Probably if RantWoman posts vids like this, YouTube will send RantWoman more FIFA content.
Readers can search on #FIFA or #FIFAWorldCup for other previous posts cataloguing previous videos
RantWoman would SO like to have a president who does not generate the kinds of warnings and boycott threats that President #StableGenius is ginning up.
RantWoman is firing up her transit knowledge bank preparing to have as normal a life as possible. RantWoman is glad to know some other conversations are taking place and is has full confidence in very articulate voices involved. Stay tuned.
Silly RantWoman. RantWoman still naively hopes that asking a search engine for a specific document will immediately yield a link to the document, AS THE FIRST LINK in the search results. Thankfully, the Urbanist article and the KIRO radio links below this video both have a direct link to the Metro fare enforcement report.
For grins, RantWoman read the whole report. The report is presenting the raw numbers requested in the ordinance that requests the report. RantWoman still has questions not addressed by reporting that only looks at the numbers.
RantWoman has ridden every route addressed in the report at least once and usually on a round trip in the last 12 months. So RantWoman's opinions are informed by lived experience. RantWoman considers fare payment a mark of good citizenship, an indicator that she has her own act more or less together. RantWoman always just pays for a disabled pass because that is so much easier than payment for each ride.
RantWoman may have encountered fare enforcement once on Metro and once on Sound Transit during the study interval. At some point RantWoman's disabled pass got demagnetized and whichever fare enforcement officer RantWoman met looked at the ORCA app on her phone, and told her she needed to get a new card. Since then, RantWoman's card has reliably beeped as expected when tapped.
RantWoman wonders where the estimate that 30% of passengers don't pay fares comes from. RantWoman's estimate would be more like 20% based on what she can observe. However, some of the routes surveyed are so crowded during peak times of the day that people literally cannot get to the card reader to tap their cards. These same routes have plenty of capacity at other non-peak times. By peak times, RantWoman means both regular commuting hours and times when there are concert or sport events RantWoman is VERY glad people take transit to.
All of the routes listed are heavily traveled frequent routes, with frequency as high as every 6 minutes. So, one obvious way to look at raw numbers of fare enforcement contacts would be to look at some kind of ratio, say, of contacts per 1000 boardings.
During non-peak hours when the bus is mostly empty. but when the bus is almost empty, if passengers are clean and well-behaved, RantWoman is just FINE with people using the service, especially if their destination is something like a governmental or social service. Well, passengers who get on the bus carrying a bathtub sized latte and can't pay their fare get a disapproving look and the acknowledgment that one can't pay a bus fare with, say a Starbucks gift card.
RantWoman is aware that transit services are paid for in large measure by sales taxes which are highly regressive. If people can't come up with bus fare because they have paid sales taxes, RantWoman still figures they have at least partly paid their way.
Several media reports note that many of the people who received citations are "experiencing homelessness." If they can't pay bus fare, is anyone surprised that they don't pay fines either? Clearly though, actual payment of fines is not necessarily a great indicator of program success. Fare enforcement officers are also supposed to help direct people to options to be able to pay fares and to other relevant resources.
So one obvious question: what is the trend about people getting signed up for low income or senior / disabled fares? And can the trend be linked to the work of fare enforcement officers? RantWoman has seen firsthand how just having a bus pass, reliable transportation can help people manage all the inconveniences of homelessness and get them on to paths toward more stable situations. It is not obvious to RantWoman how one might illustrate this point with numbers, but it should be considered when evaluating the fare enforcement program.
Here though we also come to the public safety concerns that are part of the push behind fare enforcement and to driver comments that people causing problems tend also to be people who haven't paid their fare. RantWoman would definitely look more deeply at that concern.
RantWoman is not at all charmed by drug use on buses or near bus stops. If it were up to RantWoman people also would not smoke tobacco or weed near bus stops. Worse than drug use though are assaults and verbal abuse. RantWoman would be interested to know whether presence of fare enforcement officers reduces on-board crime, either compared to runs when there is no office present or overall.
RantWoman also wants to know more about the increase in fares collected overall. Is that because informational programs are reaching the people they are intended to reach? Is it because more people have figured easier ways to pay their fare? Is it possible to quantify whether the fare enforcement program has contributed to the uptick in fare revenue.
