It sounds almost like a joke, but the Los Angeles Department of Transportation is actually asking riders to refrain from pooping on city buses.
This “don’t do it” stance feels inadequate.
Mayor Karen Bass, the City Council, and LADOT’s General Manager, Laura Rubio-Cornejo, must be scratching their heads.
Furthermore, instead of just asking people to report instances of public defecation, there should be a system of enforcement and oversight.
LADOT has created a “See Something, Do Something” campaign, aiming to encourage bus passengers to maintain proper etiquette. The guidelines are clear: no drinking, no smoking, no fare evasion, and definitely no defecation.
This campaign seems similar to the LA Metro’s approach, which also emphasizes respectful behavior and discourages sexual harassment on trains.
So, um, what’s happening with public transport in LA?
Considering the subpar safety, reliability, and hygiene, it’s kind of surprising that anyone would willingly use public transport in this city.
In a city that’s supposedly the largest in the state, where the governor often brags about managing the fourth-largest economy in the world, taxpayers are shelling out millions for bus services.
And yet, the response from the city, the council, and Rubio-Cornejo seems to be a bus littered with waste. A cartoonish public service announcement just doesn’t cut it.
This reflects an alarming decline in standards.
It’s time for the city to reassess its permissive attitude towards such behavior.
While the left champions ideas like fairness and social justice, it sometimes leads to an unhealthy level of leniency that is misguided.
The issue of waste on buses highlights a deeper problem. Addressing homelessness in Los Angeles—especially concerning mental health and substance abuse—should be a priority for Mayor Bass and the City Council.
Instead, they seem to be allocating billions into the homeless services industry, benefitting developers and nonprofits, yet failing to provide substantial, long-term solutions for those in need.
A note to City Hall and the voters: This isn’t helping the residents of Los Angeles.
City leaders need to refocus on the needs of residents and improve public transport for everyone.
Seriously, how is it acceptable to defecate on a bus seat?
It’s time to clean up the situation—literally and figuratively.
