard actually turned out to be a decent enough fellow who I enjoyed many subsequent conversations with. He was in an unenviable position, being directed to enforce rules that didn’t exist. A former Georgia cop, he has since gone on to a career with the Gem County Sheriff’s Office.
That ValleyRide’s Spin Doctor, Mark Carnopis declared: “We have never forced riders to sit outside and wait for their buses” despite a video of just that doesn’t surprise me in the least.
The important thing of course is that wrongs have been righted, and commuters have more places to comfortably wait for their bus.
And, wait; what? Pugnacious?! Why, I oughta . . . 😉
Mar 25, 2018, 4:20 pm
Good for you Michael Murphy, and the Guardian for reporting about the bus terminal situation! The things that go on in this town that don’t get reported in the legacy news are often appalling.
Mar 29, 2018, 6:44 pm
When the publically funded transit mall was built; I assumed that it would provide a warm shelter for the Valley’s underpriveleged and homeless. It appears that Mayor Bieter hired a representative authorized to insure no homeless person or any other person wanting a highly subsidised bus ride could sit down.
Only with video evidence of the good Mayor’s representatives nasty actions does good follow.
What would the nice lady do if a classroom full of civics students from nearby Boise High School all decided to ride a bus and sat on the Mayor’s transit mall floor while waiting?
EDITOR NOTE–Gotta defend the good mayor on this one. The buses and VRT are not under his command. That agency is apart from the City of Boise.