First, SPOG president Lim (?) apparently has not noticed issues such as ICE agents in masks and unmarked vehicles doing all sorts of tactical driving nonsense, swarming and ramming cars, failing to ducment, lying to children to entrap parents... Should RantWoman go on?.
Today there is new reporting about people being hired into ICE , given badge and gun with nowhere near the level of vetting and training that SPD officers go through. And now SPD is expected to collaborate with these frauds in the name of protestor safety??
How far does anyone think that "collaboration" should fly?
At the Portland ICE facility, there is now an understanding that Portland police will interact with protestors about anything that is not federal property.
RantWoman has no information about protests at any ICE facility inside Seattle. Scratch that: recently someone was detained at immigration court while showing up as required at a hearing. Save that point for a different post.
RantWoman is not plugged into any protestor networks involved in the kind of swarm protests that rocked news cycles in Minneapolis, but at this point, RantWoman encourages people thinking about protesting not to be naive, to be aware of what they are getting into.
And if police are worried about protestor safety, show up with body cam and dash cams ON. Be prepared to document situations. Start there. And do not try to spin collaboration with out-of-control thugs as "public safety."
RantWoman would SO prefer that the US have a president who is not a global laughingstock.
That said, if the President shooting himself in the foot all over the world inspires people vigorously to vote down the proliferation of voices like him on the world stage, perhaps he has earned some kind of PRIZE.
Perhaps.
RantWoman never advises taking anything for granted, but RantWoman also appreciates literate, concise political commentary.
RantWoman is feeling lazy about boring more deeply into the question of which SoundTransit stations have public restrooms. RantWoman does think that if hundreds of thousands of visitors are going to pour into town for the world cup or even for the upcoming opening of cross-lake service THIS SATURDAY, maybe a concise list somewhere with tips would be desirable.
RantWoman is also perplexed because the search results claim there is a restroom at Tukwila International Boulevard station and RantWoman has never found it. A fast skim also yielded no info about restrooms on the 2 line. Assuming people will come to opening day for cross lake service, and / or will ride transit to No Kings Day events RantWoman would be THRILLED to get info systemwide in one easy query, not just relying on Gemini, especially when Gemini might not have complete information to work with.
RantWoman digresses. RantWoman's THRILL of the day was to find not just one public restroom at the North end of the mezzanine as previously but TWO. RantWoman managed to locate the directions for how to gain entry.
The directions lacked one piece of info: both restrooms were occupied. RantWoman would not have minded some kind of more explicit audio cue about this. However, just as RantWoman was about to press a button to have security try again about unlocking, someone emerged and RantWoman was able just to walk in. One judge of the need and public appreciation for this amenity: someone was waiting when RantWoman emerged.
What does one walk into? An almost palatial space with room for a whole family and whatever mobility device or baggage one is traveling with.
Truly, RantWoman was so excited to be able to enjoy this amenity, she ALMOST forgot to find anything to complain about. Two small grumbles.
The toilet is COLD. The design is the same one used in many Seattle Parks, so one can live with it, but it is noticeable.
--There are no hooks or places to put one's bags anywhere but on the floor. This is less than ideal. Transit riders nearly always carry some kind of bag. And floor storage is not preferable on rainy days. RantWoman is determined just to COPE.
But while RantWoman is going on about "Rider experience," at one point recently, RantWoman was listening to announcements about the 2 line. There was the usual English voice. There was a female voice that was pure mumble test, and there was a male voice definitely in a language RantWoman does not understand. By mumble test, RantWoman means the kind of real-life situations where travelers or aspiring interpreters need to make sense of something like train announcements in a foreign language through bad audio in a noisy space. RantWoman could not tell whether the female voice was speaking English or something else. RantWoman will simply leave that here as a concern.
RantWoman has decided several times not to go to law school, but RantWoman has, in the comment rant below the video, RantWoman would like to propose a project for a fresh aspiring lawyer.
Time to test the #SCOTUS concept of "official acts?"
What is the emergency???
Has the local #StableGenius violated so many laws, architectural and construction standards, procedures, constrains on bribery... that SOMEONE can make a case that immunity does not apply?
I assume there is no chance the current DoJ would do it, but who might have standing to sue????
If President #StableGenius did not like the White House, why did he run for re-election??? Surely he can afford to live somewhere else and build his own dang ballroom.
Besides, what's one more civil judgment for the #StableGenius to ignore??? When he finally slouches off this mortal coil, probate for his estate could be SO much fun....
Statement from the American Council of the Blind on the Death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam
Posted on March 2, 2026
Statement from the American Council of the Blind on the Death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam March 2, 2026
The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is deeply saddened by the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Rohingya refugee who was blind and died in Buffalo, New York, shortly after his release from federal custody.
People who are blind or have low vision, like all people with disabilities, deserve to be treated with dignity and provided reasonable accommodations in their interactions with government agencies. Serious questions remain about the circumstances surrounding Mr. Shah Alam’s death, including whether his disability and communication needs were appropriately considered at each stage.
ACB urges a full and transparent investigation into what occurred, with particular attention to how disability-related needs were addressed. That review should identify clear steps to help prevent similar tragedies in the future and ensure that policies and practices fully protect the rights and safety of people with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision.
First #RamadanMubarak to all who are observing the fast
Second, Heartfelt condolences to the family of Nurul Amin Shah Alam and the entire Rohingya community living through the nightmare of his death during ramadan
Clear reporting about issues with cause of death determination
Comment RantWoman posted
1. Mobility aids are NOT Weapons. WTF with the weapons charges for what multiple sources have said are CURTAIN RODS? Thank you for the description of two poles. I could not make that out in the body cam video released by Buffalo PD. Curtain rods are, of course, not standard white canes many people use, but other people do use walking poles for all kinds of reasons.
2. LOTS of blind people, even blind professionals with excellent travel skills get lost sometimes. It seems like Mr. Shah Alam is charged for:
--getting lost while brown
--getting lost while Muslim
--getting lost while blind
--getting lost while not speaking English.
--accidentally trespassing
3. The body cam video of the original arrest you mentioned featured a female officer SCREAMING at Mr. Shah Alam to drop the poles or she was going to taser him, like he has any clue what a taser is. Then there is a melee, reportedly by two officers who somehow could not de-escalate the situation.
In other words, Mr. Shah Alam was WAY overcharged for what should have MAYBE been a simple trespassing issue.
What is the source for hearing that Mr. Shah Alam's family and attorney were waiting for him when he was released? Reporting I have seen says there were no efforts to contact family or attorney.
This case is heartbreaking and infuriating on so many levels, and so much worse for the Muslim communities because it's Ramadan.
And unfortunately, except for the extra issues because of blindness and medical fragility, this case is all too similar t DHS general Deport First and due process be damned policies.
TYT reporting with more details of situation and perspective from Cenk Uygur and TYT voices. And Cenk makes the case about why would any jurisdiction tell ICE / CBP about immigrants in custody if they are going to be treated this badly.
RantWoman now can't locate her reply comment rant about assertion that Mr. Shah Alam was able to make known his wishes via some kind of translation device. Hopefully Gov. Hochul, AG James, and Congress will add questions about validation of any such system used to questions about this outrage.
Blistering comments from mayor of Buffalo abotu why Buffalo does not cooperate with administrative warrants
Discussion by immigration attorney of Rohingya refugee situation, many elements of immigration law including efforts by Mr. Shah Alam's attorney to negotiate a plea deal.
A nearly blind refugee from Myanmar, 56-year old Nurul Amin Shah Alam, missing since his release from a Buffalo jail into the custody of US Border Patrol has been found dead on a downtown street https://t.co/ayXj0QU7AYpic.twitter.com/srFTreb7Er
First, HEARTFELT condolences to the family of Mr. Nurun Alam and to everyone in the Rohingya refugee community in Buffalo NY.
RantWoman is shaking her tree of blind people contacts to see whether any blind people in Buffalo NY are familiar with the story below of Mr. Nurun Alam, a Rohingya REFUGEE. If RantWoman were a properly politic advocate, she might also collaborate with others to craft a carefully worded statement about why blind people--LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN THE US--should care about immigrant neighbors, blind or low vision immigrants, and assaults on Constitutional and civil rights, not to mention all the ways ICE/ CBP are making life MORE unsafe for everyone in the US. RantWoman will be grateful if all these comments lead to such statements.
In the meantime....
RantWoman's head is exploding about the heart-wrenching story of a nearly blind Rohingya REFUGEE left to die in Buffalo NY by Border Patrol agents. Aside from that outrageous level of cruelty, the whole story should make every jurisdiction in the country think twice or three or a dozen or seventeen times about handing ANYONE but the most dangerous criminals over on Border Patrol (ICE/ CBP) detainers.
According to the TV news report linked below, Mr. Alam was originally arrested in 2025 after an encounter with 2 Buffalo Police Department officers. RantWoman has not found reports of the original altercation but one post on X referred to some kind of stick that may have been used as a walking stick. Mr. Alam was held in the Erie County jail until there was some kind of plea deal, someone recently posted bond and he was picked up by "Border Patrol" Border Patrol apparently figured out there was no reason to deport him. There was also no reason just to dump him out in the cold to die in the snow.
RantWoman does not endorse middle-aged blind people getting into hand-to-hand battles with police officers. That said, several elements of the story make RantWoman wonder whether, in a properly functioning Department of Justice, there would be grounds for a federal civil rights investigation.
Google turned up reference to a now-deleted missing persons report on Facebook that described mr. Alam as about 5'7" and slightly built. So two officers? COME ON. De-escalation ANYONE? Someone? Anyone?
Next, we have someone who speaks minimal English quite possibly has age-related hearing loss, and probably has no idea what police officers might be barking at him.
Next we have a REFUGEE who probably does not have great associations with anyone in uniform but who, if he has any vision at all, probably reacts very badly to police officers.
Next, the "walking stick." RantWoman would definitely like to know more about whether Mr. Alam used whatever he was carrying as some kind of a mobility aid, either for support or as a tool for navigating his environment.
RantWoman is not a lawyer and HOPES that someone with more authority will re-investigate the original case.
For now, focus on the outrageous behavior by CBP and a fragile LEGAL REFUGEE left to die alone in the snow.
Documentation / media selections below.
Here are such media accounts and statements as RantWoman has been able easily to assemble, along with an observation that Grok, the Twitter /X AI validates accounts from several official sources.
TV Coverage of previous arrest
Border Patrol dump blind refugee 5 miles away from home—he was found dead on the street.
Officers dropped him off in front of a donut shop—didn't notify his lawyer or family he was even released.
When reported missing—local police said he was in ICE custody and stopped looking… pic.twitter.com/DKhS77qVqv
Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan provided the following statement to News 4:
"A vulnerable man — nearly blind and unable to speak English — was left alone on a cold winter night with no known attempt to leave him in a safe, secure location."
#OnThisDay in 1960, four Black freshmen students from North Carolina A&T — Franklin McCain, Joseph A. McNeil, David L. Richmond and Ezell A. Blair Jr. — began to ask themselves what they were going to do about discrimination.
(Oh, Good! Just what RantWoman wants in the pedestrian environment allegedly increasing public safety: violent, poorly trained, unidentified, unaccountable goons. SURE. Sure, as in MANY local police officers and reportedly, even some people within ICE will attest)
One long continuous blast: ABDUCTION
(phrasing on the instruction sheet)
Regardless of where one comes down on federal officials grabbing people off the street, pepper spraying citizens trying to record what they are doing, and spewing lies, Lies, LIES (Can anyone tell RantWoman is a little biased?) RantWoman needs to go off about one aspect of the literal whistleblowing campaign: a bunch of whistles going off all around one is likeluy to be DARNED confusing to blind pedestrians. RantWoman also notes that there may be other people with mobility issues or personal reasons to need to find paths to safety, paths AWAY from places crowds may be running toward.
RantWoman bases the observation about difficulty identifying the sources of whistles on what she has heard in a number of videos about ICE / Border Patrol actions in Minneapolis and other cities. RantWoman has NO desire to use her limited eyeball time on videos getting analyzed in minute detail. RantWoman does, though, want to encourage people responding to whistle alerts to look around and #ASKDontGrab if someone nearby might need help finding paths to safety.
One more comment for #PWD who DO want to go to protests: there are any number of options for training and opportunities to game out different issues. RantWoman highly recommend both finding a compatible training / collaboration opportunity and just planning to go with a buddy.
Reference about the first amendment issue.
Blowing whistles is protected first amendment activity
Interests: Digital Inclusion, Languages and language access, walkability, accessibility, disaster preparedness.
When in doubt, laugh about something!
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